NEW CHARACTERS.


When young Reynolds again regained his senses, it was some minutes
before he could sufficiently recover from the confusion of ideas
consequent upon his mishap, to follow up the train of events that had
occurred to place him in his present situation. His first recollection
was of the attack made upon him by the Indians; and it required
considerable argument with himself, to prove conclusively, to his own
mind, that he was not even now a captive to the savage foe. Gradually,
one by one, each event recurred to his mind, until he had traced himself
to the moment of his swooning in the arms of a tall, ungainly young man,
called Isaac; but of what, had taken place since--where he now was--or
what length of time had intervened--he had not the remotest idea. He was
lying on his back, upon a rude, though by no means uncomfortable, bed;
and, to the best of his judgment, within the four walls of some
cabin--though to him but two of the walls were visible--owing to the
quantity of skins of the buffalo, bear, and deer, which were suspended
around the foot and front of his pallet. He was undressed; and, as he
judged, upon applying his hand to the wounded part, had been treated
with care; for it came in contact with a nicely arranged bandage of
cloth, which was even now moist with some spirituous liquid. But what
perplexed him most, was the peculiar light, with the aid of which,
though dim, he could discern every object so distinctly. It could not
proceed from a candle--it was too generally diffused; nor from the
fire--it was too gray, and did not flicker; nor from the moon--it was
not silvery enough: from what then did it proceed? It appeared the most
like daylight; but this it could not be, he reasoned, from the fact that
he was wounded just before night-fall--unless--and the idea seemed to
startle him--unless he had lain in a senseless state for many hours, and