ts.

In front of the encampment, and near the bank of the stream, the
prisoners were thrown upon the ground. Their captors left them; but
they were at once surrounded by a crowd of yelling squaws and children.
These at first regarded them only with curiosity; but as soon as they
heard that one of the Indians had been wounded, they uttered the most
hideous and piercing cries, and approached their captives with
threatening looks and gestures. They commenced their cowardly torture
by pulling the ears and hair of the boys, and sticking arrow-points into
their arms and shoulders; and then, by way of having a little fun,
several of the squaws seized hold of, and dragged the three prisoners
out into the middle of the stream. Here they ducked them, keeping their
heads for a long time under water, all the while yelling and laughing
like so many demons. The poor captives for a while believed that these
women were about to drown them, and, tied as they were, they could make
no effort to save themselves. This, however, was not the intention of
the squaws; they were only disposed to have as much fun out of them as
possible. After they had got tired of this amusement, they dragged the
boys back again to the bank, and flung them dripping upon the grass.

But what was Basil doing all this time? Did he not possess a charm
about him, that would have put an end to all this torturing treatment,
and have made the Indians friends instead of such cruel enemies? Ah!
poor Basil! he had suffered worse than any of the three. I shall tell
you how it was with him.

At their capture Basil had been stunned by the blow of a tomahawk. He
had been knocked quite senseless; and although he recovered himself so
far as to be able to ride to the Indian camp, it was not until after the
ducking he received in the cold river that he fairly came to himself.
As soon as he did so, he bethought himself of that which he carried
under the breast of his hunting-shirt. In fact, his brothers had been
reminding him of it every moment, anxiously entreating him to make use
of a secret of which neither of them fully understood the nature. But,
up to this time, Basil, bewildered by the blow, was scarcely conscious
of what he did. He had now recovered himself, and was making every
effort to get at the string, and draw the embroidered pouch from his
breast; but his hands were tied behind him, and he could not use them!
He essayed to reach it with his mouth, but