, now that a hope
had sprung up in his heart--his energies were aroused, and renewed
activity braced his limbs.

CHAPTER V.

On the right of the farm-house called Hardscrabble, as it faced
the water, there was a kitchen garden, the fence of which was quite
five feet high, and scattered about within this were standing, now
almost shrivelled up from age, many clusters of peas and beans
pending lazily and languidly from their poles. To force his way
across this fence, and then diagonally through the garden in order
to gain the opposite corner and cross into the road beyond, was
now the sole object of the young officer; but before putting it in
practice, he called out in a loud and distinct voice to Von Voltenberg
to know what had become of his wife, and whether she too was a
prisoner. But there was no answer. The Doctor had evidently been
enjoined not to reply, for, immediately after he had put his
question, Ronayne saw an Indian hold up his tomahawk menacingly to
the prisoner, and heard him utter some words as if to enjoin silence.
Seemingly desirous, however, at all risk to satisfy his friend,
Von Voltenberg suddenly raised his hand, and seemed to point
significantly over his shoulder in an oblique direction to the
rear. This convinced Ronayne that he had been correct in his
conjecture, for the direction was the road he intended taking.
Gathering himself up in his saddle, he slowly walked his horse
about twenty paces towards the edge of the forest. This was done
both for the purpose of preventing any suspicion of an attempt at
flight, and of giving sufficient run for his leap. Then suddenly
wheeling round, he put the animal to his speed, and, amid the loud
shouts of the Indians, who rushed forward from every point to
overtake him, accomplished the desperate leap, the tips of his
horse's hoofs just grazing as he passed. Encumbered with their arms
as they were, it took each Indian, however active, at least a second
to clear the fence, and this gave the young officer considerable
advantage of distance; but what surprised him was that not a shot
was fired. It seemed as though his pursuers thought it beneath
their dignity to fire at a single fleeing man, whom they were
certain of taking, and matter of rivalry with all to be the first
to reach and secure. Onward they pressed now without uttering a
sound; but the rattling of their war ornaments, with the crackling
of the decayed vegetation beneath their feet, told Ron