the wood on the
opposite side, and then they made a very rapid progress, for the twigs
were now more frequently broken and bent than before. During this day,
with the bow and arrows brought by the Strawberry, Martin had procured
them two wild turkeys, which were very acceptable, as their provisions
would not last more than seven or eight days longer, and it was
impossible to say how far they would have to travel. It was not far from
dark when the quick ears of the Strawberry were attracted by a noise
like that of a person breathing heavily. She at last pointed with her
finger to a bush; they advanced cautiously, and on the other side of it
they found an Indian woman lying on the ground, bleeding profusely. They
raised her up, and discovered that it was the Indian whom they had cured
of the sprained ankle, and who, they presumed, had been then discovered
breaking the twigs that they might follow the trail, for, on examination
they found that she had received a heavy blow on the head with a
tomahawk; but, fortunately, it had glanced sidewise, and not entered
into the brain. She was not sensible, however, at the time that they
discovered her, for she had lost a great deal of blood. They stopped the
effusion of blood with bandages torn from their linen, and poured some
water down her throat; it was now dark, and it was not possible to
proceed any further that night. The Strawberry went into the woods and
collected some herbs, with which she dressed the wound, and having made
the poor Indian as comfortable as they could, they again lay down to
rest; but not until Malachi had said to Alfred--

"There is no doubt, sir, but that the Indians have discovered this woman
was marking the trail for us, and that they have tomahawked her for so
doing, and have left her for dead. I think myself that the wound,
although it is a very ugly one, is not dangerous, and so says the
Strawberry. However, to-morrow will decide the point; if she is not
sensible then, it will be of no use waiting, but we must go on as fast
as we can."

When they awoke the next morning they found the Strawberry sitting by
the Indian woman, who was now quite sensible and collected, although
very weak and exhausted. Malachi and Martin went to her, and had a long
conversation with her at intervals. Malachi had been right in his
supposition; the Angry Snake had discovered her in the act of bending a
twig, and had struck her down with his tomahawk. They gained from her