No—no, said the voice, and here the conversation dropped, and they pursued their way for above an hour, at a brisk trot, and were already in sight of a path which led to the Providence Plantations, their city of refuge—
High—high—me hear um people, cried the same voice. You no safe much.
And so do I, cried Burroughs. I hear the tread of people afar off—no, no, ’tis a troop of horse—who are you—come out and speak to us—what are we to do?—the moon is out now.
High, poo-ka-kee, high!
Yes—come here if thee will, and say what we are to do.
Before the words were well out of her mouth, a young savage appeared in the path, a few feet from the head of her horse, and after explaining to her that she was pursued by a troop, and that he and six more of the tribe were waiting to know whether she wanted their help, he threw aside his blanket and showed her, that although he was in the garb of a swift-runner, he did not lack for weapons of war.
No, no, not for the world poor youth! cried the woman of peace, when her eye caught the glitter of the knife, the tomahawk and the short gun—I pray thee to leave us ... do leave us—do, do!—speak to him George ... he does not appear to understand what I say—entreat him to leave us.
High—high! said the young warrior, and off he bounded for the sea-shore, leaving them to pursue their opposite path in quietness. Rachel and Elizabeth were upon a creature that knew, or appeared to know every step of the way; but the young high-spirited horse the preacher rode, had become quite unmanageable, now that the moon was up, the sky clear, and the shadows darting hither and thither about her path. At last they had come to the high road—their peril was over—and they were just beginning to speak above their breath, when Burroughs heard a shot fired afar off—
Hush—hush—don’t move; don’t speak for your lives, cried he, as the animal reared and started away from the path ... soh, soh—I shall subdue him in a moment—hark—that is the tread of a horse—another—and another, by my life—woa!—woa!—
My heart misgives me, George—that youth—