CAMP.

The furious rush made by Uncle Jeff had, as he expected, so distracted
the attention of our numerous enemies surrounding the house, that they
did not at first notice Bartle, Gideon, and me. We were thus able to get
to some distance from the house, and had hopes of escaping altogether
unobserved, when the party who had been concealed in the mill caught
sight of us, and uttering a loud war-whoop, rushed out expecting to take
our scalps. Bartle and Gideon shot down with their pistols two of our
assailants; and I cut down a third, who had sprung before us to stop our
progress. Others soon came on, but we managed to keep them at bay,
although it was too probable that ere long we should be overwhelmed, as
others were coming up from all directions to join the fight. But so
well did my companions wield their swords, that they for some time kept
the enemy back.

"Now, lad," cried Bartle to me, "now is your time; run for it, and you
will get off free! Gideon and I will manage these fellows; never fear,
we will look after ourselves."

I hesitated to desert my faithful friends.

"Go, I say--go, Ralph!" again cried Bartle. "It will make it more
difficult for us to escape if you remain."

It was probable, I saw, that Bartle and Gideon, with their great
strength and activity, might by themselves be able to cut their way
through a host of foes, although with me to protect they might find the
task too great even for them.

"Good-bye, then; I hope we shall meet all right before long," I
exclaimed.

"Never fear, lad," cried Bartle, as I bounded off up the canon, my rifle
at my back, with three spare cartridges, and my pistol in my belt.

For some seconds the Indians did not observe what I was about, and I
soon had a good start of them. When at length they did catch sight of my
figure, dimly seen in the gloom of early morning, for it was scarcely
yet daylight, several started off in chase. I saw that they were coming,
but I did not stop to count their number. I was well acquainted with
every inch of the ground, which it was not likely that they were, and I
knew I should have abundance of hiding-places between the rocks and
crags, among which I might baffle pursuit. My purpose then was to cross
the torrent at a narrow part where a tree hung over it, and to make to
the northward, where I hoped to join Uncle Jeff and Clarice at
Winnemak's camp.

The Indians, however, had no intention of allowing me to escape. On they
came