s corrugated brow; a quiver
convulsed his mouth and chin; every circumstance betrayed how severely,
even in that swoon-like state, he suffered.

Herbert drew a camp-stool and sat down beside his mat, resolving not to
break that greatly needed rest, but to wait patiently until the sleeper
should awake.

Again, I say that I know nothing about mesmerism, but I have seen
strange effects produced quite unconsciously by the presence of one
person upon another. And in a few minutes after Herbert took his seat
beside Traverse, it was noticeable that the face of the sleeper lost
its look of pain, and his rest grew deep and calm.

Herbert sat watching that pale, calm, intellectual face, thanking
heaven that his mother, in her distant home, knew nothing of her boy's
deadly peril and praying heaven that its justice might be vindicated in
the deliverance of this victim from the snares of those who sought his
life.

For more than an hour longer Traverse slept the deep sleep of
exhaustion, and then calmly awoke. On seeing Herbert sitting beside
him, he smiled sadly, saying:

"You here, Herbert? How kind of you to come. Well, Herbert, you see
they have succeeded, as I knew they would. That was what I wished to
tell you about when I was abruptly ordered away. I do believe it was
done on purpose to prevent my telling you. I really think I have been
surrounded by spies to report and distort every word and look and
gesture. If our company had only watched the enemy with half the
vigilance with which they watched me, that party of emigrants would not
have been cut off on the plains."

"Traverse," said Herbert, solemnly taking the hand of his friend, "were
you caught sleeping on your post?"

"Ah, sleeping like death, Herbert."

Herbert dropped the hand of his friend, covered his face with his own,
and groaned aloud, "He could not help it!"

"I told you that they had resolved upon my death, Herbert. I told you
that I should be pushed into a shameful grave!"

"Oh, no, no, the Lord forbid! But tell me all about it, Traverse, that
I may understand and know how to proceed," said Herbert, in a broken
voice.

"Well, I need not tell you how I have been insulted, oppressed and
persecuted by those two men, for you know that already."

"Yes, yes!"

"It really soon became apparent to me that they were resolved, if
possible, to exasperate me to desert, to retort, or to commit some
other fatal act of insubordination or violence. Yet, for