nt the lad thought of trying to break away, run home, and tell
his father of Nelly's fate; but a second thought convinced him that this
course was utterly impracticable. As for Nelly, she was too far from
her brother in the procession to hold converse with him; and, as she
knew not what to do, say, think, she was reduced to the miserable
consolation of bedewing with her tears the shoulders of the young
warrior who carried her.

The storm which had commenced the day before still continued, so that,
in the course of a few hours, traces of the track of the war-party were
almost obliterated, and the chance of their being followed by Robin and
his friends was rendered less and less likely as time ran on.

All that day they travelled without halt, and when they stopped at night
to encamp, Roy was nearly dead from exhaustion. "My poor Nell," said
he, drawing his sobbing sister close to him, as they sat near the camp
fire, after having eaten the small quantity of dried venison that was
thrown to them by their captors, "don't despair; father will be sure to
hunt us down, if it's in the power of man to do it."

"I don't despair," sobbed Nelly; "but oh! what will darling mother do
when she finds that we're lost, and I'm so afraid they'll kill us."

"No fear o' that, Nell; it's not worth their while. Remember, too, what
mother often told us--that--that--what is it she used to read so often
out of the Bible? I forget."

"I think it was, `Call upon Me in the time of trouble, and I will
deliver thee.' I've been thinkin' of that, Roy, already."

"That's right, Nell; now, come, cheer up! Have you had enough to eat?"

"Yes," said Nelly, with a loud yawn, which she did not attempt to check.

Roy echoed it, as a matter of course, (who ever did see anyone yawn
without following suit?) and then the two lay down together, spread over
themselves an old blanket which one of the Indians had given them, and
fell asleep at once.

Day succeeded day, night followed night, and weeks came and went, yet
the Indians continued their journey through the snow-clad wilderness.
Roy's snow-shoes had been picked up and repaired by one of the savages,
and Nelly was made to walk a good deal on her own snowshoes; but it is
justice to the Indians to say that they slackened their pace a little
for the sake of the children, and when Nelly showed symptoms of being
fatigued, the stout young warrior who originally carried her took her on
his shoulders.