ter; she draws her arms to her sides; covers her face with her hands; fearful of exposing any sheltered part to the cold, she sits motionless; exhausted nature sinks into a sleep.

Poor miserable girl! the horrors from a share of which she was preserved in the morning, present themselves to her imagination. She sees the solitary cottage surrounded by Danes; the barbarians are not content with taking what may be of use to themselves, but, foes of civilisation, they throw down the hut itself; it falls, overwhelming the flowers of the little garden. Meanwhile

Meanwhile, her defenceless mother is dragged away: "My child! my child!" she cries, "what will become of my child! where has she wandered? God save her from these murderers!" The throng and noise redoubles to the fancy of Ella. A furious Dane, lifting his massy axe, aims a blow at Bertha ;-the dog, she thinks, rushes upon him ;--she cries out: "Man, spare my mother!"

She is awake; the dog has left her lap; a riotous banditti are advancing; they perceive Ella, dimly, by twilight; and to de

stroy

stroy every thing is their occupation.

A ruffian attempts to seize Ella; the dog tears him to the ground; his companions come to his assistance, and Ella is in their hands. Undaunted by numbers, fearless of weapons, the dog still flies on him that detains Ella; but unavailing are his gallant efforts

Egbert returns, and with him are two peasants; the Danes are attacked; they fly; Ella is released.

CHAP. XIII.

CONTINUATION OF

THE COTTAGE OF BERTHA.

IT is at some distance from the cave that the lovely, little, scarcely-living Ella is rescued from the spoilers.

It was long before Egbert could descry a single creature on his way. At length, he found two men armed in their defence: these had returned with

him

him to carry Ella into shelter; providentially, they came save her. They cannot give any account of her mother; they bid her hope that she is yet alive, and will soon be found. They bear her to a cottage.

They are not followed by the dog; but they do not perceive his absence. He, wounded in his lungs, lies panting before the mouth of the cave, unable to rise.

Joy overcomes the agony that he suffers, when he sees the unfortunate Ella delivered from the Danes; he rejoices, too, in the sight of his master; he does not