n I began to fancy that we were
distancing them, and ere long we became sure of this, at least as to the
most of our pursuers, but there was one who kept drawing closer and
closer.

Presently a shot was fired and a bullet whizzed close past my head.

At that moment Big Otter reined up so violently as to throw his horse
almost on its haunches. I checked my speed but did not rein up.
Looking back, I saw my Indian friend wheel round, raise his gun to his
shoulder and fire. The moon was bright, and I could see that the man
who had been closing with us dropped to the ground. Whether he was
killed or only wounded we did not wait to ascertain, but dashed on again
as fast as ever. We soon drew rein, however, on observing that the fall
of our pursuer had checked his companions. On reaching him they halted,
dismounted, and finally gave up the chase. We soon left them out of
sight behind us, but still we held on at a hand-gallop, resolved to put
as much distance as possible between us before encamping.

During all this exciting chase Waboose's mother had clung to her
stalwart support with the uncomplaining patience of Indian women; but we
were deeply concerned to find on halting that she was too much exhausted
to dismount and that blood was trickling from her lips. Indeed, she
would have fallen to the ground if Big Otter had not caught her in his
arms.

"Are you wounded, mother?" exclaimed Eve, going down on her knees,
seizing one of the poor woman's hands and kissing it tenderly.

"No, Waboose, but I think there is something wrong here." She pressed
her breast gently and coughed up some blood.

"She is quite worn out," said I. "Come, Big Otter, let us carry her to
a more comfortable place, and make a fire. A cup of tea will soon
revive her."

I spoke cheerily, with a view to comfort Eve, but I confess that great
anxiety filled me when I looked at the poor woman's wan face and
emaciated frame. The blood, too, appeared to me a fatal symptom, though
I had but a hazy idea of everything relating to disease.

The place we had selected for our encampment was a dense mass of forest
which covered the prairie in that part to an extent of about two square
miles. Near the outer margin of this patch there was a curious steep
mound which rose so high that from the top of it one could see over the
surrounding trees. It rose somewhat in the form of a cone with a flat
space at the apex of not more than twenty feet in diamete