the Indians; but had I any chance of reaching any fort or
settlement in the depth of winter? I should, too probably, be frozen to
death, or be devoured by wolves, or be scalped by hostile Indians. The
prospect was not cheering. Still all risks were far preferable to being
tormented to death by my present captors. I was beginning to indulge in
a prospect of escaping, remote though it might be, when two more of the
Indians all of a sudden took it into their heads to hurl their hatchets
at me. It was the last effort of expiring intelligence, and they both
fell back overpowered by liquor. In a very short time, one by one, the
rest of their companions yielded to its influences, and the whole band
of Indians lay perfectly drunk and helpless at my feet.

No time was to be lost; how long they might continue in that state I
could not tell. At all events it was important to get a long start of
them. I found that I might in time gnaw away the thongs which bound my
wrists. I set to work; they were very tough, but by perseverance I got
through one, and then the other, and my hands were free. Still I had a
tough thong round my neck, secured to one of the posts of the bed, and
another round my ankles fastened to another below me. If I attempted to
stoop down, I tightened the thong round my neck, nor could I draw my
feet up to meet my hands. The savages had taken my own knife from me.
I struggled, and pulled, and tugged, to get my feet clear, till I almost
cut through my ankles to the bone. At last I thought of the tomahawks
the savages had thrown at me. I leaned back and felt about behind me.
To my great joy my fingers clutched the handle of one, the blade of
which was sticking deep into the frame of the bed. I dragged it out,
and very soon cut through the thong round my neck. To clear my feet was
a work of less trouble: I was free. I can scarcely describe my
sensations as I stood among my now helpless enemies. My first thought
was to make preparations for my flight. I collected all the food of
every description and packed it away in a bag, which I fastened round my
waist. I took my rifle and filled my powder-flask, with a further
supply in a leathern case which had been Obed's, and all the
percussion-caps, and as much shot as I could carry. I took the
precaution also of collecting all the bows and arrows, and other
weapons, of the Indians, and of piling them upon the fire, where they
were quickly consumed. Then I