t interview
with Lilian--my love for her, and the reasons I had for believing it to
be returned--the departure from Tennessee with the Mormon--our pursuit
of the train, and capture by the Indians--in short, everything that had
occurred, up to the hour of my meeting with herself. I added my
suspicions as to the sad destiny for which her sister was designed--
which my own fears hindered me from concealing. After giving way to
those natural emotions, which such a revelation was calculated to
excite, the huntress-maiden suddenly resumed that firmness peculiar to
her character; and at once entered with me into the consideration of
some plan by which Lilian might be saved from a fate--which her own
experience told her could be no other than infamous.

"Yes!" cried she, giving way to a burst of anguish, "too well know I the
design of that perjured villain. O father! lost--dishonoured! O
sister! bartered--betrayed! Alas! poor Lilian!"

"Nay--do not despair!--there is hope yet. But we must not lose time.
We must at once depart hence, and continue the pursuit."

"True--and I shall go with you. You promised to take me to my home!
Take me now where you will--anywhere that I may assist in saving my
sister. Merciful heaven! She, too, in the power of that monster of
wickedness!"

Wingrove, wildly happy--at once forgiving and forgiven--was now called
to our council. The faithful Sure-shot was also admitted to the
knowledge of everything. We might stand in need of his efficient arm.
We found an opportunity of conferring apart from the Indians--for the
_scalp-dance_ now engrossed their whole attention. Withdrawing some
distance from the noisy ceremony, we proceeded to discuss the
possibility of rescuing Lilian Holt from the grasp of that knave into
whose power the innocent girl had so unprotectedly fallen.

CHAPTER EIGHTY NINE.

PLANNING AN ABDUCTION.

Our deliberations occupied but a brief time. I had already considered
the subject in all its bearings; and arrived at the conviction that
there was only one course to be followed, by which Lilian's safety could
be secured--that is, by carrying her off from the Mormon train. In this
opinion her sister fully agreed. She knew it would be idle to expect
that the wolf would willingly yield up his victim; and the painful
thought was pressing upon her that even her own father, hoodwinked by
the hypocrites that surrounded him, might reject the opportunity of
saving his