e than one good turn, and, it may be, Heaven intends to make use of
her again, though I cannot see how."

"The Iroquois will recognise her as one of their own race. Perhaps one
or more of them belong to her tribe: they will know her as the child of
Omas, and may listen to her pleadings."

"Alas! they will give little heed to them; my heart misgives me, son: I
feel that the end is at hand."

Meanwhile, let us follow Linna, the Delaware, upon her strange mission.

CHAPTER ELEVEN: ALL IN VAIN

I am at some disadvantage in giving an account of the remarkable
interview between the little Delaware girl, Linna, and the three hostile
warriors who had trailed the Ripleys to the stream in the wilderness
across which they had just leaped in the effort to continue their flight
from Wyoming to the Upper Delaware.

There were no witnesses to the interview except the parties named,
but when Linna in after years had become a woman, with her very strong
memory she gave a description of what passed, and it has come down
through the descendants of the pioneers to the present day.

You will permit me to found my narrative upon her testimony, and to be
quite liberal in the interpretation of what took place.

The fears of the fugitives were well founded. The three red men were
near them for a long while before they showed themselves. It was very
much as Mrs. Ripley had said. They were so sure of the prize that they
trifled with them.

Linna reached the spot where the warriors were standing directly after
one of the number had sent a bullet through the bear. Young as she was,
she understood the peril of her friends, and set out to do all she could
for them.

She knew that Omas, her father, was a great warrior. He belonged to
the Delaware tribe, which years before had been soundly beaten by the
Iroquois and reduced almost to slavery; but among the conquered people
were many without superiors in bravery, skill, and prowess. Omas was one
of the most noted examples.

The first thrill of hope came to the young child when she recognised
the one that had killed the bear. He was Red Wolf, a member of her own
tribe, who often had been in her father's wigwam, and was therefore well
known to his child. The others were of the Seneca tribe, one of those
composing the Iroquois, or Six Nations, the most powerful confederation
of Indians that ever existed on the American continent.

The three looked at the little girl in amazement, as she c