to ride so far
across the Borders? It could be no settler's wife, but some dame from
the coast country who had not the sense to be timid. 'Twas a grievous
affliction for two men on an arduous quest to have to protect a foolish
female with the Cherokees all about them.

There was no help for it, and as swiftly as possible and with all
circumspection Shalah trailed the horse's prints. They kept the high
ground, in very broken country, which was the reason why the rider had
escaped the Indians' notice. Clearly they were moving slowly, and from
the frequent halts and turnings I gathered that the rider had not much
purpose about the road.

Then we came on a glade where the rider had dismounted and let the
beast go. The horse had wandered down the ridge to the right in search
of grazing, and the prints of a woman's foot led to the summit of a
knoll which raised itself above the trees.

There, knee-deep in a patch of fern, I saw what I had never dreamed of,
what sent the blood from my heart in a cold shudder of fear: a girl,
pale and dishevelled, was trying to part some vines. A twig crackled
and she looked round, showing a face drawn with weariness and eyes
large with terror.

It was Elspeth!

At the sight of Shalah she made to scream, but checked herself. It was
well, for a scream would have brought all of us to instant death.

For Shalah at that moment dropped to earth and wriggled into a covert
overlooking the vale. I had the sense to catch the girl and pull her
after him. He stopped dead, and we two lay also like mice. My heart was
going pretty fast, and I could feel the heaving of her bosom.

The shallow glen was full of folk, most of them going on foot. I
recognized the Cherokee head-dress and the long hickory bows which
those carried who had no muskets. 'Twas by far the biggest party we had
seen, and, though in that moment I had no wits to count them, Shalah
told me afterwards they must have numbered little short of a thousand.
Some very old fellows were there, with lean, hollow cheeks, and scanty
locks, but the most were warriors in their prime. I could see it was a
big war they were out for, since some of the horses carried heavy loads
of corn, and it is never the Indian fashion to take much provender for
a common raid. In all Virginia's history there had been no such
invasion, for the wars of Opechancanough and Berkeley and the fight of
Bacon against the Susquehannocks were mere bickers compared with this