“I knowed thar’ war sumthin’ up this mornin’, but for the life o’ me I couldn’t find out what it war till it war a’most too late. You see, I war scoutin’ around the Ingin camp this mornin’, when I see’d ’bout fifty o’ the fiends o’ torture leave camp and p’int thar noses this away. I follered ’em to the lake, and thar’ I see’d ’em strip o’ every thing but their loincloths, tie a tomahawk to their waist, and then cover their heads with the skin o’ a duck, with feathers, head and all on. This done, the cunnin’ pukes waded into the water, and submerged themselves to the ears, and I couldn’t have told fur the life o’ me, if I hadn’t knowed it, that thar’ war an Ingin head in every one o’ what seemed a genuine, livin’ duck. I tell you it war devilish cunnin’ o’ the red hounds of Satan. Anxious to know what they war up to, I kept under kiver and watched ’em, and not until they war a’most onto you did I see their intention. I war then too fur away to git here afore them, so I told ole Vibrator here”--patting his heavy rifle--“to speak out the word o’ warnin’. Vibrator spoke. Then I foddered her ag’in, with the avowed purpose o’ jerkin’ a red-skin outen the lake. I took a dead set--Vibrator let fly her venom, and sure enuff, out popped a red-skin with a hole through his duck’s nest. “I knowed the ball war opened now, and I detarmined to have a hand in it; so I set out, and if ever a pile of ole bones flew ’round Wildwood lake, they war Old Tumult’s.” “Indeed, to you, Raynor,” said Lionel Clontarf, “it is owing that we were not all slain; but, where is Father Ainesley?” True enough. Reverend Israel Ainesley was missing from the crowd, and no one knew what had become of him, unless he had taken to the forest. The wounded were now cared for, and litters constructed upon which the dead and wounded were conveyed to the post. It was sunset ere the women and children had been gathered in from the forest, and even then, two of them could not be found. The two were Madge Taft and Clara Bryant. As no one had seen them after the beginning of the attack, nor could give any information of them, all concluded that they must have been captured and carried off, or were lost in the dark mazes of the forest. Night was coming on apace. A gray mist was rising along the river and over the forest, threatening a dark night. Besides, the air was hot and sultry, and there were many indications of an early autumnal storm. Town. Farnesworth shuddered at the thought of Madge and Clara being gone, and no doubt exposed to many dangers, if they were not already suffering the tortures of captivity. Every energy of the young man was aroused, and he became sorely impatient to be off in search of the missing maidens. But he could do little alone, and the attention of the rest of the settlers was required at the post, to attend to the dead and wounded, and secure the place against a night attack.