knife and hatchet play; they are loosing us to give us
freedom to shrink and dodge. Look straight before you and never flinch a
hair, as you would keep the life in you from one minute to the next!"

"Trust me," said I. "We must eke it out as long as we can, if only to
give our dear lady time for another prayer or two. Mayhap she will name
us in them; God knows, our need is sore enough."

The lad ran back, and a warrior stood out, juggling his tomahawk in air.
He made a feint to cast it at Richard, but instead sent it whizzing at
me.

That first missile was harder to face unflinching than were all the
others. I saw it leave the thrower's hand; saw it coming straight, as I
would think, to split my skull. The prompting to dodge was well-nigh
masterful enough to override the strongest will. Yet I did make shift to
hold fast, and in mid flight the twirling ax veered aside to miss me by
a hair's-breadth, gashing the tree at my ear when it struck.

"Bravo! well met!" cried Richard; and then, betwixt his teeth: "Here
comes mine."

As he spoke, a second tomahawk was sped. I heard it strike with a dull
crash that might have been on flesh and bone, or on oak-bark--I could
not tell. I dared not look aside till Richard's taunting laugh gave me
leave to breathe again.

The Indians answered the laugh with a yell; and now the marksmen stood
out quickly one after another and for a little space the air was full of
hurtling missiles. You will read in the romances of the wondrous skill
of these savages in such diversions as these; how they will pin the
victim to a tree and never miss of sticking knife or hatchet within the
thickness of the blade where they will. But you must take these tales
with a dash of allowance for the romancers' fancy. Truly, these Indians
of ours threw well and skilfully; 'tis a part of the only trade they
know--the trade of war--to send a weapon true to the mark. None the
less, some of the missiles flew wide; and now and then one would nip the
cloth of sleeve or body covering--and the flesh beneath it, as well.

Dick had more of the nippings than I; and though he kept up a running
fire of taunts and gibing flings at the marksmen, I could hear the
gritting oaths aside when they pinked him.

Notwithstanding, the worst of these miscasts fell to my lot. A hatchet,
sped by the clumsiest hand of all, missed its curving, turned, and the
helve of it struck me fair in the stomach. Not all the parting pangs of
deat