320 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 



she gazed round at me, slie struck desperately at my breast 

 with the knife. I warded off the blow, and she dropped it ! 

 Then, with a still more harrowing cry, she fainted across the 

 body. 



Never was horror amplified to a more intolerable extreme 

 of fear and dread than now, in all my experience before or 

 since. She was crazed, — we were nearly out of food of any 

 kind ! — and could I dare, even if able, to go out and leave her 

 here alone ? It seemed just as shocking to me to confine her 

 with thongs as to leave her alone. What might not the 

 furious strength of a maniac accomplish ? 



Here was a climax ! I acknowledge, I felt in no hurry to 

 restore her from her fainting fit. Murder, madness, stupor 

 and starvation, all rose in appalling succession before me. 



" What could I do ? What should I do ? I bowed my head 

 upon my hands and wept, — completely overcome by this 

 tragic combination of fearful extremities. 



A loud hurrah, accompanied by the clatter of horses' feet 

 now broke the stifling stillness, and springing up, I rushed 

 forward, or rather hobbled earnestly towards the door to see 

 if it was yet secure. 



As I reached it, it was burst open violently, and in rushed 



my friend C , the planter ! followed by several negros. 



He was a good-humored, vehement, boisterous man, and ex- 

 claimed, in a loud voice, as his eye fell upon me : — 



" Caught at last ! — Why what's all this, my good fellow ?" 

 looking round him, in astonishment and horror. " What 



sort of a d I's den is this you've fallen into ? — have you 



been playing the ' Kilkenny cats' out here in this droll-look- 

 ing place ? Are those two people dead ? What's been happen- 

 mg? 



" We've been having a brush with the Cherokees, — these 

 persons are wounded !" 



" Hah ! the very fellows I've just been drubbing. They 

 carried the bodies of several killed and wounded. You must 



