de to look
after Bartle. The first thing Gideon did was to take off his own coat
and wrap it round our friend, whose limbs were swollen by the pressure
of the cords, while he was chilled by long exposure to the cold air;
indeed, most men would have sunk under the sufferings he had endured.
How were we to get him down the mountain? was the next question. He
could not walk, and Gideon and I together were unable to carry him. The
spot was exposed to a hot sun by day, and to cold winds by night, and
there were no materials at hand to build a hut; indeed, but little wood
even to form a fire. At last I proposed setting off to try and obtain
help,--though, should the troops or the Indians who accompanied us have
gone south, it might be a long time before I could fall in with any one.
There was nothing else to be done, however, as far as we could see,
although I greatly feared that before I could return Bartle would have
succumbed.

"Quick, Ralph," said Gideon, as I rose to set off. "Do not forget some
food; and bring a litter, or something of that kind, to carry Bartle
on."

I had scarcely got a hundred feet down the mountain when I saw two
Indians in the distance, coming towards me, each carrying something on
his back, and a long pole in his hand. I waved to them, and they made
signals in reply. They were soon close to me, and on coming up they said
that they had been sent by Piomingo, and that they carried materials for
forming a litter. He had thought of the very thing we required. It was
rapidly put together; and placing Bartle on it, we each of us took the
end of a pole, and began cautiously to descend the mountain. Of
necessity our progress was very slow. Sometimes we had to place the
litter on the ground, not for the sake of resting ourselves, but that we
might lower it with more caution. Thus proceeding, we at last reached
the plain, where, as the day had closed, we encamped.

Next morning, Bartle, although better, was still unable to walk; we
therefore carried him the whole way to Roaring Water. We found Uncle
Jeff standing in the midst of the ruins of the old house,--in no
desponding mood, however,--and he welcomed Bartle as he would have done
a beloved brother.

"You will soon come round, Bartle," he said, as he took his hand; "and
we will get a house up as big and as strong as the old one."

"Ay! that we will," answered Bartle; "and if the Redskins pay us another
visit, we will take good care that they shall