ed the point, the pursuing savages were
momentarily lost to view, and their yells no longer rang in his ears.
At any rate, the sudden terror was conquered, as it always is by brave
men, though with cowards it stays to the end.

Donald headed straight for the beach, gained it, hastily dragged his
canoe behind some bushes, and, seizing only his rifle, plunged into the
forest. He reflected that it must be some minutes before his pursuers
could strike his trail; and, with that advantage of time, he surely
ought to reach the fort in advance of them. So, while he ran at a
great speed, he still saved his strength, and by no means did his best.
This he reserved for a later emergency.

He had hardly got under way when the spiteful crack of a rifle rang out
from the forest directly in front of him. Almost at the same instant
he threw up his arms, staggered forward, and fell. As he did so, a
painted savage leaped from behind a tree and raised a hand to his mouth
to produce the quavering of a triumphant war-whoop. With its first
shrill note a second rifle uttered its deadly summons; the exulting
Indian leaped high, and fell, pierced by Donald's bullet. Then the
latter arose, hastily reloaded, and, with only a contemptuous glance at
the dead foe who had been so easily beguiled, sped on his way. There
might be other Indians in his path; but if they were all as simple as
that fellow, he should not mind them.

The young woodsman had not been harmed nor even grazed by his
adversary's bullet, and unexpected as it was, he had been quick-witted
enough to put into practice one of Truman Flagg's long-ago lessons.
Often, when he was a child, playing in the edge of the woods near
Tawtry House, had he flung up his little arms and dropped in that very
manner, at the sound of an unexpected shot, fired into the air, from
the old scout's rifle. Thus, though he had never before been obliged
to resort to it for self-preservation, the action now came to him as
naturally as breathing.

Now, as he sped forward, his pace was accelerated by a series of yells
that announced the landing, and discovery of his trail by the pursuers
whom he had first seen. Then, though an unbroken silence reigned in
the pleasant forest glades, he knew that swift runners were on his
track and that the time had come for his utmost exertions.

Mile after mile he ran until he had covered a goodly number before his
strength began to fail. At length he was panting so