who
received the assault without flinching; and in spite of a severe
laceration of the arm, he seized his foe by the throat, and hurling him
upon the ground, jumped with all his force upon his belly. There was a
yell of agony--the contest was ended, and Luke was at liberty to pursue
his flight unmolested.

Brief as had been the interval required for this combat, it had been
sufficient to bring the pursuers within sight of the fugitive. Hugh
Badger, who from the acclivity had witnessed the fate of his favorite,
with a loud oath discharged the contents of his gun at the head of its
destroyer. It was fortunate for Luke that at this instant he stumbled
over the root of a tree--the shot rattled in the leaves as he fell, and
the keeper, concluding that he had at least winged his bird, descended
more leisurely towards him. As he lay upon the ground, Luke felt that he
was wounded; whether by the teeth of the dog, from a stray shot, or from
bruises inflicted by the fall, he could not determine. But, smarting
with pain, he resolved to wreak his vengeance upon the first person who
approached him. He vowed not to be taken with life--to strangle any who
should lay hands upon him. At that moment he felt a pressure at his
breast. It was the dead hand of his mother!

Luke shuddered. The fire of revenge was quenched. He mentally cancelled
his rash oath; yet he could not bring himself to surrender at
discretion, and without further effort. The keeper and his assistants
were approaching the spot where he lay, and searching for his body. Hugh
Badger was foremost, and within a yard of him.

"Confound the rascal!" cried Hugh, "he's not half killed; he seems to
breathe."

The words were scarcely out of his mouth ere the speaker was dashed
backwards, and lay sprawling upon the sod. Suddenly and unexpectedly, as
an Indian chief might rush upon his foes, Luke arose, dashing himself
with great violence against Hugh, who happened to stand in his way, and
before the startled assistants, who were either too much taken by
surprise, or unwilling to draw a trigger, could in any way lay hands
upon him, exerting all the remarkable activity which he possessed, he
caught hold of a projecting branch of a tree, and swung himself, at a
single bound, fairly over the paling.

Hugh Badger was shortly on his legs, swearing lustily at his defeat.
Directing his men to skirt alongside the fence, and make for a
particular part of the plantation which he named,