d come up and
surrender himself. But, whatever his previous musings, half nursed
into the determination, such was now far from being the intention
of the Virginian. Certain that he would be fired at, his main object
was to prevent their closing with him so far as to impede his
action. In order to prevent nearer advance upon him, therefore, he
pulled his pocket handkerchief from the bosom of his hunting-shirt,
and waved it over his head in token of submission. Guttural sounds
of approbation broke from the warriors, amid which he thought
he could hear the voice of his wife earnestly calling upon his
name, in the distance. He looked, but saw nothing. The idea that
she had been suffered to make her escape grew stronger. He felt
assured, for the sounds of horses' hoofs had ceased, that she was
lingering for him to join her; that she had seen him wave the
handkerchief, and that, tearing he was about to deliver himself
into the hands of his enemies, she had uttered that cry to indicate
her position. Apparently in the certainty of their prisoner, the
Indians both above and below had thrown themselves at the side of
the lane under the fence, some even commencing to fill and smoke
their pipe tomahawks. This again was the moment of action. To leap
the fence at this time was out of all question, but the river was
unusually deep immediately on his right. Rapidly he wheeled his
horse, and, bearing him up with a strong arm, as he reached the
bank, while he forced the rowels of his spurs into his flanks,
caused him to bound over nearly one third of the narrow stream.
Almost before the Indians had time to recover from their surprise
and dash in after him, he was nearly across. As he ascended the
opposite bank, and gained the road above, another cry from the same
voice rang upon his ears. He looked and beheld at one of the windows
of the farm--house a form evidently that of a woman, the outline
and dress of which he could not, however, distinguish, reclining
negligently, almost motionless, on the bosom of the youngest warrior,
who had evinced such earnestness in his desire to capture him.
Alternately, as Ronayne continued his course to the fort, along
that bank of the Chicago, the youth pealed forth the peculiar
war-whoop of his tribe, and waved, seemingly, the very pocket
handkerchief which the unhappy officer had a few moments before
thrown down as an earnest of his submission. Was this meant as a
reproach or a threat? He could not te