Take you the cutlass and Til try their skulls with the butt o' my pistol: it has done good work before now in that way.

If there's no more o' the blackguards in the background we'll bate them aisy." Martin instinctively grasped the cutlass, and there is no doubt that, under the impulse of that remarkable quality, British valour, which utterly despises odds, they would have hurled themselves recklessly upon the savages, when the horrified old trader threw himself on Barney's neck and implored him not to fight; for if he did they would all be killed, and if he only kept quiet the savages would perhaps do them no harm.

At the same moment about fifty additional Indians arrived upon the scene of action.

This, and the old man's earnest entreaties, induced them to hesitate for an instant, and, before they could determine what to do, they were surprised by some of the savages, who rushed upon them from behind and took them prisoners.

Barney struggled long and fiercely, but he was at length overpowered by numbers.