But Roland did not admire long at the unlooked-for resurrection of his old ally of the ruin.

In his arms, sustained with an air of infinite pride and exultation, was an apparition that blinded the Virginian's eyes to every other object;--it was Edith Forrester; who, extending her own arms, as the soldier sprang to meet her, leaped to his embrace with such wild cries of delight, such abandonment of spirit to love and happiness, as stirred up many a womanish emotion in the breast of the surrounding Kentuckians.
"There!" cried Dodge, "there, capting! Seed the everlasting Injun feller carrying her off on the hoss; knowed the crittur at first sight; took atter, and brought the feller to: seed it was the young lady, and was jist as glad to find her as to find my hoss,--if I wa'n't, it a'n't no matter." "Thar, dad!" cried Tom Bruce, grasping his father's arm, and pointing, but with unsteady finger and glistening eye, at the two cousins,--"that, that's a sight worth dying for!" with which words he fell suddenly to the earth.
"Dying, you brute!" cried the father in surprise and concern: "you ar'n't had a hit, Tom ?" "Not an iota," replied the youth, faintly, "except them etarnal slugs I fetched from old Salt; but, I reckon, they've done for me: I felt 'em a dropping, a dropping inside, all night.

And so, father, if you'll jist say I've done as much as my duty, I'll not make no fuss about going." "Going, you brute!" iterated the father, clasping the hand of his son, while the others, startled by the young man's sudden fall, gathered around, to offer help, or to gaze with alarm on his fast changing countenance; "why, Tom, my boy, you don't mean to make a die of it ?" "If--if you think I've done my duty to the strannger and the young lady," said the young man; and added, feebly pressing the father's hand,--"and to _you_, dad, to you, and mother, and the rest of 'em." "You have, Tom," said the colonel, with somewhat a husky voice--"to the travelling strannger, to mother, father, and all--" "And to Kentucky ?" murmured the dying youth, "To Kentucky," replied the father.
"Well, then, it's no great matter--You'll jist put Dick in my place: he's the true grit; thar'll be no mistake in Dick, for all he's only a young blubbering boy; and then it'll be jist all right, as before.

And it's my notion, father--" "Well, Tom, what is it ?" demanded Bruce, as the young man paused as if from mingled exhaustion and hesitation.
"I don't mean no offence, father," said he,--"but it's my notion, if you'll never let a poor traveller go into the woods without some dependable body to take care of him--" "You're right, Tom; and I an't mad at you for saying so; and I won't." "And don't let the boys abuse Nathan,--for, I reckon he'll fight, if you let him take it in his own way.

And,--and, father, don't mind Captain Ralph's stealing a hoss or two out of our pound!" "He may steal the lot of 'em, the villain!" said Bruce, shaking his head to dislodge the tears that were starting in his eyes; "and he shall be none the wuss of it." "Well, father,--" the young man spoke with greater animation, and with apparently reviving strength,--"and you think we have pretty considerably licked the Injuns h'yar, jist now ?" "We have, Tom,--thar's no doubting it.