cents as he came: "Don't, Burl, don't kill
that one! Please don't!"

This stayed the uplifted hand, and glancing around at his little master,
Burl, with a look of great surprise, exclaimed, "W'y, Bushie, taint
nothin' but a Injun!"

"But that one was good to me, Burl."

"A red varmint good to a little white boy! Git out!"

"Yes, but he was, Burl. That one," pointing to the dead savage, "was
going to split my head open with his hatchet, when this one," pointing
to the young brave, "ran up to him and pushed him away from me, and said
something to him loud and mad which made him look scared and mean."

"What did de big Injun do to you, Bushie?" inquired Burl, now lowering
the knife.

"He didn't do nothing to me but look ugly at me, when this one would be
toting me on his back across the creeks and up the hills."

"Which one uf de varmints was it, Bushie, dat gobbled you up frum de
corn-fiel' fence, back yander?"

"That one," with a look toward the dead savage. "This one," with a nod
toward the young brave, "didn't want him to do it, I know he didn't,
because he walked on by talking to the other and shaking his head. And
when the other got tired of toting me and wanted to kill me, then it was
that this one ran up and took me away from him. Then he led me by the
hand till I got tired, then toted me on his back till I got rested. And
that's the way he was doing all the time. And when I got so tired and
sleepy I couldn't walk any longer, he took me up in his arms and carried
me so far, I don't know how far, through the dark woods. Then when they
stopped he gave me something to eat and made me a bed of pawpaw limbs,
and laid me down to sleep and slept by my side. And all the time he
wouldn't let the others come a-nigh me. And see here, Burl, what he gave
me," flourishing his old stone hatchet with a new handle before the eyes
of the still incredulous Burlman Reynolds. "And this, too," displaying
his little coon-skin cap, all splendid with the glory of the war-bird.
And with these visible proofs to back it, Bushie wound up his eloquent
little appeal.

"Did de young Injun shoot de eagle down yesterday whar you got dem
fedders?"

"Yes, and put them in my cap this morning."

The black hunter glanced over his shoulder to get a glimpse of the young
brave's lower limbs and reaessure himself that this was the one who had
left the slender foot-prints along the trail, side by side with which
had always appeared those of the