ve the savages
anotheh big edvantidge; fur they jumped on our hosses an' galloped
afteh us, while we had to mek to the river on foot."

"Yes," said Gilcrest, "and if it hadn't been for you, Mason, I'd never
have reached the river. A fierce Wyandotte brave mounted on one of our
horses had picked me out as his special prey, and I, exhausted by my
long, hot run, and already slightly wounded, could never have reached
the ford but for your timely aid."

"Fo'tunately," Rogers put in, "I, who hadn't been so close pressed, hed
hed time to reload my rifle. So we left thet Injun varmint rollin' in
the dust with a bullet in his back, an' you an' me jumped on thet hoss
an' swum the river. But, pshaw, Hiram! talk 'bout my savin' yer life!
Thet wuz nothin' to some o' the brave things you an' others done thet
day. Do you re-collect how two uv our men afteh they'd got safe oveh
the river, instid o' mekin' fur the bresh, stopped thar on the bank in
full range o' the Injuns on t'otheh side, an' rallied the men an' made
'em halt an' fire back at the whoopin' red demons, so's we pore
wretches whut wuz still swimmin' fur life could hev some chance to
escape? It wuz Ben Netherlands an' one uv the Page brothehs--Marshall
Page, I believe 'twuz--who did thet."

"Marshall Page!" ejaculated Abner Dudley.

"Yes, it was Marshall Page, I think," answered Major Gilcrest; "but why
your exclamation, Mr. Dudley? Do you know any one of that name?"

"I can't recall that I do," answered young Dudley; "but the name seems
familiar, and, in fact, I have a dim impression, absurd though it may
seem to you, of having heard or experienced many incidents such as you
and Mr. Rogers have been describing. But my impressions may be
baseless."

"Your impressions," said Gilcrest, "are doubtless only the faint memory
of some tale heard in your early childhood. Such harrowing incidents as
Mason and I were recalling were common enough in the pioneer days, and
have furnished the theme of many a fireside recital. As for Marshall
Page, you very likely have known some one of the name; for I believe
there are still many Pages living in Virginia and Maryland; but you can
not have known the man I mean--either Marshall Page or his brother,
whose Christian name I can not recall just now--for he was killed there
on the banks of the Licking while bravely helping his comrades to
escape. Which brother was it, Mason?"

"Blest ef I know," Rogers replied; "but one, whicheveh it wu