ly a second or two was necessary to reach it, and
he laid his hand on the gunwale.

At that instant a Shawanoe warrior rose from the interior of the canoe,
and lifted his hand in which was clasped a knife, with the purpose of
burying it with vicious energy in the breast of the astonished youth.

"Whew! gorrynation! I didn't know yo' war dar!" gasped Jethro, dropping
like a loon beneath the surface just in time to escape the ferocious
thrust.

The Shawanoe leaned so far out, with upraised weapon, to strike the
African when he came up, that the canoe careened almost upon its side.
He was in this attitude of expectancy when, from the flatboat, came the
sharp crack of a rifle, and the savage plunged over, head first, with a
smothered shriek, and sank from sight.

"I expected something of the kind," muttered Simon Kenton, who, amid the
tumult around him, proceeded to reload his rifle with as much coolness
as if he were in the depth of the forest and had just brought down a
deer or bear.

From the undergrowth immediately above where the boat was pushing from
land, a second warrior, whose zeal outran his discretion, emitted a
ringing whoop, and dashed straight at the crowding fugitives. He was
nearer Mrs. Altman than any of the others, and meant to bury his
uplifted tomahawk in her brain, but when almost within reach he made a
frenzied leap from the ground, and, with outspread arms and legs,
tumbled forward on his face.

It was never clearly established who was quick enough to check the
murderous miscreant in this fashion, for fighting had fairly begun and
considerable shooting was going on; but the moon at that moment was
unobscured, and Mr. Altman insisted that he saw Missionary Finley raise
his rifle like a flash and discharge it in the direction of the warrior
just at the instant before the husband could intervene in defence of his
wife.

When the good man was afterward taxed with the exploit, so creditable to
his coolness and courage, he showed a reluctance to discuss it. Pressed
further, he would not admit the charge, and yet refrained from denial.
It will be conceded, therefore, that the presumption is reasonable that
Missionary Finley was the instrument of saving Mrs. Altman's life when
it was in the gravest possible peril. Meanwhile Jethro Juggens found
himself with interesting surroundings. Availing himself of his great
skill in the water, he dived so deeply that his feet touched bottom and
he came up a doze