they sat looking at each other in surprise.

"Come, let's clear it up," cried Joe Blunt, shaking

the reins of his steed, and galloping forward. A few

strides brought them to the other side of the knoll,

where, scattered upon the torn and bloody turf, they

discovered the scalped and mangled remains of about

twenty or thirty human beings. Their skulls had been

cleft by the tomahawk and their breasts pierced by the

scalping-knife, and from the position in which many of

them lay it was evident that they had been slain while