“Yes, Ned, you are right,” said the scout. “We are losing time here. We’ve got now to find the other trail, and do our best to get the gal out of the clutches of Rushing Water. I ’spects we’ve got a ticklish job to do it, ’specially if he gets her to the village afore we come up with ’em. But we’ll do it, or the folks on the river sha’n’t see our faces ag’in.”
“I hope we may,” said Sam Wilson. “But I know that we’ve got no easy task before us. If she was only with us now, there is nothing in the world that I would not give.”
“Or I,” said Ned.
“But wishing won’t bring her here,” said the scout. “It will take strong blows like them I’ve give to-night to fetch her, and I wouldn’t wonder if as many more red-skins had to go under as you can see stretched out there. Rushing Water has set his mind upon the gal, and he’ll keep her if he can. But he’ll find trouble in doing it or I miss my guess. But there’s danger to the gal, too, that she don’t know of. That red gal, who has a claim on him, will do all she can to get her out of the way.”
Mrs. Wilson shuddered, and uttered a cry of grief and alarm, at these words of the scout. In the hurry and excitement of the last twenty-four hours she had forgotten this danger of which the scout had spoken, when he had first warned them of their danger. To save her from this they must rescue her before she should enter the lodge of the chief.
“What do you propose to do now?” asked Sam Wilson, anxiously.
“Start off at once, and hit the other trail as soon as we can. But I’m mighty ’fraid that we shall miss it, with only the moonlight to show it to us. If we do, nothing can be done till daylight, and by that time they will have got to the village.”
“Then let us start at once. Every moment we linger here makes the odds greater against us.”
“I’m ready,” replied the scout. “I wish, marm, that you were safe at the settlement, but you ain’t and so will have to go with us. But we will do our best to take care of ye. If the woods wa’n’t full of savages you and the peddler might try and get thar, but I’m afraid for ye to try it.”
“So am I,” said the Yankee. “But I’m losing money every step I follow ye round. This ’ere scrape will be the ruination of me as sure as preaching.”