to
spread evil of her neighbour, can carry tidings with her tongue, so fast
as these people will spread their meaning, by signs and warnings, that
they alone understand. 'Tis their l'arning, and what is better, it is
got in the open air, and not within the walls of a school. I tell you,
captain, that what he says is true."

"For that matter," said Paul, "I'm ready to swear to it. It is
reasonable, and therefore it must be true."

"And well you might, lad; well you might. He furthermore declares, that
my old eyes for once were true to me, and that the river lies, hereaway,
at about the distance of half a league. You see the fire has done most
of its work in that quarter, and our path is clouded in smoke. He also
agrees that it is needful to wash our trail in water. Yes, we must put
that river atween us and the Sioux eyes, and then, by the favour of the
Lord, not forgetting our own industry, we may gain the village of the
Loups."

"Words will not forward us a foot," said Middleton; "let us move."

The old man assented, and the party once more prepared to renew its
route. The Pawnee threw the skin of the buffaloe over his shoulder
and led the advance, casting many a stolen glance behind him as he
proceeded, in order to fix his gaze on the extraordinary and, to him,
unaccountable loveliness of the unconscious Inez.

An hour sufficed to bring the fugitives to the bank of the stream, which
was one of the hundred rivers that serve to conduct, through the mighty
arteries of the Missouri and Mississippi, the waters of that vast and
still uninhabited region to the Ocean. The river was not deep, but its
current was troubled and rapid. The flames had scorched the earth to its
very margin, and as the warm streams of the fluid mingled, in the cooler
air of the morning, with the smoke of the raging conflagration, most
of its surface was wrapped in a mantle of moving vapour. The trapper
pointed out the circumstance with pleasure, saying, as he assisted Inez
to dismount on the margin of the watercourse--

"The knaves have outwitted themselves! I am far from certain that I
should not have fired the prairie, to have got the benefit of this very
smoke to hide our movements, had not the heartless imps saved us the
trouble. I've known such things done in my day, and done with success.
Come, lady, put your tender foot upon the ground--for a fearful time has
it been to one of your breeding and skeary qualities. Ah's me! what
have I not