270 A DREADFUL SPECTACLE. 



had fallen. That of the third Indian was leaning 

 against a tree, to which the ill-starred wretch had 

 dragged himself in his last moments. He presented a 

 hideous spectacle. Blood had welled in torrents from 

 a bullet- wound in his back, and had stained the grass 

 and weeds all round, as well as all his person. His 

 eyes were open, and seemed fixed with a malignant 

 scowl upon the hunters as they came towards him. 

 The lower jaw hung open, and they could perceive that 

 his mouth was filled with clotted blood, which had 

 dropped in copious gouts upon his chest and thighs. 

 The features were convulsed, and assumed in their con- 

 tortion a demon-like expression. 



Shocked at so dreadful a spectacle, the young men 

 turned to examine the other savage. He seemed to 

 have died peacefully. Indeed, his death was instantane- 

 ous, as we have seen. Pierre and Gaultier appropriated 

 the arms of the dead, and leaving the bodies as they 

 lay, they directed their attention to crossing the creek, 

 which, although not more than fifteen yards in breadth, 

 was too deep to be crossed on foot. 



This difficulty, however, they soon surmounted. On 

 the top of the bank, and close to the brink, stood a 

 pine which rose probably to the height of seventy or 

 eighty feet. With their keen axes they soon felled 

 this across the creek, in this way making an effective 

 bridge by which they gained access to the farther 

 side. 



They immediately proceeded to examine the hut, 



