After puffing away for half an hour,
which seemed to drag by with the tediousness of a week, he laid his
tomahawk (which contains the pipe) by his side, and after nodding for
some time he again stretched himself upon the rough floor, and soon his
deep snoring fell upon our ears. O! what music was that sound to us. I
again drew the knife from my pocket, and with desperation freed my
hands, and in one minute more Ralph stood like myself a free man. With
the stealthy tread of a cat we reached the door, softly slid back the
bolt, and once more we stood in the open air. The rain had ceased, the
clouds had swept by, and the full moon pale and high in the heavens
threw her light upon the tree tops, bathing them in liquid silver.
Silently but rapidly we bounded through the forest, our fears of pursuit
urging us onward; and by daylight were within twelve miles of the log
cabin whose history I am telling. At that time there dwelt in that
cabin, with his family, a trapper by the name of Daniel Roe. When we
reached there we found Roe at home, to whom we recounted our adventure.
He only laughed at our fears that the Indians might track us thus far,
and we finally listened to his laughing remarks and concluded to rest in
his cabin for several days.
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