246 THE HIVE OF THE BEE-HUNTER. 



her anxiety to allay visible suffering. A moment had 

 hardly elapsed before water was thrown in his face and 

 held to bis lips. 



The refreshing beverage brought him to conscious- 

 ness. He stared wildly about, and discovered the In- 

 dian form bending over him ; he again sank insensible 

 to the earth. Like a young doe the girl bounded away, 

 and disappeared. 



A half hour might have elapsed, when there issued 

 out of the forest a long train of Indians. At their 

 head was the young maiden, surrounded by armed war- 

 riors ; in the rear followed women and children. They 

 approached Kousseau, whose recovery was but momen- 

 tary, and who was now unconscious of what was passing 

 around him. The crowd examined him first wdth cau- 

 tion, gradually, with familiarity ; their whispers became 

 animated conversation, and, finally, blended in one noisy 

 confusion. 



There were, among those present, many who had 

 heard of the white man and of his powers, but none had 

 ever seen one before. One Indian, more bold than the 

 rest, stripped the remnant of a cloak from Eousseau's 

 shoulder ; another, emboldened by this act, caught 

 rudely hold of his coat, and as he pulled it aside, there 

 fell from his breast a small gilt crucifix, held by a silken 

 cord. Its brilliancy excited the cupidity of all, and 

 many were the eager hands that pressed forward to ob- 

 tain it. An old chief gained the prize, and fortunately 



