to where, a
little to one side, lay a dead eagle, stripped of its magnificent
plumage. Burl turned it over, and perceiving that the bullet-wound which
had caused its death was still fresh and open, he knew that the bird had
been brought down but a few hours before. Here again, clearly to be
distinguished from those of the others, were to be seen the traces of
the boy and the slender-footed Indian, still side by side, and going out
to the dead eagle, where they were repeated many times, as if these two
had lingered around the fallen monarch of the air, while the others
walked slowly onward.

Now the sun was gliding swiftly down the steep slopes of the western
sky, and long and somber stretched the shadows of the hills across the
lonely, unhomed valleys of the immense wilderness. Full many an irksome
mile of bushy dell and rocky hill and forest-crested ridge lay traversed
and searched behind them; untraversed and unsearched, lay as many more
before them. Where should the weary little feet find rest in the night
now coming on? The little birds had their nests, the little squirrels
their holes: should the forlorn little captive find where to lay his
head in those inhospitable wilds? And far away, at the door of her
desolate home, still sat the widowed mother, waiting and watching, her
eyes turned ever toward the perilous north. And there, at the foot of
the hill, the little log grist-mill, making the little log fort yet
sadder and lonesomer every hour, still went on humming and droning its
dolorous tune--a tune whose burden seemed ever to be, "What a pity! what
a pity! what a pity!"

Chapter VII.

HOW BIG BLACK BURL FIGURED ON THE WAR-PATH BY NIGHT.

By this time the sun was almost down. Since early morning, not a morsel
of food had Burlman Reynolds tasted, excepting the solid inch of bacon
at dinner-time, which, as he had bolted it half unknown to himself at
the moment, and in his trouble of mind had long since forgotten, could
hardly have had more effect in breaking his fast than had he merely
dreamed of eating a meal. A gnawing sensation under his belt now began
to warn him that it was high time he should be ministering to the wants
of the inner man. Aware that while out on the war-path he could not
safely trust to the tell-tale rifle for procuring food, he had, with the
foresight of a true warrior, fortified himself against future need, by
slipping into his ammunition-pouch, on quitting the fort, a double