"Was captured again last night by Red Cedar, and torn from the refuge where I placed her."
"Oh!" Valentine exclaimed, with concentrated fury, as he stamped his foot, "Always that demon—that accursed Red Cedar. My curses on him! But take courage, father; let us first save Don Miguel, and then I swear to you that I will restore his daughter to him."
Unicorn advanced.
"Master of prayer," he said to Father Seraphin, in a soft and impressive voice, "your heart is good. The Comanches love you. Unicorn will help you. Pray to your God. He will protect us in our researches, since He is, as you say, so powerful."
Then the chief turned to Don Pablo, and laid his hand firmly on his shoulder.
"Women weep," he said; "men avenge themselves. Has not my brother his rifle?"
On feeling the Comanche's hand laid on him—on hearing these words—the young man quivered as if he had received an electric shock. He drew himself up, and fixed on the chief his eyes burning with the fever of sorrow.
"Yes," he said, in a broken voice, "you are right, chief, and," passing his hand over his eyes, with a gesture of rage, "let us leave tears to women, who have no other weapons to protect their weakness. I am a man, and will avenge myself."
"Good. My brother speaks well: he is a warrior; Unicorn esteems him; he will become great on the war path."
Don Pablo, crushed for a moment, had regained all his energy; he was no longer the same man; he looked around him.