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The three Indians pressed their faces against the ground; they dreamed not of harm from us, but Okee was in thethrough the wood Suddenly Diccon raised himself upon his elbow, and looked across at me Our eyes had no sooner e nearest hi the movement, as it were, lifted his head from the earth, of which it was so soon to become a part; but if he saw the knife, he saw it too late The blade, driven doith all the strength of a desperate man, struck home; when it was drawn from its sheath of flesh, there remained to us but a foe apiece

In the instant of its descent I had thrown myself upon the Indian nearest me It was not a time for overniceness If I could have done so, I would have struck hiht no har him, he whirled himself over in time to strike up , and his naked body, ith rain, slipped like a snake from my hold Over and over we rolled on the rain-soakedus, and the wind shrieking like a thousand watching demons He strove to reach the knife within his belt; I, to prevent him, and to strike deep with the knife I yet held

At last I did so Blood gushed over my hand and wrist, the clutch upon lared into mine; then the lids shut forever upon that unquenchable hatred I staggered to iven account of the third Indian

We stood up in the hail and the wind, and looked at the dead , ent our way through the tossing forest, with the hailstones co hand to push us back When we ca, we knelt and washed our hands

The hail ceased, but the rain fell and the wind blew throughout the ainst the stor ues There was no breath to waste in words, and thought was a burden quite intolerable; it was enough to sturay and blank as the rain-blurred distance