"I am Nulela, the sister of Red Pine," she answered.
He looked at her a moment, as if trying to recollect some half-forgotten event, and bowing his head upon his hands, the strong man wept.
"Can it be that I have found my lost one?" he murmured. "My God! If it should be true, what a joyful ending there would be to all these years of sorrow and heart-ache! But no, it can not be! She was stolen by the fierce Apaches, and this one—ha! where is she?"
During his soliloquy the Indian girl had swung off and was now standing beside her friends on the other side of the chasm, and the voice of Kelly was heard shouting:
"Here comes the rope, Bear-Paw, catch it!"
A moment later and the old man stood beside them.
"Wull," he said, "yer kem acrost all right, didn't yer? An' now we'll go an' see ther anermiles."
Proceeding a few yards further into the cave, he turned abruptly to the left, and entered a large circular room. Here the party were greeted with a chorus of howls, yells, and snarlings, which continued until the old man said:
"Hush! yer 'tarnal critters! Don't yer see I've brought yer some company?"
Immediately the growling ceased, and the old man led the way around the room.