k of the red-skins upon us."

"Just what I thought. I'm sleepy."

And without further ceremony, he lolled over on the ground, and in a
few minutes, to all appearances, was sound asleep. Intently watching
his face for a time, the Rifleman now and then saw his eyelids partly
unclose, as if he wished to ascertain whether any one was scrutinizing
him. The somewhat lengthy conversation which we have taken the pains to
record, had about disarmed the hunter of the suspicions which had been
lingering with him for a long time. He believed Zeke Hunt an ignorant
fellow, who had been left along the Ohio river, as he had related, and
who had not yet learned that trait of civilized society, carefully to
conceal his thoughts and feelings when in conversation. The impression
which he first felt, of having met him before, might easily arise from
his resemblance to some former acquaintance.

Still, the Rifleman was by no means so forgetful of his charge as to
indulge in slumber, when there was the remotest probability of danger
threatening her. Inured as he was to all manner of hardships and
suffering, it was no difficult matter for him to spend several nights
in succession without sleep. He therefore watched over her through the
second night, never, for a single moment, allowing himself to become
unconscious. Several times he saw the countryman raise his head and
change his position, and when spoken to, heard him mutter something
about it being "derned hard to sleep with his head on the soft side of
a stone, and one side toasted and the other froze."

The hours wore away without any incident worth mentioning, and at the
first appearance of day Edith was astir and ready to resume the
journey. Enough of the turkey, slain on the day before, remained to
give each a sufficient meal, and with cheerful spirits upon the part of
all, the three again took up their march through the wilderness.

The route which the information of the countryman led the hunter to
adopt was such that he expected to reach the settlement in the course
of the afternoon. It will thus be seen that it was a very circuitous
one--they, in fact, being already several miles north of their
destination. As yet, the eagle eye of the hunter had discovered no
danger, and their march was continued without interruption until noon,
when they halted for a few minutes' rest.

"If you haint no 'bjection, I'll try a shot with your gun," said Zeke
Hunt, "bein' as you thought I could