The countenance of Girty, as he said this, was terrible to behold; for so enraged was he, that he fairly foamed at the mouth, and his eyes seemed like two balls of fire.  As he concluded, he turned away abruptly; and muttering something in the Indian tongue, to some of the savages who were standing around, immediately quitted the council-house.

As Girty departed, the four young warriors who were to have charge of Algernon, immediately advanced to him; and one of them tapping him on the shoulder, moved away, motioning him to follow.  As he prepared to obey, Younker grasped him by the hand, and, with eyes full of tears, in a trembling, pathetic voice, said: 

“Good-bye, lad!  God bless and be with you.  Something tells me we won’t never meet agin.  Keep up as stout a heart as you can, and ef you should escape, tell my (here the old man’s voice faltered so that he could scarcely articulate a syllable)—­tell my wife, and—­and children—­that I died happy, a thinking o’ them, and praying for ’em—­to—­to the last.  Good-bye! good-bye!” and wringing his hand again, the old man fairly sobbed aloud; while the rough warriors stood looking on in silence, and Algernon could only groan forth a farewell.

So they parted—­never to meet again on earth.

Algernon was now conducted, by his guards, to a small building on the outskirts of the village; where, after receiving food and water, and having his clothes restored to him, he was informed by one of the Indians—­who could speak a smattering of English—­that he might be bound and remain, or accompany them to see the Big Knife tortured.  He chose the former without hesitation; and was immediately secured in a manner similar to what he had been the night previously, and then left alone to the anguish of his own thoughts.  What the feelings of our hero were, as thus he lay, suffering from his bruises and wound—­his mind recurring to the dire events taking place in another part of the village, and his own awful doom—­we shall leave to the imagination of the reader:  suffice it to say, however, that when his guards returned, some two hours later, he was found in a swooning state, with large cold drops of perspiration standing thickly on his features.

Meantime, Younker was brought forth from the council-house—­amid the hootings, revilings, and personal abuse of the savage mob—­and then painted black,[17] preparatory to undergoing the awful death-sentence.  He was then offered food—­probably with the kind intention of strengthening him, and thus prolonging his life and tortures—­but this he absolutely refused, and was immediately conducted to the place of execution, which was on the brow of the slope before described as reaching to the river.  Here his wrists were immediately bound behind him; and then a rope, fastened to the ligature, was secured to a stake—­driven into the earth for the purpose and left sufficiently long for him sit down, stand up, or walk around a circle of some six or eight feet in diameter.