heir devil's work the
bolder spirits within.

These now bore down _en masse_ upon the devoted three. One threw his
tomahawk; it whistled within half an inch of Landless's head, and stuck
into the wall behind him. Another struck at him with his knife, but he
beat him down with his musket, and turned again to the mulatto, who,
knife in hand, watched his chance to run in upon him.

"Look to the yellow slave, my brother," cried the Susquehannock, "I will
care for these dogs," and hurled his gigantic form upon them. One went
down before his knife; he broke the back of another, bending him like a
reed across his knee; a third fell, cleft to the brain by his
tomahawk--there was a fresh influx from without, and he was borne down
and knives thrust into him. Struggling to his feet, with one last
superhuman exertion of his vast strength, he shook them off as a stag
shakes off the dogs, and stretching out his arm, cried to Landless,
dimly seen through the ever thickening smoke;--

"My brother, farewell! I said we should find Death in the Blue
Mountains.... The Iroquois laughs at the Algonquin dogs, laughs at
Death--dies laughing."

He broke into wild, unearthly, choking laughter, his figure swaying to
and fro like a pine in a storm. The laughter, an indescribable and most
dreadful sound, became low, choked, a mere rattle in the throat, died
into silence, and the laugher crashed to the ground like a pine for
which the storm has been too much.

Landless drew a breath that was like a moan, but kept his eyes upon the
yellow menace before him.

"The Ricahecrians are my good friends," said Luiz Sebastian. "They
promise me a wigwam in their village in the Blue Mountains. I shall lead
to it a bride, and she shall be no Indian girl."

Landless struck at him over the dead body between them, but the mulatto,
springing back, avoided the blow.

"It is my hour," he said, still with a smile.

A portion of the roof fell in, making a barrier of flame between them. A
volume of smoke arose, and through it Landless and Patricia dimly saw
Indians and mulatto making for the doorway, driven forth by the
intolerable heat and the imminent danger of the burning walls and the
remainder of the roof caving in upon them. Beyond Landless was the
square opening leading into the tiny shed in which he had been sleeping
when this midnight visitation came upon them. Raising Patricia in his
arms, he made for it, and they presently found themselves in tempor