e stones lay about on the little plateau that
crowned our mound. These we rolled close to the edge of it, and ranging
them in line with those that were already there, formed a sort of
breastwork all round. Our three guns we had of course brought with us,
as well as ammunition, and as mine was a double-barrelled fowling-piece
we had thus four shots at command at any moment. The weapons being
already charged, we placed ourselves at three points of our circle and
prepared for a weary watch.

The blaze of the burning fir-tree soon went out, and there were
fortunately no other dead trees at hand to be kindled by it. The moon
had also become obscured with clouds, so that we were left in
comparative darkness. The dead silence which it was needful to
maintain, and the occasional murmur of the dying woman rendered our
position eerie and sad in the extreme.

At such times, when danger threatens and everything that is calculated
to solemnise surrounds one, thought is apt to be very busy; and often,
in such circumstances, the mind is more prone to be occupied with
distant scenes and persons than with those near at hand. Ere long the
sick woman appeared to have fallen asleep, and her daughter was seated
in perfect silence by her side. No sound whatever fell upon my
listening ear, for the night was intensely calm, and in spite of my
efforts to resist it, my thoughts strayed away to the home in "the old
country"; to scenes of boyhood, and to the kind old father, who used, as
a term of endearment, to call me "Punch."

A slight motion on the part of Salamander recalled me, and, by way of
rousing myself to the necessity of present watchfulness, I examined the
priming of my gun. Then it occurred to me that a bullet, if fired at a
foe in the dark, would be very unlikely to hit; I, therefore, drew both
charges, and loaded with buckshot instead. You see, thought I, there is
no absolute necessity to kill any one. All I can possibly wish to do is
to disable, and big shot is more likely to do that without killing, than
bullets.

While thus engaged the clouds rolled off the moon, and I saw my
companions clearly, sitting like statues at their posts. In a few
minutes I heard the sweet, low voice of Eve. She was speaking to her
mother. As I sat there and observed her fair hair and skin, and
recalled (for I could not just then see) her blue eyes, I found it
difficult to believe that there was even a drop of Indian blood in her
vein