heir captives; so they, in their refined
cruelty, took care not to wound the poor fellow in any vital part.

"After a short time the old squaws resharpened the points of their
fire-sticks, and then they all advanced together, the warriors
brandishing their tomahawks and shrieking louder than ever. Noggin eyed
them all, however, with perfect coolness and disdain. I thought that
his last moments had come. This conduct, though the savages admired it,
only made them the more anxious to conquer his spirit. Several produced
their instruments of torture to tear his flesh, and to pull out his eyes
and his tongue, indeed, I will not describe all the excruciating
cruelties they were prepared to inflict; I well-nigh gave way myself
with horror, though my nerves were pretty well strung, when a young
squaw, who had been sitting in the shadow of one of the tents, sprang
up, and darting between the warriors and old women, before any of them
could stop her, threw one of her arms round Noggin's neck, and holding
out her other hand, in a tone of authority ordered her savage country
men and women to keep back, and claimed him as her husband. She was a
fine, tall young woman, and though her skin was dark, her features were
handsome and full of animation, while her eye sparkled with the spirit
which burned in her bosom.

"`Come, loose him, loose him,' she cried, and we could understand her
language. `He is mine. Let none of you dare to hurt a hair of his
head.'

"I had heard of such things having been done before, but I did not much
believe in them. It convinced me that woman has a tender,
compassionate, loving heart in every country, and that man should prize
it as one of the richest gifts which bounteous Nature has bestowed on
him, and consider it one of the most cowardly of acts and the foulest of
crimes to tamper with or betray it. The young girl was a chiefs
daughter. Her people, as they were bound to do, obeyed her immediately.
Noggin was released, and led by her to her tent. Instead of the
torments he had been suffering, he found himself tended with the
gentlest care which affection could dictate.

"Blount and I seeing this, made signs to each other that it was time for
us to be off. In the morning the red-skins would be prowling about, and
they would be too glad to get us instead of the victim who had escaped
them. We were not likely to find another Poccahuntas to save our lives.
We went back the way we had come, ob