MARTIN RATTLER. 249

to their village among the mountains. Here he
remained a close prisoner for three weeks, shut up
in a small hut, and bound by a strong rope to a post.
Food was taken to him by an old Indian woman, who
paid no attention at first to what he said to her, for
the good reason that she did not understand a word
of English. The persuasive eloquence of her pris-
oner’s tones, however, or perhaps his brogue, seemed
in the course of a few days to have made an impres-
sion on her; for she condescended to smile at the
unintelligible compliments which Barney lavished upon
her in the hope of securing her good-will.

During all this time the Irishman’s heart was torn
with conflicting feelings; and although, from the
mere force of habit, he could jest with the old woman
when she paid her daily visits, there was no feeling
of fun in his bosom, but, on the contrary, a deep and
overwhelming sorrow, which showed itself very evi-
dently on his expressive face. He groaned aloud
when he thought of Martin, whom he never expected
again to see; and he dreaded every hour the ap-
proach of his savage captors, who, he fully expected,
retained him in order to put him to death.

One day, while he was sitting In a very discon-
solate mood, the Indian woman entered with his

usual dinner—a plate of thick soup and a coarse