hes; but at last the cruel savages broke
into this retreat and hunted them down, destroying all except a few
fugitives, who escaped singly like your mother, and fled away to hide in
some distant solitude."

The anxious expression on her face deepened as she listened to one of
anguish and despair; and then, almost before I concluded, she suddenly
lifted her hands to her head, uttering a low, sobbing cry, and would
have fallen on the rock had I not caught her quickly in my arms. Once
more in my arms--against my breast, her proper place! But now all that
bright life seemed gone out of her; her head fell on my shoulder, and
there was no motion in her except at intervals a slight shudder in her
frame accompanied by a low, gasping sob. In a little while the sobs
ceased, the eyes were closed, the face still and deathly white, and with
a terrible anxiety in my heart I carried her down to the cave.

CHAPTER XVII

As I re-entered the cave with my burden Nuflo sat up and stared at me
with a frightened look in his eyes. Throwing my cloak down, I placed the
girl on it and briefly related what had happened.

He drew near to examine her; then placed his hand on her heart.
"Dead!--she is dead!" he exclaimed.

My own anxiety changed to an irrational anger at his words. "Old fool!
She has only fainted," I returned. "Get me some water, quick."

But the water failed to restore her, and my anxiety deepened as I gazed
on that white, still face. Oh, why had I told her that sad tragedy I had
imagined with so little preparation? Alas! I had succeeded too well in
my purpose, killing her vain hope and her at the same moment.

The old man, still bending over her, spoke again. "No, I will not
believe that she is dead yet; but, sir, if not dead, then she is dying."

I could have struck him down for his words. "She will die in my arms,
then," I exclaimed, thrusting him roughly aside, and lifting her up with
the cloak beneath her.

And while I held her thus, her head resting on my arm, and gazed with
unutterable anguish into her strangely white face, insanely praying to
Heaven to restore her to me, Nuflo fell on his knees before her, and
with bowed head, and hands clasped in supplication, began to speak.

"Rima! Grandchild!" he prayed, his quivering voice betraying his
agitation. "Do not die just yet: you must not die--not wholly die--until
you have heard what I have to say to you. I do not ask you to answer
in words--you are past that,