“And you, ye miserable white dogs!” continued Girty, turning to Younker and Reynolds, on whom he bestowed numerous kicks, as if by way of enforcing the truth his assertion; “were you suffering all the torments of hell, you might consider yourselves in perfect bliss, compared to what you shall yet undergo ere death snatches you from me!”

“What new troubles ha’ ye got, Simon Girty?” asked Younker, composedly.  “But you needn’t answer; I can see what’s writ on your face; thar’s bin a rescue—­you’ve lost your prisoners—­for which the Lord be praised!  I can die content now, with all your tortures.”

“Can you, by ——!” cried the renegade, in a paroxysm of rage; “we shall see!”

As he concluded, he bestowed upon Younker a kick in the face, so violent that a stream of blood followed it.  The old man uttered a slight groan, but made no other answer; and Girty turned away to communicate to the others the intelligence of what had transpired since their parting; for although they believed it to be of the utmost consequence, and tragical in all its bearings, yet so far there had not been a question asked nor an event related concerning it on either side—­such being the force of habit in all matters of grave importance, and the deference to his superiors shown by the Indian on all similar occasions.

As soon as Girty had made known the sad disaster that had befallen his party, there was one universal yell of rage, accompanied by violent demonstrations of grief and anger—­such as beating their bodies, stamping fiercely on the ground, and brandishing their tomahawks over their heads with terrific gestures.  They then proceeded to dance around Younker and Reynolds, uttering horrid yells, accompanied with kicks and blows; after which, a consultation was held between Girty and Wild-cat, wherein it was agreed to take them to Piqua, a Shawanoe settlement on the Miami, and there have them put to the tortures.  Accordingly, without further delay, they unbound their prisoners, with the exception of their hands, and forced them to set forward at a fast pace—­treating them, meanwhile, in the most brutal manner.  Oshasqua, however, took good care there should be no violence done to Rosetta; for he kept her closely by his side; and occasionally, when he saw her little limbs growing weary, raised and bore her forward, for a considerable distance, in his arms.

It was a strange, but by no means unpleasing sight, to behold that dark, bloodstained warrior—­whose very nature was cruel and ferocious, and who probably had never before loved or sought to protect aught bearing the human form—­now exhibiting such tender regard for a weak, trembling prisoner, placed in his hands for a speedy sacrifice.  It was withal an affecting sight, to Younker and Reynolds, who looked upon it with moistened eyes, and felt it in the force of a revelation from Heaven, that He, who sees the sparrow fall, was even now moving through the wilderness, and teaching one lesson of mercy at least to the most obdurate heart of the savage race.