besides scalping them and marking them with his mark. The Injuns call him
_Jibbenainosay_, or a word of that natur', which them that know more
about the Injun gabble than I do, say, means the _Spirit-that-walks_; and
if we can believe any such lying devils as Injuns (which I am loath to
do, for the truth ar'nt in 'em), he is neither man nor beast, but a great
ghost or devil that knife cannot harm nor bullet touch; and they have
always had an idea that our fort h'yar in partickelar, and the country
round about, war under his friendly protection--many thanks to him,
whether he be a devil or not; for that whar the reason the savages so
soon left off a worrying of us."

"Is it possible," said Roland, "that any one can believe such an absurd
story?"

"Why not?" said Bruce, stoutly. "Thar's the Injuns themselves, Shawnees,
Hurons, Delawares, and all,--but partickelarly the Shawnees, for he beats
all creation a-killing of Shawnees,--that believe in him, and hold him in
such eternal dread, that thar's scarce a brute of 'em has come within ten
miles of the station h'yar this three y'ar; because as how, he haunts
about our woods h'yar in partickelar, and kills 'em wheresomever he
catches 'em,--especially the Shawnees, as I said afore, against which the
creatur' has a most butchering spite; and there's them among the other
tribes that call him _Shawneewannaween_, or the Howl of the Shawnees,
because of his keeping them ever a-howling. And thar's his marks,
captain,--what do you make of _that_? When you find an Injun lying
scalped and tomahawked, it stands to reason thar war something to kill
him?"

"Ay, truly," said Forrester; "but I think you have human beings enough to
give the credit to, without referring it to a supernatural one."