Year: 1867

remained no Indifferent spectator of the
commotiOn go suddenly excited. The
Indians had Immediately struck off in
every direction, and number of them,
before the fugitives could reach the sum
NIT, had commenced ascending the sc-
clivily, picking their way with caution,
aud keeping constantly under cover
From time to time glimpses were caught
Of their swarthy fOceS, as they glided
from tree to tree and rock to rock, till, at
length, il became evident that the base of
the hill was surrounded, aud every hope
Of escape was cut of,


Nothing was left to the pioneers but
to sell their lives as dearly as possible
This they resolved to do, advising the
girl to lose no tiue in making her way
back to the indians, whom she would
hrve no difficulty in convincing that she
had escaped from captivity.


"NoP she Immediately exclaimed,
"death with my own people is a thou
sand tines preferable to longer captiV.
ity." .oa


Further remonstrance was useless, and
the scouts addressed themselves to pre-
pare for vigorous resistance. The only
perceptible access to the hill was by
narrow causeway, or shack bone" along.
which the savages were compelled to
pass in single file, though, for the most
part under SHELTER of rocks and trses,--
But 10 passing from cover to cover, each
warrior was obliged to incur moments
exposure, and two inches of bis dusky
form was target sufficient for the uncrs
ring rifles of the, e,scouts.


For aoveral hours, the outnumbering
foe was held in check, but new and un-
discovered danger menaced the hardy
woodsren. Their crafty enemies we're
preparing to aSsai them In the Aank-a
movement which might be successfully
accomplished by means of detached
portion of rock which lay adjacent to
one Of the sides of the promontory.--
The brave scouts fully realized thair des.
perate cituation, but SC. far from being
unnerVed by its hopelessness, they felt
their courage emboldsned by the idea
that the surety of death was not greater
than the certainty of vengeance.


Soon McOlelland saw a>dusky figure
preparing to spring from a cover so near
tho fatal rock that single bound must
reach it. Everything depended on the
accuracy Of singh shot, and, though
less than half a hands breadth of the
warriors body was exposed, and that at
a distance Of one hundred yards, the un-
daunted scout saw it was his only chance,
and resolved to take it. Ooolly raising.
his rife, and aiming with the Carefulness
Of a man who knew that his own, no less
than his sdversary's life, hung on the
result, he drew the trigger; the hammer
fell, but Instead Of striking FIRE the flint,
some inherent defect, was crushed
to fragments.


Though convinced that thc savage
must gain the rock before he could ad.
just another flint, he set about the task
with composure, resolved that his ene-
my should derive no advantage from his
remissnsSs. Glancing from concealment
he saw the stalwart savage, with every
muscle nsrved, prepared to take the leap.
With the agility Of dser he gave
bound, but instead of reaching the rock,
his progress was arrested as though by
some mysterious convulsion of his limbs
and body, and he fell rolling down the
rocky slope, distance Of 30 feet. He
had evidently received q death shot from
some unknown hand; and terrible
shout from below announced the death
of o favorits warrior.


A few moments suficed to prove that
the advantage SO unexpectedly gained
would be Of short duration, for already
another Indian was seen approaching the
cover recently occupied by his comrades.
Again The attack in front was resumed
with increased fury, SO rs to engage the
fixed attention Of both the scouts. With
tbs diversion in his favor, the second
warrior prepared to take the leap ersayed
by his predecessor. With the spring Of
a tiger, she farce and wary savage darted
toward the coveted rock; but the same
unseen hand intercepted his career, aud
turning a complete somersault in the air,
his bodyrOlled down the declivity to join
his companion.


This last mysterious sacrifice struck
dismsy to the hearts Of the asssilants,
who, il being sunset, withdrew to devise
new modes Of procedure-a respite which
came Beasonably to the scouts, wearied as
they were by the prOleDgusd and une,
quail conflict.


II was now that the absence Of the girl


was first discovered, and the pioneers
supposed she had either fed throughter-


ror to her former oaptorS, or been Killed
in the fight. But they were not long
Kept in suspense, for in few moments
.hs object Of their conieetures was seen
emerging from behind the cover Of q
rock, carrying rifle in her hand. In