But the excited girl had neither consideration
nor fear for herself; she thought only of her father:
and, even while the fierceness of contest was at its
height within, she suddenly burst into the council-room.
The confusion and horror of the scene that met her eyes
no language can render: blood was flowing in every
direction, and dying and dead officers, already stripped
of their scalps, were lying strewed about the room.
Still the survivors fought with all the obstinacy of
despair, and many of the Indians had shared the fate of
their victims. Miss de Haldimar attempted to reach her
father, then vigorously combating with one of the most
desperate of the chiefs; but, before she could dart
through the intervening crowd, a savage seized her by
the hair, and brandished a tomahawk rapidly over her
neck. At that moment Captain Baynton sent his glittering
blade deep into the heart of the Indian, who, relinquishing
his grasp, fell dead at the feet of his intended victim.
The devoted officer then threw his left arm round her
waist, and, parrying with his sword-arm the blows of
those who sought to intercept his flight, dragged his
reluctant burden towards the door.
Pages:
533
534
535
536
537
538
539
540
541
542
543
544
545
546
547
548
549
550
551
552
553
554
555
556
557