man to
the ground. Then, grasping his rifle in his right hand, he darted
through the thicket after the retreating children, up the mountain,
while Phin Emens stooped over his fallen friend.

CHAPTER III.

MAN-HUNTERS.

"_He caused the dry land to appear._"
--BIBLE.

_The mountains from that fearful first
Named day were God's own house. Behold,
'Twas here dread Sinai's thunders burst
And showed His face. 'Twas here of old
His prophets dwelt. Lo, it was here
The Christ did come when death drew near._

_Give me God's wondrous upper world
That makes familiar with the moon
These stony altars they have hurled
Oppression back, have kept the boon
Of liberty. Behold, how free
The mountains stand, and eternally._

Success makes us selfish. The history of the world chronicles no
prosperity like that of ours; and so, thinking of only ourselves and our
success, we forget others. It is easy, indeed, to forget the misery of
others; and we hate to be told of it, too.

On a high mountain side overlooking the valley, hung a little camp like
a bird's nest. It was hidden there in the densest wood, yet it looked
out over the whole land. No bird, indeed no mother of her young, ever
chose a deeper or wilder retreat, or a place more utterly apart from the
paths and approaches of mankind.

Certainly the little party had stood in imminent peril of capture, and
had prized freedom dearly indeed, to climb these crags and confront the
very snow-peaks in their effort to make certain their safety.

And a little party, too, it must have been; for you could have passed
within ten feet of the camp and not discovered it by day. And by night?
Well, certainly by night no man would peril his life by an uncertain
footing on the high cliffs here, only partly concealed by the thick
growth of chaparral, topt by tall fir and pine and cedar and tamarack.
And so a little fire was allowed to burn at night, for it was near the
snow and always cold. And it was this fire, perhaps, that first betrayed
the presence of the fugitives to the man-hunters.

Very poor and wretched were they, too. If they had had more blankets
they might not have so needed the fire. So poor were they, in fact, that
you might have stood in the very heart of the little camp and not
discovered any property at all without looking twice. A little heap of
ashes in the center sending