his flock," Paul replied;
"I can make myself heard a mile in these open fields, and his camp is
but a short quarter from us."

"And get knocked on the head for your pains," returned the trapper.
"No, no; cunning must match cunning, or the hounds will murder the whole
family."

"Murder! no--no murder. Ishmael loves travel so well, there would be no
harm in his having a look at the other sea, but the old fellow is in a
bad condition to take the long journey! I would try a lock myself before
he should be quite murdered."

"His party is strong in number, and well armed; do you think it will
fight?"

"Look here, old trapper: few men love Ishmael Bush and his seven
sledge-hammer sons less than one Paul Hover; but I scorn to slander even
a Tennessee shotgun. There is as much of the true stand-up courage among
them, as there is in any family that was ever raised in Kentuck, itself.
They are a long-sided and a double-jointed breed; and let me tell you,
that he who takes the measure of one of them on the ground, must be a
workman at a hug."

"Hist! The savages have done their talk, and are about to set their
accursed devices in motion. Let us be patient; something may yet offer
in favour of your friends."

"Friends! call none of the race a friend of mine, trapper, if you have
the smallest regard for my affection! What I say in their favour is less
from love than honesty."

"I did not know but the young woman was of the kin," returned the
other, a little drily--"but no offence should be taken, where none was
intended."

The mouth of Paul was again stopped by the hand of Ellen, who took on
herself to reply, in her conciliating tones: "we should be all of a
family, when it is in our power to serve each other. We depend entirely
on your experience, honest old man, to discover the means to apprise our
friends of their danger."

"There will be a real time of it," muttered the bee-hunter, laughing,
"if the boys get at work, in good earnest, with these red skins!"

He was interrupted by a general movement which took place among the
band. The Indians dismounted to a man, giving their horses in charge
to three or four of the party, who were also intrusted with the safe
keeping of the prisoners. They then formed themselves in a circle around
a warrior, who appeared to possess the chief authority; and at a given
signal the whole array moved slowly and cautiously from the centre in
straight and consequently in diverging lines.