Such," he added, with deep emotion, "such might have been _my_ fate, had the Injun axe spared me but a single child.

But it is not so; there is none left to look upon me with smiles and rejoicing,--none to welcome me from the field and the forest with the voice of love--no, truly, truly,--there is not one,--not one." And as he spoke, his voice faltered, his lip quivered, and his whole countenance betrayed the workings of a bereaved and mourning spirit.
"Think not of this," said Roland, deeply affected, as his cousin also was, by this unexpected display of feeling in the rude wanderer: "the gratitude of those you have so well served, shall be to you in place of a child's affection.

We will never forget our obligations.

Come with us, Nathan,--come with us." But Nathan, ashamed of the weakness which he could not resist, had turned away to conceal his emotion; and, stalking silently off, with the ever-faithful Peter at his heels, was soon hidden from their eyes.
The Virginian never saw his wild comrade again.

Neither Nathan's habits nor inclinations carried him often into the society of his fellow-men, where reproaches and abuse were sure to meet him.