le that we should be
attacked during the night, one-half of our party remained under arms,
while the rest slept with their rifles by their sides, ready for action
at a moment's notice.

I was patrolling with Tim, the moon, high above the trees, casting a
bright light over the ground where the fighting had taken place, when
Tim exclaimed,--"Arrah! sure, thin, one o' them Redskins is moving." I
looked in the direction he pointed to, and directly after saw one of the
apparently dead Indians rise to his feet and make towards the wood. At
the same instant Tim fired. The Indian dropped, and before I could stop
my companion he had rushed forward, supposing, I believed, that the man
was feigning to be shot, and might still make his escape. He quickly
came back, dragging the body after him.

"Sure he's dead enough now, anyhow; but I thought I'd bring him along to
show you who he is. See, it's Black Hawk, who killed Mr. Carlos; he's
got what he deserves for his treacherous murder."

I at once recognised the features of Black Hawk. That he could not do
us further harm was certain; and as no attempt had been made to rescue
him, we were satisfied that the enemy had retreated to a distance. Part
of the night was spent in the melancholy duty of digging graves, and
burying the bodies of my poor uncle and those who had fallen with him,
as we could not take them with us, the wounded requiring all the men who
could be spared to carry them. The Indians, we hoped, finding us too
strong for them, had retreated.

The night passed quietly away, and at early dawn we commenced our march
back to Fort King.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN.

ARRIVAL AT FORT KING--WE RESOLVE TO RETURN TO CASTLE KEARNEY--ON THE WAY
TO SILVER SPRING--ANXIETY OF JUANITA--A WELCOME SOUND--A MESSAGE FOR
ROCHFORD--OUR VOYAGE DOWN STREAM--ARRIVAL HOME--GRIEF OF MY AUNT--I
VISIT JUDGE SHURTLEFF--A PARTY OF BLACKS DISCOVERED--I JOIN THE
ROSEVILLE VOLUNTEERS--AN ENCOUNTER IN THE FOREST--THE MEETING WITH
ROCHFORD--A DISPUTE--THE PRISONER BEFORE THE JUDGE--AT THE CASTLE
AGAIN--SAD NEWS--MY FATHER'S WORDS--THE ATTACK AND DEFENCE OF CASTLE
KEARNEY--OUR RETREAT ON THE RIVER--TIMELY HELP--RECEPTION AT ROSEVILLE--
RETURN TO IRELAND--HAPPINESS OF MY COUSINS--THE LAST OF THE SEMINOLES--
CONCLUSION.

We had a weary march back to Fort King, not knowing at what moment we
might be attacked by our persevering foes, who were constantly hovering
in our rear; but from the admirable arrangem