ecided tones:--

"Reuben Dale, if your friend Jacob was the great Israel of Bible story,
or even Moses himself, I would not wait for him. Don't interrupt me
again, lad."

He turned to the assembled company with a wave of his hand, as if to
dismiss the interruption from memory, and attempted to reassume the
benignant expression, with only partial success.

"My friends," he said, but said no more, for at that moment he was a
second time interrupted. A shout was heard outside, the door of the
hall burst open, and Jacob Strang himself strode in, bearing the
Reverend William Tucker on his shoulders.

Depositing his burden on the floor, he said hurriedly, "He's not dead,
only stunned. The reptiles did their best to kill him. They're not far
off, MacFearsome. We'd better go after them."

The MacFearsome usually gave vent to his feelings in Gaelic when
labouring under strong excitement. On this occasion his utterances were
terrible in tone whatever their meaning might be.

"Go after them?" he cried, in a blaze of wrath, "yes, we'll go after
them. Saddle my horse and fetch my gun. Arm yourself, boys! Some of
you will remain to guard the Fort, and see that you keep the gates shut.
Can you guide us to the villains, Jacob?"

"I can at least follow up the trail."

"Stay, _I_ can guide you," said a voice behind them.

It was the Reverend William Tucker himself, who had recovered, and was
sitting up on the floor looking rather confused.

"No, sir; you will remain at the Fort and take care of the women," said
MacFearsome gruffly.

In a few minutes the Chief of the Fort was galloping over the prairie at
the back of his establishment, followed by six of his best men, with
Reuben Dale, and led by Jacob Strang.

In thus giving chase to the red men the Highlander did not act with his
wonted caution. His wrath was too much for him.

Jacob the hunter, while out after deer, had come on the trail of the
war-party of Blackfeet. Suspecting them of mischief, he had followed
them up and found them just at the time when they made prisoner of Mr
Tucker. He saw them bind the unlucky pastor and carry him off, mounted
behind a savage chief. Jacob chanced fortunately to be concealed in a
rugged piece of ground where horses could not act. As the Indians were
riding away he shot the horse that bore the pastor, and at the same time
uttered a series of yells and extempore war-whoops so appalling that the
savages gave him credit