“What in Heaven’s name is the matter?” demanded the soldier.

“All etarnity’s the matter!” replied Doe, with vehement utterance:  “the Jibbenainosay has been in the village, and killed the chief—­ay, d——­n him,—­struck him in his own house, marked him at his own fire! he lies, dead and scalped—­ay, and crossed too—­on the floor of his own wigwam;—­the conjuror gone, snapped up by his devil, and Wenonga stiff and gory!  Don’t you hear ’em yelling?  The Jibbenainosay, I tell you—­he has killed the chief; we found him dead in his cabin; and the Injuns are bawling for revenge—­they are, d——­n ’em, and they’ll murder you, burn you, tear you to pieces;—­they will, there’s no two ways about it:  they’re singing out to murder the white men, and they’ll be on you in no time!”

“And there is no escape!” cried Roland, whose blood curdled, as he listened to the thrilling yells that were increased in number and loudness, as if the enraged barbarians, rushing madly through the village, were gathering arms to destroy the prisoners,—­“there is no escape?”

“Take the gal! jist say the word, and I’ll save you, or die with you, I will, d——­n me!” exclaimed Doe, with fierce energy.  “There’s hosses grazing in the pastures; there’s halters swinging above us:  I’ll mount you and save you.  Say the word, captain, and I’ll cut you loose and save you—­say it, and be quick; your life depends on it—­Hark! the dogs is coming!  Hold out your arms till I cut the tug—­”

“Anything for my life!” cried the Virginian; “but if it can be only bought at the price of marrying the girl, it is lost.”

And the soldier would have resisted the effort Doe was making for his deliverance.

“You’ll be murdered, I tell you!” re-echoed Doe, with increased vehemence, holding the knife ready in his hand:  “they’re coming on us:  I don’t want to see you butchered like an ox.  One word, captain!—­I’ll take your word; you’re an honest fellow, and I’ll believe in you;—­jist one word, captain; I’ll help you; I’ll fight the dogs for you; I’ll give you weapons.  The gal, captain! life and the fortun, captain!—­The gal! the gal!”

“Never, I tell you, never!” cried Roland, who, faithful to the honour and integrity of spirit which conducted the men of that day, the mighty fathers of the republic, through the vicissitudes of revolution to the rewards of liberty, would not stoop to the meanness of falsehood and deception even in that moment of peril and fear;—­“anything but that—­but that, never!”

But, whilst he spoke, Doe, urged on by his own impetuous feelings, had cut the thong from his wrists, and was even proceeding to divide those that bound his ankles, disregarding all his protestations and averments, or perhaps drowning them in his own eager exclamations of “The gal, captain,—­the word, jist one word!” when a dozen or more savages burst into the hut, and sprang upon the Virginian, yelling, cursing, and flourishing their knives and hatchets,