Danger in the Dark - ZseZse

296 DANGER IN THE DARK.
becoming fully appeased over his warm coffee and
smoking venison, laughed heartily as the rest, at mention
of his immortal leap into the frog-pond.
Each successive day brought with it some novelty,
and such romantic scenes and incidents as kept lipan
unabating and lively interest in the minds of C:>Ur
excursionists, until they had crossed the Mississippi,
and penetrated into a wilderness region of Missouri,
where, unfortunately, falling into the hands of a clan
of marauding Ipdians, they were made prisoners.
This sad and fearful stroke, seemed at once and forever,
to cut off all their delightful anticipations, and to
leave them without a single ray of hope. The savages
who surprised and captured them, were more than
double their number-and came upon them unlooked
for, and at a moment when ,they were least prepared
to offer resistance. The party would not, however,
have tamely surrendered, notwithstanding the disadvantages
under which they were placed, had it not
been for false pretensions of friendship, made by a
treacherous white man, who accompanied the red
men, and was their chosen leader and chief. Disclaiming
everything like hostile intentions, upon their
first approach, the marauders quieted the apprehensions
of Alonzo and his companions, until they were
fully within their power, and it was utterly out of
the question to make a defense.
The prisoners, notwithstanding the apparent hopelessnE&
of their condition, manifested groat coura