the obstruction, and who now appeared in pursuit, the noble animal,
without a moment's reluctance, cleared it handsomely.

Another volley of shot rang in the ears of the youth, as he passed the
impediment, and he felt himself wounded in the side. The wound gave him
little concern at the moment, for, under the excitement of the strife,
he felt not even its smart; and, turning himself upon the saddle, he
drew one of his own weapons from its case, and discharging it, by way of
taunt, in the faces of the outlaws, laughed loud with the exulting
spirit of youth at the successful result of an adventure due entirely to
his own perfect coolness, and to the warm courage which had been his
predominating feature from childhood.

The incident just narrated had dispersed a crowd of gloomy reflections,
so that the darkness which now overspread the scene, coupled as it was
with the cheerlessness of prospect before him, had but little influence
upon his spirits. Still, ignorant of his course, and beginning to be
enfeebled by the loss of blood, he moderated his speed, and left it to
the animal to choose his own course. But he was neither so cool nor so
sanguine, to relax so greatly in his speed as to permit of his being
overtaken by the desperates whom he had so cleverly foiled. He knew the
danger, the utter hopelessness, indeed, of a second encounter with the
same persons. He felt sure that he would be suffered no such long parley
as before. Without restraining his horse, our young traveller simply
regulated his speed by a due estimate of the capacity of the outlaws for
pursuit a-foot; and, without knowing whither he sped, having left the
route wholly to the horse, he was suddenly relieved by finding himself
upon a tolerably broad road, which, in the imperfect twilight, he
concluded to be the same from which, in his mistimed musings he had
suffered his horse to turn aside. He had no means to ascertain the fact,