vestigate, but
Heckewelder detained them.

"Wait," he added. "There is no telling what that signal may mean."

They waited with breathless interest. Presently the whistle was
repeated, and an instant later the tall figure of a man stepped from
behind a thicket. He was a white man, but not recognizable at that
distance, even if a friend. The stranger waved his hand as if asking
them to be cautious, and come to him.

They went toward the thicket, and when within a few paces of the man
Mr. Wells exclaimed:

"It's the man who guided my party to the village. It is Wetzel!"

The other missionaries had never seen the hunter though, of course,
they were familiar with his name, and looked at him with great
curiosity. The hunter's buckskin garments were wet, torn, and
covered with burrs. Dark spots, evidently blood stains, showed on
his hunting-shirt.

"Wetzel?" interrogated Heckewelder.

The hunter nodded, and took a step behind the bush. Bending over he
lifted something from the ground. It was a girl. It was Nell! She
was very white--but alive. A faint, glad smile lighted up her
features.

Not a word was spoken. With an expression of tender compassion Mr.
Wells received her into his arms. The four missionaries turned
fearful, questioning eyes upon the hunter, but they could not speak.

"She's well, an' unharmed," said Wetzel, reading their thoughts,
"only worn out. I've carried her these ten miles."

"God bless you, Wetzel!" exclaimed the old missionary. "Nellie,
Nellie, can you speak?"

"Uncle dear--I'm--all right," came the faint answer.

"Kate? What--of her?" whispered George Young with lips as dry as
corn husks.

"I did my best," said the hunter with a simple dignity. Nothing but
the agonized appeal in the young man's eyes could have made Wetzel
speak of his achievement.

"Tell us," broke in Heckewelder, seeing that fear had stricken
George dumb.

"We trailed 'em an' got away with the golden-haired lass. The last I
saw of Joe he was braced up agin a rock fightin' like a wildcat. I
tried to cut Jim loose as I was goin' by. I s'pect the wust fer the
brothers an' the other lass."

"Can we do nothing?" asked Mr. Wells.

"Nothin'!"

"Wetzel, has the capturing of James Downs any significance to you?"
inquired Heckewelder.

"I reckon so."

"What?"

"Pipe an' his white-redskin allies are agin Christianity."

"Do you think we are in danger?"

"I reckon so."

"What do you advise?"

"Pack up a few