e killed any of the villains, our end at the stake would come
before morning, even though Thayendanega himself should do all he might to
prevent it.

I remained silent, the Indians approaching nearer and nearer each instant,
and, when they were half-way up the hill, within perhaps thirty yards of
the mouth of the cave, the sergeant said, as if speaking to himself:

"All we can hope for, if we should put up a fight, is to die with weapons
in our hands, for death in some form would come to us within a few hours.
While there's life there's a chance."

"Meanin' that we had best give ourselves up?" I asked, in alarm.

"Ay, lad, that is my idee, unless you can show me something better."

There was little time for reflection. Already were the Indians so near
that I fancied I could hear them breathing. I knew that the cave had no
other outlet than this one at which we crouched, but also that two
determined men might hold half an hundred in check as long as their
ammunition lasted--but then?

The foremost of the red-skinned snakes were within a dozen feet of us when
I whispered, with tremulous voice:

"It shall be as you say, sergeant!"

[Illustration: "With upraised hands, stepped out from amid the screen of
foliage"]

Chapter X.

Prisoners

I believe if at that critical moment I had decided it was best we hold the
cave against the foe, regardless of the ultimate consequence, Sergeant
Corney would have done my bidding. But immediately I declared myself
willing to act as he thought best, the old man threw down his rifle, and,
with upraised hands, stepped out from amid the screen of foliage into the
very arms of those who were coming up the slope.

Just for one instant there was in my mind the thought that I might slink
back into the further end of the cave, and possibly escape detection,
unless it so chanced that the savages knew exactly how many were hidden
there. But, fortunately, before there was time to do anything so cowardly,
a realization of what it meant to thus hang back when I had spoken the
words which sent my comrade forward came upon me with full force, and I
followed him so closely that he could not have had any suspicion of that
which, for the merest fraction of time, found lodgment in my heart.

It was too dark for me to see the look of triumph on the faces of our
captors; but I knew they wore such expressions, because of the cries of
satisfaction and shouts of delight which burst from th