locust. His head swam, his sight dimmed, but still sat stolid
Snake-Who-Leaps in the entrance of his tepee, "instructing" the
only pupil fate had left him.

CHAPTER VIII.

AN ISLAND RETREAT.

Under the incentive of love and excitement--heightened by a tinge of
jealousy--all Wahneenah's former skill in horsemanship returned to
her. When the Snake-Who-Leaps lifted the Sun Maid to the back of the
Snowbird the woman felt an unreasoning anger against him. She could
not patiently endure to have any other hand than her own touch the
small body of her adopted child, upon whom had now centred all the
pent-up affection of her starved heart.

"If my darling must be taught, I will teach her myself!" she suddenly
resolved, and promptly acted upon the resolution. Previously, and when
she ordered the chestnut to be brought to her tepee, she had merely
intended to ride in company with the others and in a limited circle
about the village. Now a mad impulse seized her to be off over the
prairie, farther than sight could reach, and on half-forgotten trails
once familiar to her. It was the first time she had mounted any animal
since her widowhood.

When she heard Gaspar's daring declaration, she thrilled with delight.
All the savage in her nature roused to enjoy this wild escapade, and,
catching firm hold of the Sun Maid's bridle rein, she nodded over her
shoulder to the lad, and led the way northward.

"It's like that strange fairy story, in the book given Peter Wilson,
that came from way over in England, and was the only one in the world,
I guess. Was the only one at our Fort, anyway," thought Gaspar, as he
followed in equal speed, and at imminent risk of his life. For a
night's rest had restored the black gelding to all his spirit, and had
the boy attempted to guide or control him there would have been
serious trouble.

As it was, Gaspar confined his efforts to just sticking on, and had
all he could do at that; but after a short distance, the three horses
broke into an even lope, keeping well together, and all under the
command of the Indian woman.

"Oh, I love it!" she cried, the rich blood flaming under her dusky
skin, her eyes sparkling, and her long black hair streaming on the
wind which their own motion created.

"Kitty loves it--too--Kitty guesses!" echoed the child, entering into
the other's mood with quick sympathy. Indeed, she was the safer of the
three. There is a hidden understanding between horses and c