ide and holding in his hand a hair rope that
passes through the bit ring that is attached to my animal. All day we
keep up the march. Look in any direction and the eye meets one vast
expanse of living verdure, the vision only interrupted by the horizon.
North, south, east, and west stretches the prairie meadow, green as the
sea, and in many respects not unlike the calm surface of the ocean. As
the wind sweeps across its bosom, the silken blades bend in gentle
undulations, and they are dappled into lighter and darker shades, like
the shadows of summer clouds flitting across the sun. It was a scene of
pure enjoyment, and I only realized, on being awakened from my day
dreams how miserable was my lot.

With slight interruptions, notably when my husband was lost in the
buffalo hunt, and his recapture, we progressed steadily towards the
village. On arriving I was taken at once to the temple, where I found
myself among some eight or ten more female captives, who had but
recently arrived. They were Mexican women, and, not understanding their
language, I felt somewhat constrained. I was attracted to one fragile
looking girl, whose age could not have been more than fifteen. She
appeared utterly heartbroken and cast down by her misfortunes. I
suffered enough, God knows; but my heart yearned towards this little
stranger with tender sympathy; and in comforting her I seemed to lessen
my own burdens. Although the others were kind to her to a degree, yet
she seemed to evince a fondness for my society that was very flattering.
The others addressed her as "Zoe," and in this way I learned her name.
Henceforth we became inseparable; and as she accompanied me in my
captivity, the reader will learn more of the sad history of this heroic
girl, whose impulses, both of head and heart, added to her splendid
courage, were the salient points in a character of surpassing sweetness.

We were not allowed to leave the temple, although we were free to wander
from terrace to terrace. Food and water was supplied us by the Indian
women, who seemed to have us under their sole control.

How can I describe the scenes of the next few days; the games,
festivities, and most horrible of all, the torture; when we were
compelled to stand on the lower terrace, and witness the agonies and
death struggles of fathers, husbands and lovers; not even the poor
consolation of indulging our grief undisturbed was permitted us; the
Indian women who surrounded us seemed lost