dian's form lying there.

"Do you truly wish it?" she questioned at last, as though warring with
herself. "Think you she would greatly care?"

'T is a strangely perverse thing, the human mind. As there dimly
dawned upon me a conception of her meaning,--a knowledge that this
seemingly heart-free girl cared enough for me to exhibit such jealousy
of another,--I would not undeceive her by a word of explanation.

"I certainly do wish it," was my grave answer, "nor does it greatly
matter what the desire of any other may be. This is not an invitation
to a ball, Mademoiselle. I beg you answer me; will you go?"

She looked toward me, wondering at my words.

"Yes," she said simply. "Has the time come?"

"I have no certain means of knowing; but it cannot be far from the
hour, and we shall be much safer without."

I took the Indian's knife with me, wiping the long blade upon the pile
of skins, and placing it convenient to my hand within the bosom of my
hunting-shirt. It was dark enough back of the lodge away from the
glare of the fires, and we rested there well within the shadow, for
some time, while I scanned the surroundings and planned as best I might
our future movements.

"Was it from dread of venturing once more upon the water that you held
back so long?" I asked her, seeking rudely to delve into the secret of
her reserve.

"Have you ever found me of cowardly heart, Monsieur?" she questioned in
return, parrying with quick skill, "that you should think any bodily
terror could hold me back? If I had reasons other than those already
given, they were worthy ones."

"You are not afraid of the perils before us?"

"No," she answered; "my heart beats fast, but 't is not from fear."

Only a few scattered lodges had been raised to the eastward of where we
were, nor did these show any signs of life. We crept forward with
painful slowness, partially hiding our movements by following a
shallow, curving gully, until we had gained the extreme limits of the
encampment, where we crawled out into the gloom of the surrounding
prairie. Not until then did either of us venture to stand erect, or
advance with any degree of freedom.

Directly ahead of us there was nothing by which I could safely guide
our course. The flat sameness of the plain offered no landmarks, while
the night sky was so thickly overcast as to leave no stars visible.
Nor was there light of any kind, save that of the fires in the camp we
had just left.