822 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 
Massa, here’s Scip’s, too! He fool!” and the second darkie 
glided furtively from the door, looking over his shoulder. 
The Panter in the meantime was stooping over the silent 
forms of the couple, and administering the cooling water to 
them, while-Tom stood by and looked on with a sort of half 
grin of heroical indifference, not a little heightened in its effect 
by the conscious expression of superiority and trepidation 
which still lingered upon his face, since he looked after the 
hasty retreat of his sable comrades in arms. 
“She recovers!” said the good-hearted Planter, eagerly, 
lifting his head. The woman opened her eyes and sprang 
half erect, uttering at the same time a sudden shriek, so shrill 
that I inveluntarily placed my hands upon my ears. The 
Planter stepped backwards, and Tom, in spite of his heroism, 
vanished in a twinkle out of the door. 
“What does this mean?” said C , glancing quickly 
around at me. “Js she crazy ?’’ and he sprang towards her, 
instinctively, forcing her down upon the bed, while he turned 
his head slightly to listen for my answer. 
“Yes, she is,—hold her !—hold her firmly !—she is not 
sane now, and may do more mischief!” 
“TJ understand scalping,—but this infernal den is too much 
for me!’’ exclaimed he, as he pressed her down to the bed 
again, while her shrieks redoubled, and her struggles became 
more furious. He was a very strong man, and yet all his 
strength was required to keep her down, and he turned to me 
with an expression of exhaustion and flurried distress, as he 
exclaimed,—“ Why didn’t you warn me of this?” 
“T had no time!” 
“One word would have sufficed !” 
“ And what good would that have done?” 
“T might have understood something !” 
“No !—you could not have known more after an explana- 
tion than you can see !’’ 
