ch was but a sample of the perfection of the
whole person, and which in a woman seldom attains its fullest
harmony of proportion before the mature age which Mrs. Headley had
attained, was not exactly that of the porter who, at an earlier
period, solicited the famous Duchess of Gordon to permit him to
light his pipe at her ladyship's brilliant eyes, it was certainly
conceived in much of a similar spirit, and Mrs. Headley could scarce
herself suppress a smile when she remarked the effect upon the
Indian.

And yet this man had been one of the foremost in the attack, and
at his waist, even then, dangled more scalps than had been taken
by any other warrior during the day.

"Well," said Mrs. Headley, on the Pottowatomie continuing resolute
in his refusal to touch the wound--"somebody must do this act of
charity, for the ball gives me much pain. Mr. McKenzie," she added,
with that sort of smile that may be attributed to a person seeking
to assume an air of unconcern even when most disheartened--"you
have long been accustomed to use the dissecting knife on the buffalo
and the bear: do you not think that you could find the courage
necessary for the occasion!"

"Most decidedly; I will make the attempt if you desire it," returned
the trader; "but I fear that my surgical apparatus is Very limited
indeed. Von Voltenberg having been stripped, all his instruments
have, doubtless, been plundered, so it is no use to look for
aid there; and the only thing with which I can try my skill is a
common but very sharp penknife."

"Try whatever you please," said Mrs. Headley; "only relieve me of
this suffering; that which you may inflict cannot possibly be
worse"--and unflinchingly extending her arm, she waited for him to
begin.

For the first time in his life Mr. McKenzie felt nervous. There
was a greater amount of courage required to cut into the delicate
flesh, of a woman than even to _kill_ a bear or a buffalo; but as he
had promised, he summoned up his resolution and skill to the task.

The Pottowatomie, bedizened with scalps as he was, had remained to
witness the cutting out of the ball; and nothing could surpass the
expression of surprise that pervaded his features, as he keenly
watched the almost immovability of Mrs. Headley from the moment
that the blade of the penknife, dexterously enough handled, entered
into the flesh and effected the incision necessary to enable the
ball to be removed. When the operation was finished, and t