THE TEXAN HUNTRESS. 821 



iiaye had close work of it, my boy ! We finished the business 

 for them, though,— only three got off?" 



" Glad of it, — but help that woman, — she has fainted." 



" Great God ! — a woman here, — and in that dress ?" 



He sprang forward to the bed and looked at her ! 



" It is so, — as I am alive. Boys," — turning to the negroes 

 who stood at the door, rolling up the whites of their eyes in 

 wonder and awe, — "run, boys, and get some water, — ^you 

 saw the spring out there as we came?" then turning to me, 

 with a broad expression of amazement, he asked : — 



" Who can these people be ? Did they drop from the clouds ? 

 She's wounded ! Did she fight too ?" 



"Indeed, she did, — she did the most of it!" 



" But what are they doing here with all this droll trump- 

 ery ? Did she faint from loss of blood ? Is she badly hurt ? 

 This old man looks as if he were dead ?" So he ran on, and 

 without waiting for answer, and turning, stepped hastily to 

 the door, and shouted at the top of his voice : — 



" You Tom ! — Scip ! — Jim ! — come along with that water ! 

 Here are these poor people dying, and you lazy vagabonds 

 you — ah, here you are !" and the three negroes rushed for- 

 ward to the door of the room, bearing each a brimming gourd 

 in one hand and his rifle in the other. The foremost stam- 

 mered out : — 



" Heerd you, Massa, — was comin' fast as we could, — but 

 Jim say he war afraid ob dem cu'rus folks and dem cunjura- 

 tion wheels thar, — ^he was 'bout to slope, an I cotch he." 



" Hang Jim and his conjurations ! — give me the gourd, you 

 rascal !" 



" Da he am, Massa !" while Jim, thrusting his own gourd 

 from behind, into the hand of Tom, did " slope" out, sure 

 enough, rolling his big eyes behind him as if he expected to 

 see some horrid witch in pursuit. 



" Here's Jim's, too ! — nigger, fool ! He afeard ! Here, 



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