THE TEXAN HUNTRESS. 811 
and although uniformly kind, had taken no sort of notice of the 
various and ingenious hints by which I had endeavored to get 
at what was his object. I had slyly tried to understand for 
myself the meaning of the models which strewed the room, 
but could make nothing out of them all. Though my knowl- 
edge of mechanics was very slight, yet I had some idea of 
general principles, which ought to have been sufficient to give 
me at least a vague clue to the object attempted. I had 
given up in despair; and as I could not understand the mean- 
ing of the sort of hieroglyphico-transcendental language in 
which they spoke to each other upon the subject of the mys- 
terious machine, I determined to win upon the sympathies of 
one or the other in some way, and get thus at the secret. 
Accident favored me! ; 
She had talked with me in the freest manner during the 
first exciting period after our meeting, but since I had become 
an inmate, her answers to my inquiry upon such subjects 
had all been abrupt and mystical in a degree which left me 
no wiser than before. ‘he old man seldom left the house, 
even for exercise; but one morning, when I had almost en- 
tirely recovered, I was sitting in my accustomed place by 
the spring, when he came slowly walking towards me with 
the feeble gait of the partial paralytic; and, greatly to my 
surprise, bore my pistols along with his own gun, in. his 
hands. 
“‘What can this mean !’’—thought I, rising hastily to meet 
him. 
Giving the pistols into my hands, he merely said, with a 
quiet smile :— 
“The Cherokee Indians are down, young man !—and we 
may have to defend our little home!” 
“Ts it possible!” said I, starting with surprise. “The 
Cherokees! Where are they? How did you hear ?” 
“OQ, Molly keeps a good look out!—she found their trail 
