186 WILD SPORTS IN THE SOUTH. 



the Indians ran out as far as they might come, mocking the fugi- 

 tives, and delighted at the apparent effect of their shot. Jackson 

 raised himself up, staggering, and attempted to bring his rifle to 

 his shoulder, but could not ; he spoke to Lem, his favourite servant, 

 who put his arm around him, obedient to his master's command. 



" Way enough, boys," he called out in a low voice. 



The men paused on their oars, Jackson's lips compressed as the 

 rifle came to his cheek, and at the sharp report, one of the two 

 Indians from whom the last shots came, tossed his arms in the 

 air and fell from the bank where he was standing with a splash 

 into the stream and swirled off with the black water. 



" Ha! ha! ye black devils," laughed Jackson, sinking down in the 

 bottom of the canoe from the arms of the boy that was holding him. 



" Oh, mars Andrew, you hurt ; dear maussa, speak, maussa ! " 

 cried Lem, kneeling over the planter, and unbuttoning his vest. 



The wounded man looked fixedly, and a guttural noise came 

 from his chest at every breath and a perspiration dampened his 

 iron-grey locks. The boat, "unheeded, turned and drifted with the 

 tide, and Mike's canoe, in which Lou Jackson was riding, seeing 

 something wrong, waited till they came up to them. 



" Father," said Lou, as the canoes swung together, speaking in 

 a low, hurried voice, " I am here, your daughter Lou." 



Jackson did not speak, though he looked shoreward with a 

 wandering eye. 



" Dear father ! God is good ; he will not do this ! speak to 

 me, say it is not so ! " 



Jackson's lips moved, we listened, and low and faint, we heard 

 a nursery prayer : 



" Now I lay me down to sleep, 

 I pray the Lord my soul to keep," 



and then some words indicating that he was thinking of home 

 and the garden walks. The stern heart was retracing life's steps 

 again ; it saw its childhood's home on the Altamaha, it heard its 

 mother's lullaby, the evening prayer, it felt the good-night kiss, and 

 smiled. The dangers around were forgotten, the war-whoop that 

 was sounding mockingly along the shore was unheard, Jackson 

 had retraced life's voyage to its source, and was home again. 



