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Come now, don't keep yer old comrade in the dark. Haven't ye got a notion o' some young woman in partikler?" "Yes," replied the Indian gravely. "Jist so; I thowt as much," returned the trapper, with a tone and look of satisfaction. "What may her name be?" "Lightheart." "Ay? Lightheart. A good name specially if she takes after it, as I've no doubt she do. An' what tribe does "
Here they bound their captive securely to a tree, and gave him a drink of water with a knife pointed at his heart to keep him quiet, after which they re-gagged him. Then Whitewing led Lightheart through the thicket towards his horse, and took her up behind him. Little Tim took charge of Brighteyes.
Now, there were two girls among the captives, one of whom was a bosom friend of Lightheart; the other was a younger sister. To these Brighteyes went, and straightway ordered them to prepare for flight. They were of course quite ready to obey. All the preparation needed was to discard the blankets which Indian women are accustomed to wear as convenient cloaks by day.
I will return to then, and let Lightheart, when she comes, be careful to avoid the sentinel there " She stopped short, for at the moment a step was heard near them. It was that of a savage warrior, whose sharp eye had observed Lightheart quit the camp, and who had begun to wonder why she did not return.
To this Brighteyes replied that arrangements had been made to rescue the whole party, and that she and two others were merely to be, as it were, the firstfruits of the enterprise. Still Lightheart objected; but when her companion added that the plan had been arranged by her affianced husband, she acquiesced at once with Indian-like humility.
From this point she went on to explain in as few words as possible that three fleet horses were ready close at hand to carry off three of those who had been taken captive, and that she, Lightheart, must be one of the three. "But I cannot, will not, escape," said Lightheart, "while the others and, the white preacher go into slavery."
The missionary had just finished singing a hymn, and was about to begin to read a portion of God's Word when one of the women left the group, and wandered accidentally close to the spot where Brighteyes lay. It was Lightheart. "Sister," whispered Brighteyes. The girl stopped abruptly, and bent forward to listen, with intense anxiety depicted on every feature of her pretty brown face.
In the second place, no third person had been mentioned by her brother, whose chief anxiety had been for his bride and the white man, and it did not seem to Brighteyes creditable to quit the camp after all her risk and trouble without some trophy of her prowess. In this dilemma she put to herself the question, "Whom would Lightheart wish me to rescue?"
While this fight was thus silently going on, hidden from view of the camp by the hillock, Whitewing crept forward to meet Brighteyes and the two girls, and these, with Lightheart, were eagerly awaiting the trapper. "My brother is strong," said Whitewing, allowing the faintest possible smile to play for a moment on his usually grave face.
"Sister," repeated Brighteyes, "sink in the grass and wait." Lightheart was too well trained in Indian ways to speak or hesitate. At once, but slowly, she sank down and disappeared. Another moment, and Brighteyes was at her side. "Sister," she said, "Manitou has sent help. Listen. We must be wise and quick."
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