d for
difficulties and annoyances when I came out here," exclaimed Mrs.
Campbell; "but not for such trials as these."

"Never fear but we'll bring her back, ma'am," said Martin; "Malachi is a
better Indian than them all, and he'll circumvent them."

"How do you mean?"

"I mean, ma'am, that we will, if possible, fall upon them unawares, and
then we'll have the advantage, for half of them will be killed before
they know that they are attacked; we'll fight them Indian fashion,
ma'am."

Mrs. Campbell continued her interrogations till Alfred was seen at the
end of the prairie returning at full speed, accompanied by Captain
Sinclair and two other men, also on horseback.

"Here they come," said Martin; "and they have lost no time, that's
certain."

"Poor Captain Sinclair? what must be his feelings! I pity him," said
Mrs. Campbell.

"He must take it coolly, nevertheless," observed Martin; "or he may do
more harm than good."

Alfred and Captain Sinclair now dismounted: they had brought with them
two of the soldiers who were well used to the woods, and excellent shots
with the rifle. A hurried conversation of a few minutes took place, but
time was too precious, and Alfred, embracing his father and mother, who,
as they shook hands with Captain Sinclair, expressed in a melancholy way
their hopes for their success, the party of seven which had been
collected set off to rejoin Malachi and the Strawberry.

Malachi and Strawberry had not been idle; the latter had run back to
their lodge and procured a bow and arrows, and since that they had
tracked the footmarks through the forest for more than a mile, when they
had come to a small rivulet which ran through the forest. Here the trail
was lost, at least it was not to be perceived any where on the opposite
side of the rivulet, and it was to be presumed that, to conceal their
trail, the Indians had walked in the water, either up or down, for a
certain distance before they put their feet on the other side; but as it
was near the time that they might expect the arrival of Alfred and the
others, Malachi had returned to the spot where Alfred and Martin had
left them, leaving the Strawberry to walk down and up the side of the
rivulet to recover the trail. As soon as the party joined him, they and
Malachi set off to where the trail had been lost, and the latter had
left the Strawberry.

There they waited some time, as the Strawberry was not in sight, and
they took this opportunity