MARTIN RATTLER. 191

hesitate for an instant, and before they could deter-
mine 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. The
pistol, which missed fire, was wrenched from his grasp,
and his hands were speedily bound behind his back.
Martin was likewise disarmed and secured; not, how-
ever, before he made a desperate slash at one of the
savages, which narrowly missed his skull, and cut
away his lip ornament.

As for the old trader, he made no resistance at all,
but submitted quietly to his fate. The savages did
not seem to think it worth their while to bind him.
Grampus bounced and barked round the party say-
agely, but did not attack; and Marmoset slept in the
canoe in blissful ignorance of the whole transaction.

The hands of the two prisoners being firmly bound,
they were allowed to do as they pleased; so they sat
down on a rock in gloomy silence, and watched the
naked savages as they rifled the canoe and danced
joyfully round the treasures which their active knives
and fingers soon exposed to view. The old trader
took things philosophically. Knowing that it was
absolutely impossible to escape, he sat quietly down

on a stone, rested his chin on his hands, heaved one