312 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 



about day-break, and has since seen tbem. Slie has just 

 got in. They are on her trail now, I suppose, for we expect 

 them here soon !" 



The blood rushed to my heart, and it beat very loud and 

 fast. I had never met the Indians of any sort, as yet. Here 

 at once was a stern novely in the excitements that I had 

 courted. 



I had little time to understand the thing, for we now saw and 

 felt the imminent necessity of hurrying towards the house 

 before the approaching savages. I had to assist the old man, 

 and the moment I got into motion, the blood rushed in a 

 burning tide back to my head and face, and then every limb 

 and fibre thrilled with a new sensation. Everything seemed 

 confused around me for the moment. The trees spun, and 

 the moss and grass were whirled together in a chaotic blend- 

 ing, most like that before the eyes of a drunken man; while 

 the only objects that I saw with perfect and vivid distinct- 

 ness, were the tall forms of eight or ten warriors that had 

 suddenly appeared in the distance, and were gliding rapidly 

 across a small opening between the oaks, evidently with the 

 view of getting between us and the house, and thus cutting 

 us off from shelter. When I realized this it caused a violent 

 start that restored me, like an electric shock in a case of 

 stupor, to the full possession of all my faculties, sharpened, 

 indeed, into a greater than the natural coolness. The dis- 

 tance we had to pass was short, to be sure, but then the old 

 man was paralytic, and I was still somewhat lame. 



I saw in one quick glance our great danger — that the 

 savages were urging their utmost speed to intercept us. A 

 sudden strength — almost supernatural — possessed me at once. 

 My eye took in every thing. The very undulations of the 

 moss enabled me to track their course, when they quickly 

 passed out of view behind it. I could now even hear the 

 twigs crush beneath their feet — when feeling that our hope 



