where he now lay, and where his wife had
first met him, he declared to Wau-nan-gee his utter inability to
proceed further, and prevailed on him to place him on the ground
that he might die in quiet.

It was now near sunset, and the condition of the Virginian was
momentarily becoming weaker. He suddenly made an attempt to rally,
and for a moment or two raised himself upon the elbow of the hand
that still encircled the waist of his wife.

"Maria, my soul's adored!" he murmured, "I feel that I have not
many moments left, and I should die in despair did I not know that
there is one who will protect you while he has life. God knows what
has been the fate of our poor companions, but even if living, they
cannot shield you from danger. Wau-nan-gee," he said, turning
faintly to the youth, "two things I am sure you will promise your
friend--first, to conduct yourself in all things as my wife--your
sister--desires; secondly, to conceal and guard these colors until
you can deliver them up to the nearest American fort." Then, when
the youth had solemnly promised, with tears filling his dark eyes,
that he would faithfully execute the trust, he turned again to his
wife, and said in a tone that marked increased exhaustion at the
effort he had made, "Maria, sweet, it is hard to die thus--to leave
you thus; but yet you will not be alone--Wau-nan-gee will love and
protect you, obey your will: yet you need not now fear, I have
avenged your wrong--that wrong of which the ruffian boasted when
I slew him--tortured him--the monster. How different the gentle
love of this affectionate boy! But I have not strength--oh, what
sickly faintness comes over me! surely this must be ----."

"Death!" he would have added, but silence had for ever sealed the
lips that never more would speak his undying affection for his
noble, graceful, and accomplished wife.

For some moments the unhappy woman continued to gaze upon the still
features of her husband as though unconscious of the extent of her
great misery, and when the reaction came, it was not expressed in
shrieks or lamentations, or strong outward manifestations of emotion,
but in the calm, serene, condensed silence of the sorrow that
stultifies and annihilates. Her cheek was pale as marble, and there
was a fixedness of the eye almost alarming to behold, as she rose
erect from her bending position, and said, with severity, "This
and more have your cursed people done, Wau-nan-gee! I shall ever
hate