we sat on the log and commenced our repast, when
our guide suddenly sprang from his seat, and with a hideous yell bolted
into the forest and was soon lost to our sight. This conduct instantly
roused our fear; and with one accord we sprang to our feet. We gazed
around. Turn which way we would, the grim visage of a painted warrior
met our terrified gaze, with his tomahawk in one hand, and his rifle in
the other. "Perfidious villain," exclaimed Ralph, "and this is an
Indian's faith." An Indian of gigantic size, dressed in all the gaudy
trappings of a chief, now strode towards us. Ralph raised his gun, and
closed his eye as the sight of the weapon sought the warrior's breast.
"Don't shoot, and you will be treated friendly," cried the savage in
good English. "So long as I live," said Ralph, "I'll never put faith
again in an Indian's word." The gun went off, and the savage, with an
unearthly cry, bounded high in the air, and fell upon his face a corpse.
A scream, as if ten thousand furies had been suddenly turned loose upon
the earth, rang around us; and ere we could start ten steps on our
flight, we were seized by our savage foes, and, like the light barque
when borne on the surface of the angry waves, were we borne, equally
endangered, upon the shoulders of these maddened men. We were thrown
upon the earth, our hands and feet were bound till the cords were almost
hidden in the flesh; and then, with the fury of madmen, they commenced
beating us with clubs, when another chief, who appeared to be of higher
standing than the one who had just lost his life, rushed into the crowd,
hurling the excited warriors to the right and left in his progress, and
mounting upon a log he harangued them for a few moments with a loud
voice. They at once desisted, perhaps reconciled by the prospect of soon
seeing us burnt at the stake. We were carried to their encampment, where
we were still left bound, with two sentinels stationed to guard us. In
this painful state we remained all day; when towards evening another
company of warriors arrived, and then vigorous preparations were made
for burning us. A stake was planted in the ground, and painted a variety
of fantastic colors; the brush was piled around it at a proper distance;
and every other necessary arrangement made; while we sat looking on,
subject to the continual epithets of an old squaw, whose most consoling
remarks were: "How will white man like to eat fire," and then she would
break into a