to form any opinion on the subject

"Unless it should prove," continued Erskine, "as I
sincerely trust it may, that poor Valletort is not, after
all, the murderer of his friend. It must be so. De
Haldimar has been slain by the same Indian who killed
Murphy.--Do you recollect his scalp cry? He was in the
act of despoiling his victim of this trophy of success,
when Sir Everard fired. Examine the body well, Mitchell,
and discover where the wound lies."

The old soldier to whom this order was addressed now
prepared, with the assistance of his comrades, to turn
the body upon its back, when suddenly the air was rent
with terrific yells, that seemed to be uttered in their
very ears, and in the next instant more than a hundred
dark and hideous savages sprang simultaneously to their
feet within the bomb-proof, while every tree along the
skirt of the forest gave back the towering form of a
warrior. Each of these, in addition to his rifle, was
armed with all those destructive implements of warfare
which render the Indians of America so formidable and so
terrible an enemy.

"Stand to your arms, men," shouted Captain Erskine,
recovering from his first and unavoidable, though but
momentary, surprise. "First and fourth sections, on your
right and left backwards wheel:--Quick, men, within the
square, for your lives." As he spoke, he and Lieutenant
Johnstone sprang hastily back, and in time to obtain