Now that he was sure the ear of the girl was strained to catch the slightest sound, he waited but a moment, and then whispered,
“This way, quick!”
She turned her head, glanced fearfully around her, and then rising to her feet, ran rapidly and lightly toward the young hunter. She had gone but a dozen steps or so, when an exclamation of Cherouka showed that he had discovered the attempt, and he darted after her. He evidently believed it a despairing attempt upon her part, done without the connivance of any one, and he intended to bring her back with the least trouble to herself and without any outcry or demonstration, so far as he was able to prevent it.
The other Apaches witnessed the whole thing, but very probably they concluded if Cherouka intended to make a wife of the “pale face,” it was about time he commenced the “breaking in” process, and they therefore continued their attention to the roasting antelope.
Fred Wainwright stood in a crouching position until Florence Brandon reached him, when he whispered hurriedly,
“Don’t stop; we’ll take care of you; run on, and I will attend to this gentleman.”
Cherouka came straight ahead until he had reached a point only a few steps behind the girl, and his arm was outstretched to seize her, when a dark body suddenly arose to his feet, and the next moment to use an elegant expression, “the first thing he knew he didn’t know anything,” for he was felled senseless by the crashing blow of Fred Wainwright dealt straight in his face.
Thus far, thus well. The hunter now whirled on his heel, and started after the flying girl. She was too startled to comprehend that it was a friend instead of an enemy who was pursuing her, and she fled all the faster. Not until they had run quite a distance, and he had called to her several times in as loud a tone as he deemed prudent, did she pause and wait for him to come up.
“Oh! is that you, Mr. Wainwright?” she asked trembling like an affrighted bird, hardly daring to trust her senses, and ready to dart away again.
“Yes; there is no need of this hurry, Miss Brandon; they don’t suspect you have had help and we can take matters more leisurely.”