ow she did cling to me! I am ready to
wade through fire and water for her. We will save her to-night if we
live!"

He found it difficult to restrain his impatience as the time crept
slowly away and Old Rocks failed to appear. Some of the Indians rolled
themselves in their blankets and prepared to sleep. Others sat and
smoked in grim silence.

Frank had spotted Half Hand, and he felt that it would be some
satisfaction to send a bullet after the villainous half-blood.

"He is at the bottom of this business," thought the boy. "He would not
hesitate at murder."

Nearly an hour passed after Old Rocks crept away before the guide
appeared. At last, to the astonishment of Frank and the utter
consternation of the Indians, the man seemed to rise up in the very
midst of the camp, as if he had suddenly sprouted from the ground.

CHAPTER XXXIII.

THE RESCUE.

A yell of astonishment broke from the throats of the Indians who were
awake, and it brought the sleepers out of their blankets in a moment.

With the utmost coolness, Old Rocks stepped toward the fire, sat down on
a log near the sleeping child, and took out his black pipe.

"Any o' you fellers got any good smokin' terbacker?" he asked, coolly.
"I ain't got northin' left but chawin', an thet's derned pore stuff ter
burn."

"Ugh!" grunted the Blackfeet, staring at him in unutterable amazement.

"Hey?" questioned the guide. "Whut did yer say?"

"Where white man come from?" demanded Half Hand, harshly.

"Over yon," was the answer, and Rocks made a sweep of his hand that took
in half the horizon.

"What white man want here?"

"Terbacker."

The Indians looked at each other, and then looked at the cool visitor,
their amazement not a whit abated.

"Ugh!" they grunted in chorus.

"Wa-al, I'll allow thet you fellers know whut thet means all right,"
drawled Old Rocks, whimsically; "but dog my cats ef I do! Do I git ther
terbacker? ur do I hev ter pull my liver out tryin' ter make chawin'
terbacker burn?"

"Ain't got no 'backer," declared Half Hand, sullenly.

"Thet may be so," admitted the guide, "an' may be 't'sn't. Howsomever,
I don't s'pose I've got any license ter search ye."

He then appealed to the other Indians, but they all affirmed that they
did not have a morsel of tobacco in their possession.

"Blamed ef I ever saw sech a pore crowd," grunted Old Rocks. "Wa-al, I'm
goin' ter smoke."

He pretended to search round in his pockets, and, after