efore they reached the top, a dozen
savages had leaped into our enclosure.

"Help! against the pale-face dogs," cried Big Otter, pointing his gun,
and firing at them as they came up.

A wild war-whoop rang out from the Indians, who were only too ready to
accept the invitation to fight the pale-faces. A defiant cheer burst in
reply from the white men, who were equally eager for the fray.

"Come!" whispered Big Otter at this point.

We had no difficulty in slipping away at the rear unperceived amid the
din and smoke, and ran to where our horses had been tied. Mounting,
like squirrels, we went off like the wind in the direction of the open
prairie, and soon left our little fortress far behind us, with the
redskins and the pale-faces fighting on the top of it like wild cats!

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.

THE POWER OF SLEEP--PLANS DISCUSSED AND A FAR JOURNEY RESOLVED ON.

It was broad daylight when we once again drew rein, and then we were all
so overcome with sleep and exhaustion, after the prolonged watching and
excitement of the night, that we could scarcely sit on our horses.

Eve, who sat behind me, grasping my waist with both arms, swayed so
heavily once or twice, as nearly to throw me down.

"We _must_ stop," said I to Big Otter, who was close beside me.

"Yes," replied the Indian; but his tone told that he was barely awake.

"If you doosn't me _drop_," said Salamander. The worthy interpreter
seemed to think English the easiest language in the circumstances.

"Oh! I'm _so_ sleepy," said poor Eve, whose grief helped to increase
her exhaustion.

"Come, we will camp in this thicket!" said Big Otter, turning his horse
in the direction of a long strip of bush that lay a few hundred yards to
our right.

On reaching it, we penetrated, almost mechanically, to the thickest part
of it, dismounted, and fastened our horses to the trees. Turning
instantly, to assist Eve in making a couch of leaves, I found that she
had lain down where she had dismounted, and was already fast asleep.

"Here, Salamander, lend a hand to lift her," I said, looking round; but
Salamander was also in the land of Nod, flat on his back, with his eyes
shut, and his mouth open.

Turning to Big Otter, I found that he was standing staring at me with an
expression of such awful solemnity that I was partially roused with a
feeling of alarm.

"Hallo!" I exclaimed, "what has happened?--speak, man!"

But Big Otter only gazed more intensely t