THE TEXAN HUNTRESS. 293 



early sunliglit upon my eyes waked me to a sense of pain, 

 •weakness, and astonishment, amounting almost to fright — for 

 stooping over me was one of the most unexpectedly strange 

 figures that it had ever been my fortune yet to encounter. 



" He's coming-to — the poor boy !" 



This was spoken in a tone that startled me for some reason 

 — I did not know what — entirely apart from the circum- 

 stances, and the unexpectedness of hearing a human voice at 

 all, after and amidst such scenes. I looked up. What a face ! 

 Storm-seamed and bronzed, it was clearly a woman's bust — 

 a woman's face ! — that leaned over and looked kindly down 

 upon me from beneath a sort of half cap and half hood of 

 fawn's skin, with the spotted hair turned out. 



" You are not wanting of a wet bed to make you grow — my 

 green youngster ! What in the Lord's name brought you 

 here, child?" 



The sort of half-grim pleasantry with which this was spoken, 

 as I opened my eyes fully upon her, relieved to some degree 

 my startled feeling of apprehension, and I faltered out feebly, 

 with an attempt at cleverness : — 



" I suppose I was blown here — or fell from the clouds !" 

 She assisted me to a sitting posture with her strong hand. 



"Nonsense! nonsense, boy! — your own foolish hastiness 

 brought you here ! get up ! — Ah ! I see you cannot rise yet ! 

 But you are hungry, perhaps ! — I'll give you a slice of as fine 

 a buck as ever was killed, and the taste of which one would 

 think you ought to know !"• 



She drew forward a small wallet of dressed skin that was 

 slung behind her singular costume of the same material, and 

 took from it some pieces of roasted venison, with which she 

 presented me. As I clutched them with a half-famishing 

 eagerness, a low, quiet laugh from this personage caused me 

 to look up at her again with a droll feeling of curiosity, which 

 even excessive hunger could not repress. 



" Taste it, boy ! taste it ! He ! he ! he ! — you ought to 



a 



