THE TEXAN HUNTRESS. 319 



supply of its cooling waters. Returning Tvitli equal difficulty, 

 I found the fever even gaining in violence. It was certainly an 

 awful siglit : this stern, heroic woman helplessly tossed in blinded 

 struggles by the side of that calm and gray picture of death, 

 which, unmoved by it all, breathed on like one in a sweet sleep. 

 I could only reduce the fever gradually, for my strength was 

 not sufficient to lift her, and for hours I ^at beside her, sooth- 

 ing, as well as I was able, her convulsions, by constant appli- 

 cations of cold water. It was, or seemed at least, a weary 

 time before I gained any ground, and my wound broke out 

 afresh from the excessive fatigue ; besides, I was fainting 

 with hunger and horror combined. At last I thought I might 

 venture to leave her awhile, as she grew more composed, and 

 I sought some food. I took a portion of our small supply 

 and rekindled the coals of the smouldering fire, but the bleed- 

 ing seemed to increase, and I was compelled to attend to my 

 wounds before I could cook the flesh. I stoj^ped the flow of 

 blood, and was eating sparingly of the spare meal, yhen I 

 suddenly became aware of the fact that I was the keeper of a 

 maniac I 



Hearing a suSden noise behind me, I looked around. The 

 woman, — with flushed face and glittering eyes, was- rapidly 

 endeavoring to disengage her butcher knife from the sheath 

 where it hung on the belt of her bullet pouch, which I had 

 taken ofi" and suspended on its usual hook of .buck's horn. 

 She was muttering rapidly, "I will do it myself! yes! yes! 

 I will do it myself ! The wretches did not finish their work ! 

 They did not know how hard it was for a god to die ! He is not 

 dead — he sufi'ers ! It shall not be ! They sent their blood- 

 hounds to murder a true Christ ! He who came to redeem tiiem ! 

 They struck at him in wrath ! They did not finish their woj'k 

 — but I will do it ! and go with him !" ^ ^ 



The knife was in her hand, and she was darting across the 

 room towards the unconscious man, when I, who had risen 

 in the meantime, seized her suddenly, and with a shriek as 



