k our friend, the
bee-hunter, in what condition he finds himself to struggle with a Teton
boy, after so many hours of bondage; much less with a dozen merciless
and bloodthirsty squaws!"

"Truly, old trapper," returned Paul, stretching his limbs, which were by
this time entirely released, and endeavouring to restore the suspended
circulation, "you have some judgmatical notions in these matters. Now
here am I, Paul Hover, a man who will give in to few at wrestle or race,
nearly as helpless as the day I paid my first visit to the house of old
Paul, who is dead and gone,--the Lord forgive him any little blunders he
may have made while he tarried in Kentucky! Now there is my foot on the
ground, so far as eye-sight has any virtue, and yet it would take no
great temptation to make me swear it didn't touch the earth by six
inches. I say, honest friend, since you have done so much, have
the goodness to keep these damnable squaws, of whom you say so many
interesting things, at a little distance, till I have got the blood of
this arm in motion, and am ready to receive them."

The trapper made a sign that he perfectly understood the case; and
he walked towards the superannuated savage, who began to manifest an
intention of commencing his assigned task, leaving the bee-hunter to
recover the use of his limbs as well as he could, and to put Middleton
in a similar situation to defend himself.

Mahtoree had not mistaken his man, in selecting the one he did to
execute his bloody purpose. He had chosen one of those ruthless savages,
more or less of whom are to be found in every tribe, who had purchased
a certain share of military reputation, by the exhibition of a hardihood
that found its impulses in an innate love of cruelty. Contrary to the
high and chivalrous sentiment, which among the Indians of the prairies
renders it a deed of even greater merit to bear off the trophy of
victory from a fallen foe, than to slay him, he had been remarkable for
preferring the pleasure of destroying life, to the glory of striking the
dead. While the more self-devoted and ambitious braves were intent
on personal honour, he had always been seen, established behind some
favourable cover, depriving the wounded of hope, by finishing that which
a more gallant warrior had begun. In all the cruelties of the tribe he
had ever been foremost; and no Sioux was so uniformly found on the side
of merciless councils.

He had awaited, with an impatience which his lo