To these words of unjust reproach, wrung from the young soldier by the bitterness of his feelings, Nathan at first made no reply.  Preserving silence for awhile, he said, at last: 

“Well, friend, I counsel thee to be of good heart, and to do what thee can, making thee enemies, since thee cannot increase thee friends, as few in numbers as possible;—­to do which, friend,” he added, suddenly, “if thee will shoot that evil creature that lies like a log on the earth, creeping towards the ruin, I will have no objection!”

With these words, which were uttered in a low voice, Nathan, pulling the young man behind a screen of fallen timbers near to which they stood, endeavoured to point him out the enemy whom his eye had that moment detected crawling towards the hovel, with the subtle motion of a serpent.  But the vision of Roland, not yet accustomed to trace objects in the darkness of a wood, failed to discover the approaching foe.

“Truly,” said Nathan, somewhat impatiently, “if thee will not consider it as an evil thing of me, and a blood-guiltiness, I will hold thee gun for thee, and thee shall pull the trigger!” which piece of service the man of peace, having doubtless satisfied his conscience of its lawfulness, was actually about to render the soldier, when the good intention was set at naught by the savage suddenly leaping to his feet, followed by a dozen others, all springing, as it seemed, out of the earth, and rushing with wild yells against the ruin.  The suddenness and fury of the attack struck dismay to the bosom of the soldier, who, discharging his rifle, and snatching up his pistols, already in imagination beheld the bloody fingers of a barbarian grasped among the bright locks of his Edith; when Nathan, crying, “Blood upon my hands, but not upon my head!—­give it to them, murdering dogs!” let fly his own piece upon the throng; the effect of which, together with the discharge of Roland’s pistols immediately after, was such as to stagger the assailants, of whom but a single one preserved resolution enough to advance upon the defenders, whooping to his companions in vain to follow.  “Thee will remember I fight to save the lives of thee helpless women!” muttered Nathan, in Roland’s ear; and then as if the first act of warfare had released him for ever from all peaceful obligations, awakened a courage and appetite for blood superior even to the soldier’s, and, in other words, set him entirely beside himself, he rushed against the advancing Shawnee, dealing him a blow with the butt of his heavy stocked rifle that crushed through skull and brain as through a gourd, killing the man on the spot.  Then leaping like a buck to avoid the shot of the others, he rushed back to the ruin, and grasping the hand of the admiring soldier, and wringing it with all his might, he cried, “Thee sees what thee has brought me to!  Friend, thee has seen me shed a man’s blood!—­But, nevertheless, friend, the villains shall not kill thee poor women, nor harm a hair of their heads.”