k; "your mother's life is
precious, and Softswan's. If you can quit safely, follow up."

Leaping into the saddle, he was next instant on the track of the Indian
chief, who had already disappeared.

Hurrying back to the hut, Big Tim proceeded to make hasty preparation
for the defence of the place, so that he might be able to join his
father. He found the prairie chief standing with closed eyes beside the
couch of the preacher, who with folded hands and feeble voice was
praying to God for help.

"Is Whitewing indifferent to the misfortunes of his friends," he said
somewhat sharply, "that he stands idly by while the Blackfoot robbers
carry off our little ones?"

"My son, be not hasty," returned the chief. "Prayer is quite as needful
as action. Besides, I know all the land round here--the direction which
this youth tells me the enemy have taken, and a short cut over the
hills, which will enable you and me to cross the path your father must
take, and join him, so that we have plenty of time to make arrangements
and talk before we go on the war-path."

The cool, calm way in which the chief spoke, and especially the decided
manner in which he referred to a short cut and going on the war-path,
tended to quiet Big Tim.

"But what am I to do?" he said, with a look of perplexity. "There are
men enough here, no doubt, to hold the place agin a legion o' Blackfeet,
but they have no dependable leader."

"Here is a leader on whom you can depend; I know him well," said
Whitewing, pointing to the warrior who had brought the news from the
camp. "He is a stranger to you, but has been long in my band, and was
left by me in the camp to help to guard it in our absence. With him
there, I should have thought the stealing of two girls impossible, but
he has explained that mystery by telling me that Moonlight crept out of
the camp like a serpent, unknown to all, for they found her trail. With
Wolf in command and the preacher to give counsel and pray, the women
have no cause for fear."

Somewhat reassured, though he still felt uneasy at the thought of
leaving Softswan behind him, Big Tim went about his preparations for the
defence of the fortress and the rescue of his sister. Such preparations
never take much time in the backwoods. In half an hour Wolf and his
braves were ready for any amount of odds, and Big Tim was following the
prairie chief through the intricacies of the mountains.

These two made such good use of their ti