Sartain death would follow, and that without sarving any one.We must return to the block.""Father! my poor, dear, murdered father!" said the girl wildly, though habitual caution, even at that trying moment, induced her to speak low."Pathfinder, if you love me, let me go to my dear father.""This will not do, Mabel.It is singular that no one speaks; no one returns the fire from the boats; and I have left Killdeer in the block! But of what use would a rifle be when no one is to be seen?"At that moment the quick eye of Pathfinder, which, whiel he held Mabel firmly in his grasp, had never ceased to roam over the dim scene, caught an indistinct view of five or six dark crouching forms, endeavoring to steal past him, doubtless with the intention of intercepting the re-treat to the blockhouse.Catching up Mabel, and putting her under an arm, as if she were an infant, the sinewy frame of the woodsman was exerted to the utmost, and he succeeded in entering the building.The tramp of his pursuers seemed immediately at his heels.Dropping his burden, he turned, closed the door, and had fastened one bar, as a rush against the solid mass threatened to force it from the hinges.To secure the other bars was the work of an instant.
Mabel now ascended to the first floor, while Pathfinder remained as a sentinel below.Our heroine was in that state in which the body exerts itself, apparently without the control of the mind.She relighted the candle me-chanically, as her companion had desired, and returned with it below, where he was waiting her reappearance.No sooner was Pathfinder in possession of the light than he examined the place carefully, to make certain no one was concealed in the fortress, ascending to each floor in suc-cession, after assuring himself that he left no enemy in his rear.The result was the conviction that the blockhouse now contained no one but Mabel and himself, June having escaped.When perfectly convinced on this material point, Pathfinder rejoined our heroine in the principal apart-ment, setting down the light and examining the priming of Killdeer before he seated himself.
"Our worst fears are realized!" said Mabel, to whom the hurry and excitement of the last five minutes appeared to contain the emotions of a life."My beloved father and all his party are slain or captured!""We don't know that -- morning will tell us all.I do not think the affair so settled as that, or we should hear the vagabond Mingos yelling out their triumph around the blockhouse.Of one thing we may be sartain; if the inimy has really got the better, he will not be long in call-ing upon us to surrender.The squaw will let him into the secret of our situation; and, as they well know the place cannot be fired by daylight, so long as Killdeer con-tinues to desarve his reputation, you may depend on it that they will not be backward in making their attempt while darkness helps them.""Surely I hear a groan!"
