ess it
was, as, should every settler and soldier be killed, others in
overwhelming numbers would ere long pour into the country and revenge
their people. He replied that the red men had been victorious
everywhere; that hundreds of the Palefaces had been killed; and that
such would be the fate of all who should come to the country. At last
he took his departure. I was very glad he was gone. I feared, however,
that I had not succeeded in impressing him with the hopelessness of his
cause.

"Though I saw no means of escaping, I tried to keep up my spirits, and
resolved to take advantage of any opportunity that might occur. Imagine
my surprise, after I had been some days in the Indian village, to see a
white man dressed as a hunter enter it. I felt sure that he was your
friend Rochford. Though I pretended not to notice his arrival, I
resolved as soon as possible to communicate with him. He must have seen
me or heard that I was there; for within an hour a note was brought me,
written on a small scrap of paper, containing these words:--

"`Trust me; I will assist you to escape.--R.'

"Tearing off the small blank piece of the note, I simply wrote `Yes,'
fearing lest by any chance it might fall into the hands of the chief.
By some means or other, Rochford managed to throw the squaws off their
guard, by bringing either venison or some other game each time he came
to the village; and he managed to hold frequent communication with me.
The rest you know. My great fear now is lest he should fall into the
hands of the Indians, who would, on finding that he had assisted to
carry me off, wreak a dreadful vengeance upon him."

I assured Juanita that there was little danger of this; and quieted her
fears as well as I could by promising to do my best to prevent our
gallant friend running any unnecessary risk.

At last we found so many impediments in our course--Rochford having two
or three times narrowly escaped breaking his neck--that we were
compelled to halt. As well as we were able to do so in the dark, we put
up a shelter for Juanita. The night passed quietly, and the next day we
reached Fort King.

Nothing of importance had occurred during our absence. My father was
still far from well, and very anxious about my uncle and the party who
had accompanied him; for nothing had been heard of them, and it was
feared that they might have been surprised by the Indians and cut off,
as many other parties had been. Our great