Injun, but when I told
him I knowed him, an' that he was a trustworthy man, he was much
troubled, an' in doubt what to do. Now, it's quite clear to me that
Hawk must have somehow found out or suspected that Wapaw was goin' to
'peach on him, an' that he had followed his trail close up; for in less
than an hour arter Wapaw arrived, an' while we was yet sittin' smokin'
by the fire, there was a most tremendous yell outside. I know'd it for
the war-whoop o' the redskins, so I jumped up an' cocked my rifle. The
others jumped up too, like lightnin'; an' Mrs Macdonell she got hold o'
her girlie in her arms an' was runnin' across the hall to her own room,
when the door was knocked off its hinges, and fell flat on the floor.
Before it had well-nigh fallen I got sight o' somethin', an' let drive.
The yell that follered told me I had spoilt somebody's aim. A volley
was poured on us next moment, an' a redskin jumped in, but Wapaw's
tomahawk sent him out again with a split skull. Before they could
reload--for the stupid fools had all fired together--I had the door up,
and a heavy table shoved agin it. Then I turned round, to load agin;
while I was doin' this, I observed poor Macdonell on his knees beside
his wife, so I went to them an' found that the wife an' girl were stone
dead--both shot through the heart with the same ball.

"As soon as Macdonell saw this he rose up quietly, but with a look on
his face sich as I never see in a man 'xcept when he means to stick at
nothin'. He got hold of his double-barrelled gun, an' stuck a scalpin'
knife an' an axe in his belt.

"`Git on my back, Tommy,' says he to his little boy, who was cryin' in a
corner.

"Tommy got up at once, an' jumped on his dad's back. All this time the
redskins were yellin' round the house like fiends, an' batterin' the
door, so that it was clear it couldn't stand long.

"`Friends,' said he turnin' to me an' Wapaw, an' a poor terrified chap
that was the only one o' his men as chanced to be in the house at the
time, `friends, it's every man for himself now; I'll cut my way though
them, or--'. He stopped short, an' took hold o' his axe in one hand,
an' his gun in the other. `Are ye ready?' says he. We threw forward
our rifles an' cocked 'em; Macdonell--he was a big, strong man--suddenly
upset the table; the savages dashed in the door with sich force that
three or four o' 'em fell sprawlin' on the floor. We jumped over these
before they could rise, and fi