Year: 1863

channel for another small stream and, be-
fore venturing into its bed, stopped nearly
| to the ground, and remained fer many min
utes profoundly listening 20 every sound.
The stiffness Of night was quite unbroken
and he was on tho point of beginning tho
descent, when his eye caught the fash, as
of faint lightning, playing briefly upon
the leaves at tho bottom of the ravine 1t
was gone in moment; and his first i'm.
pulse was to look up through the tree-tops
at the sky. But the stars were shining Sc
renenly--thero was not the slightest cloud
in the heavens. He watched for long
time for it's eappearance--but the darkness
remained az deep as before. 1t might
have been FREELY; yet it was strange
| that il was not repeated and it had been,
not so much light, rs flicker, like the
blaze of thin fuel, aud it had died out grad
ually, not suddenly disappeared. While
he stood irresclute rejecting upon the
singularity of the appearance, an imperfect
sound as Of very distant thunder, seemed
to float along the earth and die away at
his feet. lie placed his ear TO the ground
and listened, The stamping of numerous
horses became audible-and they could
not be but short distance from him. To
his practiced ear tho sound was familiar





mining its locality.


| lie ut once rose to his feet and again ex.
amined his arms. Moving cautiously and
slowly, he then descended the bank until he
reached the bottom of the ravine. Turning
to the right he glided silently and stealth
| lily along its bed for two or three hundred
yards, when, OH coming to bend whero
the stony soil had resisted the action of
the elements, his progress was suddenly
arrested by stream of light which shone
| from beyond the projection, and cast deep
shadows upon the opposite bank. Tho
| fire from which il came was evidently
built within the ravne for ooncealment-
it was only from above that it could be-
come visible at any considerable distance.
To approach nearer in this direction
would not DO prudent--for by the shadow 8
on the bank, Edgar could see that at least,
twenty horses were picketed just beyond
the shoulder of the ridge and snort from
ono of these might attract attention. He
had no fear of other sentinels ho well un-
derstood the Indian practice of posting
none for apparently so negligent are these
most vigilant of all warriors, that even in
their incursions, when they are constantly
liable to attack, every man lies down to
sleep, trusting solely to concealment and
their Manitous, for protection.


The Ranger therefore slowly retreat ed O
few PAGES, and then silently climbed tho
bank on the left. From this point he could
see no light but on advancing along the
ridge q little nearer than he had ventured
below, he gained view, not only of the
light hut also of the fire, and the formidable
group around il,


More than a score of swarthy Indians,
all in their war paint and grotesque orna-
ments, and each with his gun and toma-
hawk beside him, sat smoking one after
the other. in q circle around the fire A
little without the line the excited captain
could distinctly see the shape of something
white and, as his eyes became accustomed
to the light all doubt vanished-it was the
captive bride seated apart from her captors
with her face buried in her hands. Could
she have known whose eyes were at that
moment straining their gaze upon her, how
different must have been her emotions.


Edgar grasped his rifle and knife with a
fierce energy, which threatened the suicide
of the immediate attack. But he soon re-
covered his calmness and set coolly about
making thorough examination of the po-
stion and calculating the chances of res
cue.



cealment 1t was circular area inclosed
on all sides, except the southern, Ivy the
broken and rain-washed ridges, and not
more than an acre in extent, 1t was, in
deed, sort of basin among the hills and it
was the volume of water. collected here
into one stream that had cut out the ravine
along which Edgar was advancing. 1t was
dry now, however, and the grass, which in
this country everywhere follows the rains
of spring, was growing luxuriantly beneath
the shelter of large hickory trees.


OF these there was little clump or grove
in the northern arm of the area and it was
just within the edge of this, that the fire
was kindled. From that side an experienced
scout might have approached within a few
PAGES unobserved but what could one man
do against twenty? All that he could now
effect Edgar thought, was to watch the
movements of his enemies, and take advan-
tage of whatever opportunity might offer /;
or, if none should present itself as was
most probable, patiently to await the ar
rival of his mon.


And now a harrassing reflection occurred.
What if White should not meet them, or
they should miss their way? He would
lose tho benefit of all the diligence he had
used, and having success and rescue almost
within his grasp, would have the misfortune
to see them glide out of his power! Here
within a few rods of fhim-buried, perhaps,
i'll thought of him-sat the captive, snatohed
almost literally from his side, at the altar
and though she might have heard his voice,
he dared not raise it--though he might
reach her side in one minute, ho dared not
advance His rife might do him service
for even at that distance, his unerring skill
would have disabled an enemy at every
shot but he knew that at the first dis
charge, the pursued would become the pur-
suers, and all chance of rescue would be
at an end He was sure, besides, that the
first motion of the savages, upon an attack,
would be the murder Of their prisoner
and, bravo as he was, he shuddered and
shrank from the thought.


While he stood in the shadow OF tree,
harrassed by these reflections, a sudden
movement took place in tine circle of saw
ages. One who seemed to be the chief, rose
to his feet and the council broke up. The
warrior turned toward the captive, and ta-
king large blanket from the ground, he
spread it at the foot of tree, and beckoned
her to take it. He did this with SO much
more courtesy than was usually displayed
by Indians to their female prisoners, that
Edgar's blood tingled to the very ends of
his fingers.


"Ths redskin dog designs her for his
wife |" he muttered but he shall die first,
if | lose my scalp!"


Jane rose quietly from her seat, and wrap
ping the blanket around her, lay down
on the ground. The chief and two other
warriors then placed themselves near her,
| IN. DraVent aacaDe the remainder Of the