ring knife
out of a brown hand, which with its arm rose above the bushes and was
clinging still to the haft.

"Morgan," I said, faintly, as the great black strode back toward where
we had had the struggle first, "stop him. What is he going to do?"

"I want to stop him, lad," whispered the faithful fellow, in low,
awe-stricken tones; "but I can't try; I daren't. It must be done."

"But that was another Indian," I whispered, as I saw Hannibal bend down,
rise up, take a step or two, and bend down again, and then everything
swam before my eyes. I could hear Morgan's voice though as he went on--

"It was horribly near, sir," he said. "It wasn't another Indian, but
one of those shamming dead, and as soon as we'd got by he must have
crawled after us, and old Han turned just in time, and went at him as he
was striking at you with his knife. It's very horrid, my lad, but these
savages don't understand fair fighting and giving quarter to the
wounded. There, come away, and don't look angry at the black when he
comes back. He has just saved your life again, and what he is doing now
is to make sure you are not attacked again."

I stood speechless, resting on the piece I held in my hand till the
great negro came back with the knife stuck in his waist-belt, to stoop
and pick up the gun he had dropped; and then he pointed again with the
axe toward the forest beyond the garden.

"Come," he said, quietly. "Find Pomp."

He looked at me once more with so grave and kindly an aspect that I
tried to smother the horror I felt, and taking a step or two forward, I
drew out a handkerchief and pointed to his bleeding arms, which were
gashed by two blows of axe and knife.

He smiled and nodded half contemptuously as I tore the handkerchief in
two, and he held out his arms one by one for me to bind them tightly.

"Now," he said, "find Pomp."

I held up my hand and we listened to a low, hoarse, gurgling noise,
which seemed to come from a distance in the forest, and I shuddered as I
fancied for a moment that it must be one of the Indians dying; but I
knew that the sound came from a different direction.

We listened intently as we stooped under cover and kept a watchful gaze
in every direction for danger. But the sound had ceased and for the
moment we were safe, for no leaf was stirring, and the deep shadowy wood
appeared to be untenanted. Hannibal shook his head, and was in the act
of turning when the curious hoarse gurgling soun