e trees, a gleam of sunshine
catching his black skin once, just as we were passing the gloomiest
part; and then, as I was close behind him, he disappeared beyond a group
of great pillar-like pine-trees, and when I reached them I came upon him
suddenly in a hollow, deep with fir-needles--a natural hole formed by
the fall of a monstrous tree, whose root still lay as it had been
wrenched out when the tree fell, but the trunk itself had gradually
mouldered into dust.

And there was Hannibal busily cutting the hide thongs which bound Pomp,
who was lying helpless at the bottom of the hole, with a blanket and a
rough skin garment close by him, and beside these five bows and their
arrows.

It was evidently the lurking-place of the Indian scouting party, who had
suddenly pounced upon the boy, gagged and bound him, for his jaws were
forced wide apart, a piece of ragged blanket was thrust into his mouth,
and this was kept in by another hide thong tied round and round his face
and neck, passing between his jaws as if he were bridled with a leather
bit, while his arms and wrists and legs were so securely tied that the
poor fellow was perfectly helpless.

"Can't say he's black in the face, in the way we mean," said Morgan,
sympathetically, "because, poor lad, it is his nature to be so, look
you, but he's half dead."

I was already down on my knees chafing the wrists set at liberty, after
the hide had been cut away from the boy's cheeks and the gag taken out,
but he made no sign whatever, and we were still rubbing him, and trying
to restore the circulation, when Morgan said quickly--

"We can do that in the boat. Up with him, Han, I'll carry your gun.
There must be more Indians near. These were on the advance, I'll lay,
and I wouldn't say we don't have a fresh attack to-night."

Without a word Hannibal handed the gun, took Pomp by the arms, gently
swung him on his back, and tore off a strip of blanket with which he
tightly bound the boy's wrists together upon his own chest, so that it
left the black's hands at liberty should he want to use them.

"Go on now," he said; and he held out his hand for his gun.

It was only a short distance from where we were to the boat, but it was
really to be the most anxious part of all, and as we approached
rattlesnake clearing, I involuntarily checked the others to look out
cautiously before we left the dark pine-shade.

But all was still, the beautiful young growth glistening in the hot