As he uttered these repining words, stooping to dip the canteen with which he was provided, in the water, a little canoe, darting forward with a velocity that seemed produced by the combined strength of the current and the rower, shot suddenly among the rocks and bushes at the entrance of the ravine, wedging itself fast among them, and a human figure leaped from it to the shore.  The soldier started back aghast, as if from a dweller of another world; but recovering his courage in an instant, and not doubting that he beheld in the unexpected visitor a Shawnee and foe, who had thus found means of assailing his party on the rear, he rushed upon the stranger with drawn sword, for he had laid his rifle aside, and taking him at a disadvantage, while stooping to drag the boat further ashore, he smote him such a blow over the head, as brought him instantly to the ground, a dead man to all appearance, since, while his body fell upon the earth, his head,—­or at least a goodly portion of it, sliced away by the blow,—­went skimming into the water.

“Die, dog!” said Roland, as he struck the blow; and not content with that, he clapped his foot on the victim’s breast, to give him the coup-de-grace when, wonder of wonders, the supposed Shawnee and dead man opened his lips, and cried aloud, in good choice Salt-River English,—­“’Tarnal death to you, white man! what are you after?”

It was the voice, the never-to-be-forgotten voice, of the captain of horse-thieves; and as Roland’s sword dropped from his hand in the surprise, up rose Roaring Ralph himself, his eyes rolling, as Roland saw by a second flash of lightning, with thrice their usual obliquity, his left hand scratching among the locks of hair exposed by the blow of the sabre, which had carried off a huge slice of his hat, without doing other mischief, while his right brandished a rifle, which he handled as if about to repay the favour with interest.  But the same flash that revealed his visage to the astonished soldier, disclosed also Roland’s features to him, and he fairly yelled with joy at the sight. “’Tarnal death to me!” he roared, first leaping into the air and cracking’ his heels together, then snatching at Roland’s hand, which he clutched and twisted with the gripe of a bear, and then cracking his heels together again, “’tarnal death to me, sodger, but I know’d it war you war in a squabblification!  I heard the cracking and the squeaking; “‘Tarnal death to me!’ says I, ‘thar’s Injuns!’ And then I thought, and says I, ’"Tarnal death to me, who are they after?’ and then, ’tarnal death to me, it came over me like a strick of lightning, and says I, ’Tarnal death to me, but its anngelliferous madam that helped me out of the halter!’ Strannger!” he roared, executing another demivolte, “h’yar am I, come to do anngelliferous madam’s fighting ag’in all critturs human and inhuman, Christian and Injun, white, red, black, and party-coloured.  Show me anngelliferous madam, and then show me the