ld in his arms so fearlessly confronted them. Then the foremost of them, an evil-looking savage who bore the name of Mahng (the Diver), motioned the major aside with a

till holding the little Donald, who crowed with del

s sought my protection, and it shall be granted him until he is proved unworthy of it. Let the sachems of your tribe lay this grievance before Sir William Johnson. If the white chief decides that the prisone

sh language to comprehend the purport of the

. If the Indian says stay, then may you stay; if he says go, then must you go. Let one of your young men but lift a hand against Mahng, and this ground that has known the tread of the white man shall know it no more

fficiently versed in the Indian tongue to

ard with deadly intent like a wild serpent, and sought to bur

iled walking-shoe caught the savage squarely under the chin; he was li

long, brown rifle-barrel, held by a white man clad in the leathern costume of the backwoods. At the same time half a dozen laborers who, home-returning from the fields, had noticed that something unusual was taking place, came hurrying to the scene of di

ung to the other. Close beside them knelt the terror-stricken maid, with her face buried in her hands, and a few paces in the rear were grouped the laborers, armed with various implements of toil. In the foreg

ut ef he's as dead as he looks, I'm fearful that kick may get you into trouble

, then?" quer

ight call know him; but

his poor fellow to the tool-house, where we will see what can be done for him. Now, my dear, the evening meal awaits

lied Mrs. Hester, fervently, as she took the child f

d when the men approached to lift the prostrate Indian they found him so recovered fr

him lying on a pallet of straw, over which a blanket had been thrown, and conversing with Truman Flagg in an Indian tongue unknown to the proprietor. The hunter was bathing the stranger's wounds with a

o each of the many gashes in the Indian's body a healing salve made of bear's greas

t give to him yesterday evening. He'll pick up fast enough now, though. All he needs to make him as good as new is food and drink, and a night's rest. After that you'll find him ready to go on the war-path again, ef so be he's called to do it. He's the pluckiest Injun ever I see, and I've tra

ajor. "A brave enemy is always preferable to a cowardly frien

was the lac

e Ottawas are the firmest allies of France and the most invet

the best fighter and best man in the whole Ottaway tribe. They call him Songa, the strong heart, and I consat

pounds could not be gained more easily, nor is it a sum of money to b

ng a candle above his head, so that its light shone full on the

th. "Ef I thought you meant what you just said, and was one to tempt a poor man to commit a murder for the sake of gold, I would never again sit at y

your reply, though I might have known it would have the ring of true steel. Now I must return to my wife, and if you will join us, after you have done w