urious inquiry, for the first time. The invalid, as we have
said, was apparently struggling with the last stages of natural decay.
Her companion was evidently youthful, in spite of those marks which even
the unstudied eye might have discerned in her features, of a temper and
a spirit subdued and put to rest by the world's strife and trial, and by
afflictions which are not often found to crowd and to make up the
history and being of the young. Their position was peculiarly insulated,
and Ralph wondered much at the singularity of a scene to which his own
experience could furnish no parallel. Here were two lone women--living
on the borders of a savage nation, and forming the frontier of a class
of whites little less savage, without any protection, and, to his mind,
without any motive for making such their abiding-place. His wonder might
possibly have taken the shape of inquiry, but that there was something
of oppressive reserve and shrinking timidity in the air of the young
woman, who alone could have replied to his inquiries. At this time an
old female negro entered, now for the first time alarmed by the outcry,
who assisted in removing such traces of the fire as still remained about
the room. She seemed to occupy a neighboring outhouse; to which, having
done what seemed absolutely necessary, she immediately retired.

Colleton, with a sentiment of the deepest commiseration, proceeded to
reinstate things as they might have been before the conflagration, and
having done so, and having soothed, as far as he well might, the excited
apprehensions of the young girl, who made her acknowledgments in a not
unbecoming style, he ventured to ask a few questions as to the condition
of the old lady and of herself; but, finding from the answers that the
subject was not an agreeable one, and having no pretence for further
delay, he prepared to depart. He inquired, however, his proper route to
the Chestatee river, and thus obtained a solution of the difficulty
which beset him in the choice of roads at the fork.

While thus employed, however, and just at the conclusion of his labors,
there came another personage upon the scene, to whom it is necessary
that we should direct our attention.

It will be remembered that Rivers and Munro, after the murder of
Forrester, had separated--the latter on his return to the village--the
other in a direction which seemed to occasion some little
dissatisfaction in the mind of his companion. After thus sep