Campbell, Henry, and
Percival retired, leaving the others to watch. Alfred walked home with
Malachi and his party to see if all was right at the sheep-fold, and
then returned.

The night passed without any further disturbance except the howling of
the wolves, to which they were accustomed.

The next morning, at daybreak, Malachi and Martin came to the house,
and, with John and Alfred, they opened the palisade gate, and went out
to survey the spot where John had fired.

"Yes, sir," said Malachi; "it was an Indian, no doubt of it; here are
the dents made in the snow by his knees as he crawled along, and John
has hit him, for here is the blood. Let's follow the trail. See, sir, he
has been hard hit; there is more blood this way as we go on. Ha!"
continued Malachi, as he passed by a mound of snow, "here's the
wolf-skin he was covered up with; then he is dead or thereabouts, and
they have carried him off, for he never would have parted with his skin,
if he had had his senses about him."

"Yes," observed Martin, "his wound was mortal, that's certain."

They pursued the track till they arrived at the forest, and then,
satisfied by the marks on the snow that the wounded man had been carried
away, they returned to the house, when they found the rest of the family
dressed and in the kitchen. Alfred showed them the skin of the wolf, and
informed them of what they had discovered.

"I am grieved that blood has been shed," observed Mrs. Campbell; "I wish
it had not happened. I have heard that the Indians never forgive on such
occasions."

"Why, ma'am, they are very revengeful, that's certain, but still they
won't like to risk too much. This has been a lesson to them. I only wish
it had been the Angry Snake himself who was settled, as then we should
have no more trouble or anxiety about them."

"Perhaps it may be," said Alfred.

"No, sir, that's not likely; it's one of his young men; I know the
Indian customs well."

It was some time before the alarm occasioned by this event subsided in
the mind of Mrs. Campbell and her nieces; Mr. Campbell also thought much
about it, and betrayed occasional anxiety. The parties went out hunting
as before, but those at home now felt anxious till their return from the
chase. Time, however, and not hearing any thing more of the Indians,
gradually revived their courage, and before the winter was half over
they thought little about it. Indeed, it had been ascertained by Malachi
from another