THE TEXAN HUNTRESS. 311 



and although uniformly kind, had taken no sort of notice of the 

 various and ingenious hints by which I had endeavored to get 

 at what was his object. I had slyly tried to understand for 

 myself the meaning of the models which strewed the room, 

 but could make nothing out of them all. Though my knowl- 

 edge of mechanics was very slight, yet I had some idea of 

 general principles, which ought to have been sufficient to give 

 me at least a vague clue to the object attempted. I had 

 given up in despair ; and as I could not understand the mean- 

 ing of the sort of hieroglyphico-transcendental language in 

 which they spoke to each other upon the subject of the mys- 

 terious machine, I determined to win upon the sympathies of 

 one or the other in some way, and get thus at the secret. 



Accident favored me ! 



She had talked with me in the freest manner during the 

 first exciting period after our meeting, but since I had become 

 an inmate, her answers to my inquiry upon such subjects 

 had all been abrupt and mystical in a degree which left me 

 no wiser than before. The old man seldom left the house, 

 even for exercise ; but one morning, when I had almost en- 

 tirely recovered, I was sitting in my accustomed place by 

 the spring, when he came slowly walking towards me with 

 the feeble gait of the partial paralytic ; and, greatly to my 

 surprise, bore my pistols along with his own gun, in his 

 hands. 



" What can this mean !" thought I, rising hastily to meet 

 him. 



Giving the pistols into my hands, he merely said, with a 

 quiet smile : 



" The Cherokee Indians are down, young man ! and we 

 may have to defend our little home !" 



"Is it possible!" said I, starting with surprise. "The 

 Cherokees ! Where are they ? How did you hear ?" 



"0, Molly keeps a good look out! she found their trail 



