ition you stay in your camp
and don't go to meet her, but send your two Indians alone for her with
your offer, he let me go. Here I am! Now, Rufus, where are your men? Off
with them bearing more gifts than the Queen of Sheba carried to
Solomon!"

* * * * *

From the hour that La Robe Noire and Little Fellow, laden with gaudy
trinkets and hunting outfits, departed for the Sioux lodges, Hamilton
was positively a madman. In the first place, he had been determined to
disguise himself as an Indian and go instead of La Robe Noire, whose
figure he resembled. To this, we would not listen. Le Grand Diable was
not the man to be tricked and there was no sense in ransoming Miriam for
a captive husband. Then, he persisted in riding part of the way with our
messengers, which necessitated my doing likewise. I had to snatch his
horse's bridle, wheel both our horses round and head homeward at a
gallop, before he would listen to reason and come back.

Round the lodges he was a ramping tiger. Twenty times a day he went from
our hut to the height of land commanding the north country, keeping me
on the run at his heels; and all night he beat around the cramped shack
as if it had been a cage. On the fourth day from the messengers'
departure, chains could not bind him. If all went well, they should be
with us at night. In defiance of Le Grand Diable's conditions, which an
arrow from an unseen marksman might enforce, Eric saddled his mare and
rode out to meet the men.

Of course Father Holland and I peltered after him; but it was only
because gathering darkness prevented travel that we prevailed on him to
dismount and await the Indians' coming at the edge of the village.

At last came the clank, clank of shod hoofs in the valley. The natives
used only unshod animals, so we recognized our men. Hamilton darted away
like a hare racing for cover.

"The Lord have mercy upon us!" groaned Father Holland. "Listen, lad!
There's only one horse!"

I threw myself to the earth and laying my ear to the turf strained for
every sound. The thud, thud of a single horse, fore and hind feet
striking the beaten trail in quick gallop, came distinctly up from the
valley.

"It may not be our men," said I, with sickening forebodings tugging at
throat and heart.

"I mistrusted them! I mistrusted the villains!" repeated the priest. "If
only you had enough Mandanes to ride down on them, but you're too weak.
There are at least tw