pposed;
indeed, I suspect that she would break her heart should any harm befall
him," I whispered.

I cannot fully describe the varied beauties of the stream, bordered by
picturesque woods festooned with graceful creepers, many of them
producing rich blossoms of many hues. At night we proceeded, lighted by
pitch-pine-torches stuck in the bows of the vessel, which cast a lurid
glare on either bank, scaring the numberless alligators which ever and
anon put their heads above the surface of the water. At times I fancied
that I could see the figures of Indian warriors brandishing their
spears, and handling their bows ready to shoot at us; but the next
moment they changed into bushes or the distorted trunks of trees.

After a voyage of some miles, with the current in our favour, we found
ourselves alongside the Government steamer which waited the return of
the boat. As I stepped on her deck, I enjoyed a sense of security which
I had not enjoyed for many months. We heard sad news, however. Fearful
atrocities had been committed by the Indians in different parts of the
country--farm-houses attacked, their inhabitants massacred, and whole
villages destroyed. The romantic admiration with which I had been
inclined to regard the red men was completely dissipated; though I was
compelled to acknowledge that, barbarous as was their conduct, they had
been cruelly treated, and had bitter wrongs to avenge.

The distance which had taken us so long a time when we came up the river
was quickly got over, although we had to stop at several places to take
persons on board who had escaped from the Indian massacres. Our party,
with the remainder of my uncle's followers, were landed at Castle
Kearney. My aunt and Rita had bravely held out, notwithstanding the
advice they had received to abandon the house. My father broke to them,
as gently as possible, the sad intelligence we brought, as poor Juanita
was utterly unable to do so.

Donna Maria, it seemed to me, would never get over it. For many days
and nights her daughters, overcoming their own anxieties, were in
constant attendance on her.

The poor girls, though they mourned for their father and brother, were,
I knew, troubled about Rochford and Captain Norton. Lejoillie had gone
on, as he said, to finish his visit to Judge Shurtleff at Roseville,
that settlement being one of the very few which had escaped an attack
from the Indians, owing to the due precautions taken by the inhab