"Ho! ho!" shouted the Medicine, making the cavern echo with his derisive and joyous laughter. "How do you like this? Where are the spirits now that you boasted you could summon at your pleasure? Why do they not come and save you?"
"'Taunt as you may!" replied the prisoner, choking down the great gasps of pain, "but your day will come, and then, God help you!"
"The Manitou of the pale-face is a dog."
There were other and equally bitter tortures floating through the mind of the Medicine, but he was forced to reserve them until another occasion. His pleasure in the suffering of the helpless prisoner was too great to be glutted at once, and so he gave him both food and drink to refresh and sustain him. Besides he believed he would yet accomplish his purpose of extorting the secrets he desired, and would prolong human suffering to any extent to do so.
Again the prisoner was left alone and in the darkness, suffering, almost dying, and even when worn out and he slumbered, his sufferings could only have been equaled by those of the bottomless pit.
CHAPTER XI.
THE RENEGADE.
With the peculiar cunning that belongs to such dastardly-minded men, George Parsons watched for some sign of the beautiful Olive, but without success. He could neither find a token or a trace. That she was hidden somewhere in the neighborhood he did not doubt any more than that she had been spirited away by some of the Indians who were jealous of him. But, failing to ascertain any thing, he resolved upon blinding the eyes of the Indians for a time; so proclaiming his wish to settle among them and become a chief, he boldly began wooing a young squaw for his bride, little thinking that the one whom he had so brutally intended to destroy was keeping an eye upon his movements and silently nursing her revenge.
Yet such was the case. The Burning Cloud had persistently avoided him, or when forced to be seen by him, had been so effectually muffled and disguised that he did not recognize her. In fact he had almost forgotten the episode of their meeting amid the other excitements, and not having seen her was led to believe that she did not belong to that portion of the tribe, and soon gave the matter no further thought.