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But the wild thirst for blood wasdown into mine, and echoed in the shrill cries hich they enuity to practise upon at leisure Even as I observed this, realizing froe of Indian nature that our ultimate fate would be infinitely worse than merciful death in battle, I could not remain blind to the wide difference between these naked warriors and those other savages ho border life had made me familiar My awakened memory dwelt upon the peculiar tribal characteristics of the Mingoes north of the Ohio, the Kaskaskias in the Illinois country, the Shawnees, the Cherokees, even the Creeks, in whose villages I had dwelt as a friend, and beside whose young men I had hunted as a brother Yet here was surely a distinct race, one less clearly marked with those features peculiarly Indian,--the cheek-bones not prohter, the heads better shapen, and the figures e had little of the guttural so universal a sound; so, although the faces peering into h to leave no doubt as to their barbarous nature, or our probable fate, yet these peculiarities, with the total absence of paint, such as disfigures and renders grotesquely hideous other Indians upon the war-path, were sufficient to staes as members of a distinct race

"Natchez?" I ventured to inquire of the burly brute who stood over ely "Français, Français"

I shookthat these tords e, and so was obliged to be content with silently conte on the hill

Fortunately, it was not long ere doorass The old chief who had led the assault gave his order, and, in ied forth, the bonds about our lower liuards, despatched up the canyon, the entire party pro with them their wounded and dead De Noyan and I, thus released from our cramped, painful position on the rocks, were jerked rudely upon our feet, and, in obedience to threatening gestures, driven rapidly forward like dumb beasts; but Madaained consciousness, were swung aloft in hammocks of coarsely woven cloth, and thus borne upon the shoulders of four stout carriers In this e advanced northward, notfro weakened by loss of blood Yet there was no hope of escape, no evidence of uard proorous application of spear-points, so we soon learned the necessity of keeping fully abreast of our assigned position in the column