d there was a scowl on their
brows, which showed that they were not altogether at their ease.

We waited for Laban to give the expected signal. It was to be the
instant the chief of the party reached him and held out his hand, as we
knew he would. Slowly, a tall athletic warrior, with a very malignant
countenance, however, advanced, casting his suspicious glances on every
side, till he was close up to Laban. Obed and I were to seize the same
man, but I could not help following the leader, and I felt sure that his
hand was stealing down towards his tomahawk. Laban must have thought so
too. In an instant the tall warrior's weapon was in his hand, and was
descending on Laban's head, when a shot from behind a hut struck him on
the forehead, and he fell forward dead at our friend's feet. At the
same moment we all threw ourselves on his followers; but many of us
received some severe cuts in our attempts to secure them, for all of
them, prompted by the same feeling, had grasped their axes, with the
intention of fighting their way again out of the camp. We had a severe
struggle with them before we had them all secured; scowling and
vindictive glances enough they cast on us when we had them fast. Old
White Dog had, we found, saved the life of Laban Ragget by taking that
of the chief. Never had a more treacherous plot to murder a whole party
been more mercifully counteracted. Still neither the Raggets nor I
would consent to kill our captives. Our proposal was simply to deprive
them of their arms, and having fed them, to leave them bound, knowing
that the rest of the tribe would, before long, visit the spot and
release them. This plan, however did not at all suit old White Dog's or
Noggin's notions on the matter.

"The treacherous red-skin varmints! you don't suppose they'll thank you
for letting 'em live?" exclaimed the latter. "They will be after us,
and follow us up like bloodhounds the moment they are free, that they
will."

"Never mind, friend Noggin," replied Laban calmly. "Right is right all
the world over. It would be wrong to kill a prisoner, do you see, and
so I guess it's right to let these people live. I'll stand the
consequences, come what may."

Noggin said no more; and now everybody was busily engaged in preparing
to start. The sleighs were loaded, the horses were put to, and in a
long line we filed out of the fort. All the women walked, and carried
the children; there were not many of the latt