I cast back to my memory of the tales of Indian war, and could not believe but that the white man, if warned and armed, would roll back the Cherokees.

'Twas not them I feared, but that other force now screened behind the mountains, who had for their leader some white madman with a fire in his head and Bible words on his lips.

Were we of Virginia destined to fight with such fanatics as had distracted Scotland--fanatics naming the name of God, but leading in our case the armies of hell?
It was about eleven in the forenoon, I think, that Shalah dropped his easy swing and grew circumspect.

The sun was very hot, and the noon silence lay dead on the woodlands.

Scarcely a leaf stirred, and the only sounds were the twittering grasshoppers and the drone of flies.
But Shalah found food for thought.