ark when the quick ears of the Strawberry were attracted by a
noise like that of a person breathing heavily. She at last pointed with
her finger to a bush; they advanced cautiously, and on the other side of
it they found an Indian woman lying on the ground, bleeding profusely.
They raised her up, and discovered that it was the Indian whom they had
cured of the sprained ankle, and who, they presumed, had been then
discovered breaking the twigs that they might follow the trail, for, on
examination, they found that she had received a heavy blow on the head
with a tomahawk; but, fortunately, it had glanced sideways, and not
entered into the brain. She was not sensible, however, at the time that
they discovered her, for she had lost a great deal of blood. They
stopped the effusion of blood with bandages torn from their linen, and
poured some water down her throat. It was now dark, and it was not
possible to proceed any further that night. The Strawberry went into
the woods and collected some herbs, with which she dressed the wound,
and, having made the poor Indian as comfortable as they could, they
again lay down to rest, but not until Malachi had said to Alfred--

"There is no doubt, sir, but that the Injuns have discovered this woman
was marking the trail for us, and that they have tomahawked her for so
doing, and have left her for dead. I think myself that the wound,
although it is a very ugly one, is not dangerous, and so says the
Strawberry. However, to-morrow will decide the point; if she is not
sensible then, it will be of no use waiting, but we must go on as fast
as we can."

When they awoke the next morning they found the Strawberry sitting by
the Indian woman, who was now quite sensible and collected, although
very weak and exhausted. Malachi and Martin went to her, and had a long
conversation with her at intervals. Malachi had been right in his
supposition; the Angry Snake had discovered her in the act of bending a
twig, and had struck her down with his tomahawk. They gained from her
the following information. The Angry Snake, irritated at the detention
of the Young Otter, had resolved to have another hostage in lieu of him,
and had carried off Mary Percival. He had six Indians with him, which
were the whole of his grown-up warriors. They were now but one day's
journey ahead of them, as Miss Percival was very sore on her feet, and
they could not get her along, but that in every other respect she had