"You had better be careful, uncle, and not get in their power, as they
may prove treacherous," cried Jane.

The chief turned with a sorrowful look to her, and said,

"The pale faced maiden has no faith in the words of her darker skinned
brothers. Is it because they have wronged her people more than they
have suffered wrong; or because they dared in their manhood to defend,
to the last moment, the houses of their wives and children, and the
graves of their kindred?"

"No, no; not that, chief," said Jane, earnestly. "Why let such thoughts
forever disturb you? Some cannot be trusted, and these may be of the
number, for that reason I bade uncle be cautious. You, we never
suspected, and you wrong us in being so sensitive on this subject."

"It would be a fearful thing," returned the chief, "to see your race
and kindred blotted from existence, to see their homes and pleasant
places occupied by those who may be the cause of their extinction, and
to know when the last of the race shall have departed, their name will
be held synonymous with treachery and cruelty to futurity! Maiden!
maiden!" added he, with a wild look, distorting his dark features, "may
you never experience the torture of this feeling, nor the agony that
hourly and yearly is mine."

"Think you, chief, the sorrow you feel for the extinction of your
people is greater than that the people felt whom you extinguished in
ages gone by, and whose existence can be traced only by the works of
art they left behind them, which alone have survived, and still defy
ages to come?"

"Listen to me, girl; for I speak from the promptings of the _Great
Spirit_. The day may come when no longer our lands shall be yours, for
another race may arise and avenge my people by the extinction of your
own. You will be spared the torture of seeing it, as I do the struggles
of my people. Nevertheless, the day will come when this shall be." So
saying, with a hasty step and defiant brow, he turned from her, and
joined the group of Indians who were conversing with Howe, Sidney, and
Edward.

These Indians had evidently seen white men, or heard of them before;
but could not speak a word of English, or any dialect the wanderers
understood. They were, however, very communicative, and by signs and
lines drawn on pieces of bark, gave them to understand that two moons'
journey down the mountains was a pass over them, and on the other side
there were plenty of people like themselves. But as it was