With this, he stepped to one side of the boat, and called out, "What's your name?" "John Haggart." "How come you to git in such an ugly fix?" "I was out scouting it, and was cotched by the Shawnees, and have just got away from them. For God's sake, come and take me off, for they're after me." [Illustration: "For God's sake come and take me off, for they are after me."] "Jump into the river and swim out to us." "My hurt is too bad; I've got a bullet clean through my thigh, and can just drag the leg after the other. Yonder is the smoke of their wigwams up on the hill and they ain't fur off. My God! don't leave a white man thus! Heaven would curse you if you did." Our friends looked in the direction he indicated, and could faintly discern in the gathering gloom a thin wreath of smoke rising from the trees. The suffering man, as if aware of their thoughts, called out: "That is whar' they are, and their runners are out after me. May God forever curse you, if you leave me here." "What do yer think?" asked the stranger, turning round with an air of perplexity to the others. "I believe that man ain't a decoy, not at all; and ef he isn't, we orter not leave him there to be cooked by the red devils. Still, I shouldn't say nothing, but leave it with you." "It will never do to run the boat ashore," said several of the men, firmly. "Oh, I didn't mean that. In course, it would be all-fired foolish to do that ar' thing. But I've been thinking"--and the man dropped his eyes, as if in great perplexity--"that we orter help that man off. To do sich a thing we ain't compelled by any duty to expose ourselves to any danger. What is your views, friends?" "Why, if the thing can be done without imperiling ourselves, it is our Christian duty to do it; but we are at a loss at present to understand how we could manage it thus." "Oh, easily enough; just run the boat in about half way where the water is so shallow that the fellow can wade out to us. Keep your eyes open, and if there is the least sign of treachery, we can fall into the current again and float off." "A good plan, and I see no reason for not carrying it out." All echoed this sentiment, with the exception of Peterson, who still stood apart, in a sullen, pouting mood, leaning against the side of the boat, with his head dropped upon his breast. "Come, Jim, what do you think of it?" asked one of the emigrants, and the others all turned toward him for a reply. "I think, in the first place, you are all a set of the thunderingest fools I ever heard of, not to see you've got a sneaking decoy right among ye, who's doing his purtiest to git you into shore to please that other trap." "Outrageous! shameful!" exclaimed several, horrified at the blunt, plain-spoken answer they had received. "Go on, and do what you please, but don't ax me nothin' more, for I've got nothing at all to say," added Peterson, who was touched to the quick by what he had heard in reply.