to the right, left, and front, and reached from the wood down to the
stream in the valley, where stood a rather neat log cabin, from which a
light blue smoke ascended in graceful wreaths. The eye of the stranger,
glancing over the scene, fell upon this latter with that gleam of
satisfaction which is felt by a person after performing a long fatiguing
journey, when he sees before him a comfortable inn, where he is to
repose for the night; and pausing for a couple of minutes, he replaced
his rifle upon his shoulder, and started forward down the hill, at a
leisure pace.

Scarcely had the stranger advanced twenty paces, when he was startled by
a fierce yell, accompanied by the report of a rifle, the ball of which
whizzed past him, within an inch of his head. Ere he could recover from
his surprise, a sharp pain in the side, followed by another report,
caused him to reel like one intoxicated, and finally sink to the earth.
As the young man fell, two Indians sprung from behind a cluster of
bushes, which skirted the clearing some seventy-five yards to the right,
and, with a whoop of triumph, tomahawk in hand, rushed toward him.
Believing that his life now depended upon his own speedy exertions, the
young hunter, by a great effort, succeeded in raising himself on his
knees; and drawing up his rifle with a hasty aim, he fired; but with no
other success than that of causing one of the savages to jerk his head
suddenly aside without slackening his speed. There was still a chance
left him; and setting his teeth hard, the wounded man drew his pistols
from his belt, and awaited the approach of his enemies; who, when within
thirty paces, discovering the weapons of death, suddenly came to a halt,
and commenced loading their rifles with great rapidity.

The young hunter now perceived, with painful regret, that only an
interposition of Providence could save him, for his life was hanging on