effect upon him as upon the
indurated frame of his father. The step of neither lagged, and their
respiration was hardly quickened. The dark eyes of Niniotan appeared
larger, as if expanded with terror, and looked as if they were fixed
upon some point, many leagues away in the horizon. The habitual gloomy
expression rested upon the face of Oonomoo, and it needed no skillful
physiognomist to read the signs of an unusual emotion upon his swarthy
countenance. It was seen in the dark scowl, the glittering eye, and
the compressed lip, although he spoke not a word until they had
penetrated far into the forest.

In something less than an hour, the swamp, in the interior of which was
the Huron's lodge, was reached; but instead of taking the usual route
to it, Niniotan diverged to the left, until they reached a portion of
the creek that was less swampy in its character. Running along its
bank a few moments, the boy came upon a canoe, which he shoved into the
water, and, springing into it, took his seat in front. Oonomoo was
scarce a second behind him. The son pointed down-stream, and, dipping
deep the paddle, the Huron sent the frail vessel forward at a velocity
that was truly wonderful. A half-mile at this rate, and a tributary of
the creek--a brook, merely--was reached, up which the canoe shot with
such speed, that a few minutes later it ran almost its entire length
where the water was no more than an inch in depth. Springing ashore,
Niniotan darted off, closely followed by his father, until they reached
a portion of the wood so dense that they paused.

"Here was left Fluellina," said the boy, looking around at Oonomoo.
The latter uttered his usual signal, a tremulous, thrilling whistle,
similar to that by which he had made himself known to his child before,
but he received no response. Three times it was repeated with a
considerable rest, when, like the faint echo far in the distance, came
back the response. The Huron was about to plunge into the thicket,
when a sound caught his ear, and the next moment his wife was before
him. Neither spoke a word, until they had stood a few seconds in a
fervent embrace, when Fluellina stepped back, and looking up in her
husband's face, said: "The Shawnees have found our home and are now
following me."

The husband became the warrior on the instant. His woodcraft told him
that if his foes were searching for him and his, they would be in such
force that he could not hope to com