the wood and
attack us on all sides, they may give us a deal o' trouble, and git away
after all; whereas, if we run _away_, they'll bolt after us in a body,
and then we can take them in hand all at once, which'll be more
comfortable-like, an' easier to manage."

As Jacques spoke they were joined by Harry and the Canadian; and being
observed by the Indians thus grouped together, another arrow was sent
among them.

"Now, follow me," said Jacques, turning round with a loud howl and
running away. He was closely followed by the others. As the guide had
predicted, the Indians no sooner observed this than they rushed after
them in a body, uttering horrible yells.

"Now, then, stop here; down with you."

Jacques instantly crouched behind a bush, while each of the party did
the same. In a moment the savages came shouting up, supposing that the
white men were still running on in advance. As the foremost, a tall,
muscular fellow, with the agility of a panther, bounded over the bush
behind which Jacques was concealed, he was met with a blow from the
guide's fist, so powerfully delivered into the pit of his stomach, that
it sent him violently back into the bush, where he lay insensible. This
event, of course, put a check upon the headlong pursuit of the others,
who suddenly paused, like a group of infuriated tigers unexpectedly
balked of their prey. The hesitation, however, was but for a moment.
Misconna, who was in advance, suddenly drew his bow again, and let fly
an arrow at Jacques, which the latter dexterously avoided; and while his
antagonist lowered his eyes for an instant to fit another arrow to the
string, the guide, making use of his paddle as a sort of javelin, threw
it with such force and precision that it struck Misconna directly
between the eyes and felled him to the earth. In another instant the
two parties rushed upon each other, and a general _melee_, ensued, in
which the white men, being greatly superior to their adversaries in the
use of their fists, soon proved themselves more than a match for them
all, although inferior in numbers. Charley's first antagonist, making
an abortive attempt to grapple with him, received two rapid blows, one
on the chest and the other on the nose, which knocked him over the bank
into the river, while his conqueror sprang upon another Indian. Harry,
having unfortunately selected the biggest savage of the band as his
special property, rushed upon him and dealt him a vigorou