A LEGEND OF THE SAVANNAH.
311
a party of English, in hot pursuit, were, in fact, driving them into a trap, at the point of their weapons. Throughout this irregular and hurried retreat, Zulmiera had never dropped her dirk, or her gory burden ; neither had she lost sight of Cuanaboa ; while the chief, seeing her dash the weapon from his uncovered breast, when one stroke of the Englishman's hand would have caused his death, thought she had forgiven his horrid barbarity, and was well pleased to see her nigh him. As they emerged from the deeper glades of the wood, a volume of smoke rose above the trees ; and upon gaining the open ground, the whole extent of their danger was revealed to the Caribs. There lay their canoes, a burning mass ; while the foreground was occupied by another band of Englishmen, ready prepared for battle. Hemmed in on all sides, the Caribs fought with the fury of uncaged beasts, and sold their lives dearly. Many of the English were stretched upon the ground, a flattened mass, from the blows of their heavy clubs ; while others, wounded by their poisoned arrows, only lived to endure further torments. Still Cuanaboa remained unhurt ; and standing upon a gentle knoll, brandished his club, and dealt destruction upon the foremost of his enemies. His friends were rapidly falling around him ; and as he turned to seek for refuge, Zulmiera approached him unperceived, and with one blow, drove the dirk into his very heart. Without a groan, the Carib chief sank dead upon the earth ; and Zulmiera, kneeling by him, plucked the weapon from the wound, and applying her lips, drank tke warm blood as it gurgled forth ! Unbinding the head of the unfortunate Raphe de Merefield from her waist, where she had carried it throughout the fray, she gazed ardently at it ; tenderly parted the still bright hair, imprinted a last kiss upon the cold lips, and then taking up in her hand some of the vital stream, which was still flowing from the wound of Cuanaboa, and forming a pool around him, she bathed the head with it, exclaiming as she did so, " Raphe, thou art avenged !