as the Indians rarely
killed women and children, unless roused to do so by some signal act
on the part of their enemies, when an exterminating spirit of revenge
induced them to kill and spare not; but where no offence had been
offered, they were not likely to take the life of an helpless,
unoffending female.

The Indian is not cruel for the wanton love of blood, but to gratify
revenge for some injury done to himself, or to his tribe; but it was
difficult to still the terrible apprehensions that haunted the minds of
Louis and Hector. They spent much time in searching the northern shores
and the distant islands, in the vain hope of finding her, as they still
thought the camp might have been moved to the opposite side of the lake.

Inconsolable for the loss of their beloved companion, Hector and Louis
no longer took interest in what was going on; they hardly troubled
themselves to weed the Indian corn, in which they had taken such great
delight; all now seemed to them flat, stale, and unprofitable; they
wandered listlessly to and fro, silent and sad; the sunshine had
departed from their little dwelling; they ate little, and talked less,
each seeming absorbed in his own painful reveries.

In vain the gentle Indian girl strove to revive their drooping spirits;
they seemed insensible to her attentions, and often left her for hours
alone. They returned one evening about the usual hour of sunset, and
missed their meek, uncomplaining guest from the place she was wont to
occupy. They called, but there was none to reply--she too was gone. They
hurried to the shore just time enough to see the canoe diminishing to a
mere speck upon the waters, in the direction of the mouth of the river;
they called to her in accents of despair, to return, but the wind wafted
back no sound to their ears, and soon the bark was lost to sight, and
they sat them down disconsolately on the shore.

"What is she doing?" said Hector; "this is cruel to abandon us thus."

"She has gone up the river, with the hope of bringing us some tidings
of Catharine," said Louis. "How came you to think that such is her
intention?"

"I heard her say the other day that she would go and bring her back, or
die."

"What! do you think she would risk the vengeance of the old chief whose
life she attempted to take?"

"She is a brave girl; she does not fear pain or death to serve those she
loves."

"Alas!" said Hector, "she will perish miserably and to no avail; they
wo