d at
headlong speed across the clearing. Right behind, like a pack of
hounds, poured his relentless enemies, held in check solely by the
Huron, who, covering the retreat of his white friends, raged like a
tiger with his clubbed rifle; but, powerful and agile as he was, he was
finally brought to the earth, and, heedless of him, the savages poured
onward, intent only on capturing Dernor and Edith.

At this moment the edge of the clearing was reached; the fugitive had
dashed into the wood, and his enemies were just following, when several
flashes illuminated the edge of the forest, and simultaneous with the
report, the remaining Riflemen of the Miami, with one exception, burst
into the clearing and shot forward like a tornado toward the savages.
The number of the whites was increased by Harry and Jim Smith, but half
of the Indians had already gone to the earth, and the remaining ones
broke and scattered as if a mine had exploded beneath their feet.

"Hello! anybody hurt?" demanded Harry Smith. "Come back here, Lew, and
let us see you."

The fugitive had run quite a distance; but, recognizing the voice of a
friend, he halted, looked back, and then returned. In the clearing, he
saw standing the panting, excited forms of the brothers Smith, Allmat,
George Dernor and Ferdinand Sego! The latter was leaning on his rifle,
and looked up as Lewis and Edith came to view. He instantly started, as
if struck by a bullet, and gazed at her as though he doubted the
evidence of his own eyes. Edith, on her part, was hardly less agitated.
She trembled and leaned heavily a moment on the hunter's arm, and then,
relinquishing her hold, bounded forward and was clasped in the arms of
Sego. Neither spoke until they had partly recovered from their
emotions; then they conversed in tones so low, that the bystanders, had
they wished, could not have overheard the words that were said.

All this time, as may well be supposed, Lewis Dernor was tortured by
the most agonizing emotions. The beautiful dreams and air-castles which
he had been continually forming and building during the past few days,
now dissolved like mist in the air, and left nothing but the cold,
cheerless reality, far colder and more cheerless than had ever before
impressed him. Sego and Edith were reunited, and although there
appeared to have been some mystery and misunderstanding between them,
it was now cleared up, and their happiness seemed complete. The
Rifleman drew a deep sigh