THE TEXAN HUNTRESS. 297 
“ How can I! I can scarcely move.” 
“OQ, never mind! your leg is not broken. I can help 
you!” 
So without more ado, she lifted me into the saddle, with 
perfect ease to herself, but great agony to me. When once 
in the saddle, the pain subsided in a measure. She pointed 
me the course, and walking by my side, held my leg gently, 
so as to ease its position as much as possible. This conside- 
rate kindness had a most soothing effect upon me, and the 
simple act greatly alleviated my pain and restored me to con- 
fidence,—singular as had been the circumstances of this ren- 
contre. I was even moved to speak to her as to a human 
being; for in my disturbed state she had really appeared 
a doubtful sort of being. I was not over clear in imy mind 
as to where she came from, nor over sure what to expect from 
her; but this little act convinced me that I must be in good 
hands, at least, however unaccountable the use they were 
apparently put to might seem. 
She appeared to comprehend the sort of dubiousness of 
feeling with which I had become possessed, and answered the 
question :— 
“How far is this home of yours?” 
“QO! it isn’t in a hole in the ground, in a hollow tree, or 
in a cave, as you will see!” 
“Then, how far is it to C 
friend’s.) 
“You will find it far enough to need whole limbs to reach it.” 
“But how far may that be?” ; 
“Boy! we have no surveyors here, with their steel chains 
laid along the earth, emblematic of the slavery to which it is 
doomed, to measure our miles for us. We measure them by 
our own free strides !” 
“ But that is no answer !” 
* Ask no questions! I will show you when it is time 
enough for you to go!” 
’s plantation?” (My 
