in their sight, and yet he had no tears. He soon recovered sufficiently to speak again with something like a show of calmness.
"You said you were my friend—that you would bring him to me—that I should kill him here—here, even while mine eyes yet looked upon her. Liar! where is he? Why have you not brought him?"
"I am no liar, Frampton, and you know it. I never promised to bring the dragoons to you; but I am willing to lead you to them."
"Do I want a leader for that?—you shall see:" and he relapsed, after this reply, into the same solemn stupor which had marked his looks at the first coming of the two. Humphries proceeded with temper and coolness—
"It is time, Frampton, to be a man—to bear up against your losses, and think how to have revenge for them."
"I am ready. Speak not to me of revenge—speak not; I am thirsting—thirsting for blood!" was the reply.
"Yet, here you sit moping over your losses, while the red-coats are in the swamp—ay, hunting us out in our own grounds—Huck's dragoons, with Travis at their head."
The man was on his feet in an instant. There was a wild glow now visible in his face, which completely superseded the sombre fixedness of its previous expression. All now was summary impatience.
"Come!" said he, waving his hand impatiently, and convulsively grasping his bosom with his fingers—"come!"
"It is well. I now see you are in the right mood for vengeance, and I have made all arrangements for it. Here is a sword; and this, Frampton, is our commander, Major Singleton. He is now our leader, and will put us on the dragoons' tracks in short order."
The maniac turned stupidly to Singleton, and bending his head with a strange simper on his lips, simply repeated the word "Come!" with which he showed his willingness for the adventure. Humphries whispered Major Singleton to take him at his word, and move him off to the rest of the party, while he gave directions for the interment of the body. Singleton did so, and without any show of reluctance, Frampton followed him. Once did he stop
