miable disposition, her grace
and beauty of manners, her own prepossessing appearance, and above all,
her unremitting kindness to every one with whom she came in contact,
had won upon the hearts of all. Old Smith's two sons, Jim and Harry,
one eighteen the other twenty, both over six feet in height, looked
upon "little Edith" as nothing more than a baby, and woe betide the one
who dared to offer her harm or insult in their presence!

"I say, father, how much further ahead is that creek we've got to
cross?" asked Jim, in a free and easy manner, as he would have spoken
to an equal.

"Well, sonny, it must be nigh on to ten mile."

"Won't get over afore morning then?"

"Don't expect to, as you see it's well along in the after noon."

"Let's see--we've come over forty mile, hain't we?"

"Yes, Jim, nearer fifty."

"Well, we're that much nearer the settlement, _that's_ certain. If we
get over the creek without much trouble with the oxen, we may fetch up
there by sundown, eh?"

"That's the expectation, I believe."

"Provided, of course, _the Injins don't make trouble_."

"Sh! not so loud, Jim," continued Harry. "They might hear us in the
wagon, and I don't s'pose you'd want to scare Edith, when there's no
need of it."

"I should like to see any one try that same thing on 'em. They'd be
somebody else scared, I reckon. But, father," asked Jim, in an earnest
whisper, "how is it about the Injins? We haven't seen a sign of one
yet, and that's what gets me."

The parent and his children fell a few yards further behind, and
commenced conversing together in suppressed voices.

"I tell you what, boys," said the father, "it won't do to expect to get
through without hot work. I've been talking with the scouts, and they
think the same. I believe a number are following us, and waiting only
for the proper place to come in upon us."

"Where do you suppose that will be?"

"_The creek!_"

"Shouldn't wonder if 'twas," said Harry, in a matter-of-fact tone; "if
we only had the women-folks out the way, we might count on some tall
fun. I wish Edith was taken care of."

"That's the deuce of it. I should think she got enough of the imps last
autumn, when the Riflemen left her at our house; but that's the
_Injin_, especially the Shawnee part of it. If there's any chance to
get scalps with long hair, they're bound to do it. However, boys, it
won't do to lose heart."

"That's the fact, father, and I reckon none of this crowd inten