o rapidly before: but he felt
that he was riding for his life, and was only anxious to ride faster.
Scott had felt a little anxious on this point; but his anxiety vanished
when he saw how easily and fearlessly his boy companion kept at his
side.

"Well done, Tom!" he said, as they flew over the prairie. "Keep up this
pace, and we will escape yet."

"I can do it, if my horse holds out," returned Tom briefly.

Scott looked over his shoulder, and, brave man as he was, it almost made
him shudder. The whole party of Indians was on his track. He could see
their dusky faces, distorted by wrath, and the longing for a savage
revenge. He knew that Tom and he had little to hope for if they were
caught. Fortunately their horses were strong and fleet, and not likely
to break down.

"Ride for your life, Tom!" he shouted. "They will show us no mercy if
they catch us."

"All right, Mr. Scott!" said Tom, his face flushed, and panting with
excitement. If he had not felt that so much depended upon it; if he
could have thrust out from his mind the sense of the awful peril in
which he stood--he would have enjoyed the furious pace at which his
horse was carrying him.

The horses ridden by the Indians were not equal in speed or endurance to
those which the two friends bestrode. They were fresher indeed, but
they did not make up for the difference between them. There was one
exception, however: Dan, the stolen horse, was not only equal to either
of their horses, but had the advantage of being fresher. This, after a
while, began to tell. It was ridden by a young Indian brave, a brother
of the leader. Soon he drew away from his companions, and, yard by yard,
lessened the distance between himself and the pursued. At the end of
three miles he was close upon them, and at least fifty rods in advance
of his comrades. Scott saw this in one of his backward glances.

"Tom," said he, "the redskin on Dan is overhauling us."

"Will he catch us?"

"I mean to catch him," said Scott coolly.

Tom did not need to ask for an explanation. Scott wheeled round, took
hasty but accurate aim at the Indian, and fired. The hapless warrior
reeled in his saddle, loosed his hold of the reins, and fell to the
ground, while his horse, continuing in his course, his pace accelerated
by fright, soon galloped alongside of Scott. There was a howl of rage
from the main body of Indians, who saw the fate of their comrade,
without being able to help him.

"Now, Tom, ri