as if imploring for mercy. Poor girl! I saw that she was
past my help. The wound was evidently mortal. Already the signs of
death overspread her features, and I felt that a second blow would be
one of mercy; so that when the Indian stooped and passed his long knife
through her heart, I made but a feeble effort to prevent it. Just as
the man rose, with the warm blood dripping from his keen blade, the
sharp crack of a rifle was heard, and the Indian fell dead at my feet,
shot through the forehead, while the trapper bounded into the open
space, his massive frame quivering, and his sunburned face distorted
with rage and horror. From the other side of the brake six of our band
rushed forward and levelled their guns at him. For one moment the
trapper paused to cast a glance at the mangled corpse of his wife, as if
to make quite sure that she was dead; and then uttering a howl of
despair, he hurled his axe with a giant's force at the Knisteneux, and
disappeared over the precipitous bank of the stream.

"So rapid was the action that the volley which immediately succeeded
passed harmlessly over his head, while the Indians dashed forward in
pursuit. At the same instant I myself was felled to the earth. The axe
which the trapper had flung struck a tree in its flight, and as it
glanced off the handle gave me a violent blow in passing. I fell
stunned. As I did so my head alighted on the shoulder of the woman, and
the last thing I felt, as my wandering senses forsook me, was her still
warm blood flowing over my face and neck.

"While this scene was going on, the yells and screams of the warriors in
the camp became fainter and fainter as they pursued and fled through the
woods. The whole band of Chipewyans was entirely routed, with the
exception of four who escaped, and the trapper whose flight I have
described; all the rest were slain, and their scalps hung at the belts
of the victorious Knisteneux warriors, while only one of our party was
killed.

"Not more than a few minutes after receiving the blow that stunned me, I
recovered, and rising as hastily as my scattered faculties would permit
me, I staggered towards the camp, where I heard the shouts of our men as
they collected the arms of their enemies. As I rose, the feather which
Wabisca had dropped fell from my brow; and as I picked it up to replace
it, I perceived that it was _red_, being entirely covered with the blood
of the half-breed girl.

"The place where M