and he war hungry for a shot; and so says he to me, for I war right afore
him, 'Git out of my way, you damned big rascal, till I git a crack at
'em!' And so I got out of his way, for I war mad at being called a damned
big rascal, especially as I war doing my best, and covering him from
mischief besides. Well! as soon as I jumped out of his way, bang went his
piece, and bang went another, let fly by an Injun;--down went the Major,
shot right through the hips, slam-bang. And so said I, 'Major,'--for I
warn't well over my passion,--'if you'd 'a' taken things easy, I'd 'a' a
stopped that slug for you.' And so says he, 'Bang away you big fool, and
don't stand talking.' And so he swounded away; and that made me vicious,
too, and I killed two of the red niggurs, before you could say Jack
Robinson, just by way of satisfaction for the Major; and then I helped to
carry him off to the tumbrels. I never see'd my old Major from that day
to this; and it war only a month ago that I h'ard of his death. I honour
his memory; and so, K'-yaptin, you see, thar's a sort of claim to old
friendship between us."

To this characteristic speech, which was delivered with great
earnestness, Captain Forrester made a suitable response; and intimating
his willingness to accept the proffered hospitality of his uncle's
companion in arms, he rode forward with his host and kinswoman towards
the Station, of which, when once fairly relieved of the forest, he had a
clear view.

It seemed unusually populous, as indeed it was; but Roland, as he
rode by, remarked, on the skirts of the village, a dozen or more
shooting-targets set up on the green, and perceived it was a gala-day
which had drawn the young men from a distance to the fort. This, in fact,
he was speedily told by a youth, whom the worthy Bruce introduced to him
as his eldest son and namesake, "big Tom Bruce,--the third of that name;