366 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



copper-coloured forms of the Indians, glowing redly 

 in the firelight. 



" Steady ! " cried the pirate to his men, who 

 marched firmly and calmly onwards, gazing in a sort 

 of wonderment at the bushes, which waved to and 

 fro as if hundreds of anacondas had been winding 

 their way through them. The pirates joined the 

 picket and opened their square. 



Lafitte threw Rosa into the arms of a sailor, and 

 then pushed the Miko over the edge of the bank into 

 the boat. The old man sank down like a lifeless 

 mass in the bottom of the skiff, and Lafitte again 

 turned to his men. The picket had already retired 

 behind the ridge, where they were sheltered from the 

 enemy's fire ; the square alone was stationary, and 

 seemed destined to observe the movements of the 

 Indians, and to cover the retreat. It was a small 

 but desperate-looking band of about four-and-twenty 

 men, to the composition of which nearly every nation 

 and quarter of the globe, every colour and language, 

 contributed its quota. Thirst of blood gleamed in 

 their eyes as they stood formed in column, in deep 

 silence, and with fixed bayonets, waiting the signal 

 to fire. 



Suddenly the Indian war-whoop burst from a hun- 

 dred throats. A second time the frightful yell was 

 repeated, rendered more hideous by the shrill tones 

 of the squaws and maidens, who struck up the death- 

 song, and were seen running and dancing like demons 



