d then
passing silently out at the door disappeared with his companions in the
darkness.

"The hurricane is over," said the tavern-keeper, who had followed the
Indians with his eyes as they glided like dim shadows to their birch
canoes upon the Coosa.

"In heaven's name! who is that incarnate red devil?" cried his wife,
drawing a deep breath of relief, and shuddering as she spoke.

"Hush, woman!--hold your tongue! till the Coosa's between it and the
redskins. This is no joking matter, I can tell you."

As he spoke he closed the door; and, taking up the light, approached the
bed, where his wife was suckling the child.

"Poor little thing!" said he, "if you could speak you would tell us a
tale that might well make our hair stand on end. This affair may cost us
dear yet; those red devils are come from a scalping expedition; of that
there is no doubt. But in what direction, God alone knows. Well, if it
were only amongst the Spaniards," continued he, glancing alternately at
the child, and at the gold coin in his hand, "I should not much care
about it, but"--

And without finishing the sentence he resumed his place in the bed,
although some hours elapsed before the recollection of the strange scene
that had occurred allowed sleep to revisit his eyelids.

In defiance of the menaces of the savages, Captain John Copeland, the
rough but worthy host of the Indian King, institutes inquiries
concerning the parentage of the infant so unceremoniously imposed upon
him. Various obstacles are thrown in the way of his researches by the
disturbed state of the country, and by the Indians themselves, who
suspect his intentions, and keep a strict watch on his movements; and
when at last a more settled state of things enables him to prosecute his
inquiries, it is with small success, or at least he does not admit that
he has discovered any thing, although he suspects the child, which is a
little girl, to belong to one of the French or Spanish planters on the
Mississippi. Seven years elapse, during which the numbers of the
backwoodsman's family are doubled, and his worldly wealth augments in a
far larger proportion. The shores of the Coosa have become populous and
flourishing, the solitary block-house is now a roomy and convenient
dwelling, situated in the midst of smiling plantations, and Captain
Copeland is well to do, and much respected by his neighbours. One summer
evening, however, the Captain is disturbed at his supper, and his fam