THE TEXAN HUNTRESS. 297 



"How can I! I can scarcely move." 



" 0, never mind ! your leg is not broken. I can help 

 you!" 



So without more ado, she lifted me into the saddle, with 

 perfect ease to herself, but great agony to me. When once 

 in the saddle, the pain subsided in a measure. She pointed 

 me the course, and walking by my side, held my leg gently, 

 so as to ease its position as much as possible. This conside- 

 rate kindness had a most soothing effect upon me, and the 

 simple act greatly alleviated my pain and restored me to con- 

 fidence, singular as had been the circumstances of this ren- 

 contre. I was even moved to speak to her as to a human 

 being; for in my disturbed state she had really appeared 

 a doubtful sort of being. I was not over clear in my mind 

 as to where she came from, nor over sure what to expect from 

 her ; but this little act convinced me that I must be in good 

 hands, at least, however unaccountable the use they were 

 apparently put to might seem. 



She appeared to comprehend the sort of dubiousness of 

 feeling with which I had become possessed, and answered the 

 question : 



" How far is this home of yours ?" 



" ! it isn't in a hole in the ground, in a hollow tree, or 

 in a cave, as you will see !" 



" Then, how far is it to C 's plantation ?" (My 



friend's.) 



" You will find it far enough to need whole limbs to reach it." 



" But how far may that be ?" 



" Boy ! we have no surveyors here, with their steel chains 

 laid along the earth, emblematic of the slavery to which it is 

 doomed, to measure our miles for us. We measure them by 

 our own free strides !" 



" But that is no answer !" 



" Ask no questions ! I will show you when it is time 

 enough for you to go !" 



