ighbourhood. Mr
Bracher managed, somehow or other, when we got near this, to make
friends with one of the chiefs of the red-skins, who, bribed by the
promise of a case of whisky and some fire-arms, undertook to attack
Captain Loraine's farm as soon as a good chance of success should offer.
The chief, you'll understand, was to bide his time and to bring Silas
word directly he had done the work."

"And when is the attack to be made?" asked Mr Tidey.

The man protested that he could not tell, but concluded that it would
not long be deferred, probably not more than a week or two, before the
train could have got to any great distance, indeed he had an idea that
some of their people were to be employed in assisting the Indians.

Mr Tidey, though he cross-questioned the man, could elicit no further
information of importance. We therefore conducted him to my father,
who, after charging him to keep his own counsel, and not let Silas
Bracher know the information he had given, told him that he was at
liberty to return to his friends.

Great indeed was his look of astonishment. He not only promised that he
would say nothing to Silas Bracher on the subject, but that he would
separate himself from him and his party, and join some other emigrant
train on the first opportunity. We watched him until he disappeared in
the forest, though, judging by the pace he went, we suspected that he
was in no great hurry to join his companions.

"We have now to look after the Indian," said Mr Tidey, "and as we shall
pass not far from the spot where we left him, we will learn what he has
to say for himself, and send him about his business."

As we were anxious to get home as soon as possible, to relieve my
mother's mind of anxiety, we lost no time in setting off. My father
took up Kathleen and Uncle Denis Lily before them, and, after some
persuasion, Rose consented to allow herself to be lifted and placed in
front of Dio's saddle. Mr Tidey and I, with Martin, pushed on ahead,
that we might without delay set at liberty the unfortunate Indian, who
was less to blame than his white employers. On reaching the spot,
however, we could nowhere see him. We searched about in every
direction. It was evident that by some means or other, he had been set
at liberty. Whether he had himself cast loose the lashings, or whether
anybody else had liberated him, we could not discover, for although
there were the marks of several feet on the ground, they mi