Year: 1872


,ut his situation required desperate
measures,


With the utmost caution he
stretched out his liberated hand,
and slowly drew the knife from its
resting-place. The Indian never
stirred, and his deep breathing told
Dick that he was sleeping soundly.
A moment more and he was lying
with the cords cut from his limbs,
with none Of the savages wiser for
his motions.


Now came the most difficult part
of the operation-to rise to his feet
and get beyond the confines of the
campfire without awaking any of
his captors.


But Dick proved equal to the
emergency. Slowly, and with the
utmost caution he rose upon his
hands and knees. The swapping of
a twig, he knew, would betray him
to the watchful ears of those about
him.


On his feet at last, he stepped
over the sleeping savage whose
knife he held in his hand, and slow
ly approached the Indian by whose
side his rifle was lying. That he


did not mean to leave behind, as he


would need it for his own protection


and to procure food with before he


would regain the settlement


STOPPING down, his hand was upon


it when the savage awakened by


the slight motion he made essayed


to spring to his feet.


That action cost him his life, for


Dick plunged the knife he still held


in his hand into his breast, and he


fell back with deep groan.


All caution was now needless, for


every savage was now awakened,


and snatching up his rifle, Dick


sprang into the forest, followed by


a war-whoop from the lips Of every


red-skin.


A moment only was required to


show them the situation, and to


shake off the sleep that hung heav-


lily on their eyelids. They saw


their dead comrade on the ground,
! ,...> S----oN-s e. - Ai-:-- 49,


oner as he sprang away. TheI
with another fierce war-whoop
/ breaking from their throats, the
r started in pursuit.


, Dicks blood ran cold as he hear
t the shouts that rang through th
: forest and well he knew that,


he again fell into their hands, /
= need expect no mercy, for the
, would avenge the death OF the
, comrade by the most fiendish
: tortures.


With only q few PAGES the star
he knew he had not much chanc
, of escape but, slim as it was, h
determined to make the best possi
BILE use of it.


For half rile about the sam
distance was kept between them
and then, in spite of all his efforts
they gained upon him, and he kne'
in a few minutes more he would b
in their power unless he could man
age to deceive them in some man
ner and get them on another track
The part of the forest he wa


now in was very dense, so that onl
a few struggling moonbeams foun
their way here and there throug


the tree-tops. No Indian was "
in sight; though they were sea-
, tered on every side through the fol
est, trusting more to the sense
hearing than to following the ira
made. A large tree lay on th
: ground before him, and as he pas
ed the trunk he saw there was
r cavity sufficiently large for him
force his body into it.
5 This was the hiding place b


sought, and he at once availed hin
. self of it. Placing his rife in b.
: fore him, he forced his way in for
5 distance of perhaps twenty fee
|, where he lay perfectly quiet, thong
!. almost afraid the beating Of h
: heart would betray him to his en-
/, mics.


Hardly was he esconced when !
e heard the footsteps of the India'
$ as they hurried by. In q few m
e ments they had died away; and f
: the first time since he had plungt


the knife into the breast Of the sa
}, age, he experienced a sensation
relief.


Still, he knew that he could r
4 main where he was but q few m