Such were the expressions with which the young soldier endeavoured to reassure his kinswoman’s courage, his own confidence remaining still unmoved; although in secret he felt somewhat surprised at the coincidence between the girl’s recommendations of the by-road and the injunctions of his morning dream.  But while pondering over the wonder, he had arrived at the quagmire alluded to, through which the difficulties of conducting his cousin were sufficiently great to banish other matters for a moment from his mind.  Having crossed it at last in safety, he paused to give such instructions or assistance as might be needed by his two followers; when Edith, who had halted at his side, suddenly laid her hand on his arm, and exclaimed, with a visage of terror,—­“Hark, Roland! do you hear?  What is that?”

“Heard him, massa!” ejaculated Emperor from the middle of the bog, with voice still more quavering than the maiden’s, and lips rapidly changing from Spanish-brown to clayey-yellow; “heard him, massa!  Reckon it’s an Injun! lorra-massy!”

“Peace, fool,” cried Forrester, bending his looks from the alarmed countenance of his kinswoman to the quarter whence had proceeded the sound which had so suddenly struck terror into her bosom.

“Hark, Roland! it rises again!” she exclaimed; and Roland now distinctly heard a sound in the depth of the forest to the right hand, as of the yell of a human being, but at a great distance off.  At the place which they had reached, the canes and undergrowth of other kinds had disappeared, and a wide glade, stretching over hill and hollow, swept away from both sides of the road further than the eye could see.  The trees, standing wider apart than usual, were, if possible, of a more majestic stature; their wide and massive tops were so thickly interlaced, that not a single sunbeam found its way among the gloomy arcades below.  A wilder, more solitary, and more awe-inspiring spot Roland had not before seen; and it was peculiarly fitted to add double effect to sights and sounds of a melancholy or fearful character.  Accordingly, when the cry was repeated, as it soon was, though at the same distance as before, it came echoing among the hollow arches of the woods with a wild and almost unearthly cadence, the utterance, as it-seemed, of mortal agony and despair, that breathed a secret horror through the breasts of all.

“It is the Jibbenainosay!” muttered the shivering Telie:  “these are the woods he used to range in most; and they say he screams after his prey!  It is not too late:—­let us go back!”

“An Injun, massa!” said Emperor, stuttering with fright, and yet proceeding both to handle his arms and to give encouragement to his young mistress, which his age and privileged character, as well as the urgency of the occasion, entitled him to do:  “don’t be afraid, missie Edie; nebber mind;—­ole Emperor will fight and die for missie, old massa John’s daughter!”

“Hist!” said Roland, as another scream rose on the air, louder and more thrilling than before.