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From over the ridge back of them, whence had come the notes of the funeral-drum, an Indian now slouched toward them, drawn by curiosity; stopping to look, then advancing, to stop again. At length he stood close by them, silent, gazing. Then, as if understanding, he spoke to Follett. "Big sick go get big medicine! Then you give chitcup!" He ran swiftly back, disappearing over the ridge.
But no matter these Indians aren't any more account than prairie-dogs." They rode on slowly, the funeral-drum sounding nearer as they went. Then far up the meadow by the roadside they could see the hard, square lines of the cross in the moonlight. Slower still they went, while the drumbeats became louder, until they seemed to fall upon their own ear-drums.
In the light of the fire they stood with hands joined, and the little man, too, got to his feet, helping himself up by the cairn against which he had been leaning. Then, with the unceasing beats of the funeral-drum in their ears, he made them man and wife.
In the silence that followed, the funeral-drum came booming in upon them over the ridge, and once they saw an Indian from the encampment standing on top of the hill to look down at their fire. Then the little man spoke again. "You will go with him," he said to Prudence. "He will take you out of here and back to your mother's people." "She's going to marry me," said Follett.
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