arm most jest now."

Fanny was not very well pleased with the manner in which her rude
companion spoke of serious things, and she improved the opportunity to
embody the prayer of her heart in words. It was a fervent utterance,
and Ethan seemed to join her in spirit. Both of them were grateful--not
abstractly grateful, but grateful to God for his mercy in saving them
from torture and death at the hands of the savages.

They sat in silence for a moment after the prayer, and then Fanny
suggested that they should prepare their breakfast. Ethan had brought
with him a shovel and a sharp axe, and while Fanny was peeling the
potatoes and cutting the bacon, he dug out a kind of fireplace in the
side of the hill. Some dead branches from the tree supplied them with
dry fuel. Fried ham and fried potatoes were soon provided, and they sat
down to their morning meal.

"I should like this fust rate if we hadn't been druv away from hum jest
as we was," said Ethan.

"It would be very pleasant if we could forget the poor people who have
been killed and mangled by the savages," replied Fanny, sadly.

"I reyther like campin' out, and travellin' over the peraries, as we
did when we kim up hyer."

"What is to become of us, after all, Ethan?"

"I dunno; we must stop hyer, I s'pose."

"We cannot remain here a great while."

"Why not?"

"Our provisions will not last many days."

"We kin git more."

"I don't think it is safe for us to go over to the settlement again."

"We've got plenty o' powder'n shot, and thyers ducks and birds enough.
And this lake's full of fish."

"But we must leave some time. We could not stay here through the
winter."

"We kin git off somewhar bime-by. I dunno what all this business
means--whether the Injins is killin' off everybody or not. Sunthin' 'll
happen one o' these days."

It was impossible to plan for the future, for no one could tell what a
day might bring forth. It was evident to the young exiles that the lake
settlement had been destroyed, and the greater portion of the people
killed, though they had no positive knowledge of the extent of the
horrible massacre. They did not know, what was really true, that the
onslaught of the savages extended over hundreds of miles of territory,
and that its victims were numbered by hundreds.

When Ethan and Fanny had finished their breakfast, Wahena was unbound
and permitted to eat all he wanted. His appetite did not seem to be at
all impaired by his