knew him well. It wanted
but this to fill them to overflow with superstitious dread. They turned
and fled. The trappers, although amazed beyond measure, and half
suspecting who it was that had thus suddenly come to their aid, mounted
their horses, and, leaping over their barricade, rushed down the valley
in pursuit, firing a volley at starting, and loading as they rode at
full speed. In his descent Dick made what might well be termed a
miraculous escape. Near the foot of the cliff he went crashing through
a thick bush, which broke his fall. Still he retained impetus
sufficient to have seriously injured if not killed him, had he not
alighted in the midst of another bush, which saved him so completely
that he was not even hurt.

Dick could scarcely believe his own senses; but he was not a man given
to indulge much wandering thought in times of action. Giving himself
one shake, to make sure of his being actually sound in wind and limb, he
bounded away up the precipice by a path with which he was well
acquainted, reached his horse, flew by a short cut to the mouth of the
valley, and, wheeling suddenly round, met the horrified Indians in the
very teeth!

The roar with which he met them was compound in its nature, and
altogether hideous! His mind was in a mingled condition of amazement
and satisfaction at his escape, triumph at the success of his plan, and
indignation at the cowardly wickedness of the savages. A rollicking
species of mad pugnacity took possession of him, and the consequence
was, that the sounds which issued from his leathern throat were
positively inhuman.

The rushing mass of terror-stricken men, thus caught, as it were,
between two fires, divided, in order to escape him. Dick was not sorry
to observe this. He felt that the day was gained without further
bloodshed. He knew that the superstitious dread in which he was held
was a guarantee that the savages would not return; so, instead of
turning with the trappers to join in the pursuit, he favoured them with
a concluding and a peculiarly monstrous howl, and then rode quietly away
by a circuitous route to his own cavern.

Thus he avoided March Marston, who, on finding that his friend Dick was
out, had returned at full speed to aid his comrades, and arrived just in
time to meet them returning, triumphant and panting, from their pursuit
of the foe!

"Are they gone?" cried March in amazement.

"Ay, right slick away into the middle o' nowhar,"