298 TKAVEL, ADVENTUKE, AXD SPOET. 



glided like dim shadows to their birch canoes upon 

 the Coosa. 



" In heaven's name ! who is that incarnate red 

 devil ? " cried his wife, drawing a deep breath of 

 relief, and shuddering as she spoke. 



"Hush, woman! hold your tongue! till the 

 Coosa's between it and the redskins. This is no 

 joking matter, I can tell you." 



As he spoke he closed the door; and taking up 

 the light, approached the bed, where his wife was 

 suckling the child. 



" Poor little thing ! " said he, " if you could speak 

 you would tell us a tale that might well make our 

 hair stand on end. This affair may cost us dear yet ; 

 those red devils are come from a scalping expedition, 

 of that there is no doubt. But in what direction, 

 God alone knows. Well, if it were only amongst 

 the Spaniards," continued he, glancing alternately at 

 the child and at the gold coin in his hand, " I should 

 not much care about it, but " 



And without finishing the sentence he resumed his 

 place in the bed, although some hours elapsed before 

 the recollection of the strange scene that had occurred 

 allowed sleep to revisit his eyelids. 



In defiance of the menaces of the savages, Captain 

 John Copeland, the rough but worthy host of the 

 Indian King, instituted inquiries concerning the 

 parentage of the infant so unceremoniously imposed 

 upon him. Various obstacles were thrown in the way 



