I
stood paralysed for an instant at the scene before me.

We were pretty close to the river-bank, and forcing our way through a
cane brake which looked just as if it must be the home of alligators,
when a man suddenly stood in the boy's path.

Quick as thought the brave little fellow sprang at him, seeing in him an
enemy, and called to me to run, which of course I did not do, but, as
soon as I recovered from my surprise, ran on to his help. As I did so
the path seemed darkened behind me, I heard a quick rustling, my arms
were seized, and the next moment I was thrown down and a knee was on my
chest.

"Oh, Mass' George, why didn't you run?"

Poor Pomp's voice rang out from close beside me in despairing tones, and
I wrenched my head round, just catching a glimpse of him through the
canes. Then I looked up in the stern faces of my captors, thinking that
I had seen them before, though no doubt it was only a similarity of
aspect that struck me, as I realised that we had fallen into the hands
of the Indians once more.

They did not give us much time to think, but after taking away our
knives twisted up some lithe canes and secured our wrists and arms
behind us, two holding each of us upright, while another fastened our
hands.

Then they drew back from us, and stood round looking at us as if we were
two curiosities.

"Well, this is a nice game, Pomp," I said at last.

"Yes, dis nice game, Mass' George. Why you no run away?"

"How could I?"

"How you could? You ought run, jump in libber and go 'cross. Wish I
run and tell de capen an' Mass' Morgan."

"Ah!" I ejaculated.

"You tie too tight, Mass' George?"

"Yes, but I was thinking of something else. Pomp, those Indians are
going to attack our place and the settlement, and no one will know they
are coming."

"Pomp hope so," he said, sulkily, and screwing himself about with the
pain caused by his tight bonds.

"What?"

"Den de capen an' Mass' Morgan shoot um, an' Serb um right."

"But they will take them by surprise."

"Wait bit. We soon get dese off, and go down tell 'em Injum come."

"I'm afraid we shall not have the chance."

Just then a firm brown hand was clapped on my shoulder, and a stalwart
Indian signed to me to go on through the canes.

I obeyed mechanically, seeing the while that the half-dozen Indians who
had captured us had silently increased to over a dozen quietly-moving,
stealthy-looking fellows, who passed through the dense thic