“But in so doing haven’t you shorn him of his power?”
“No. There is no virtue in the talisman, except in the Prophet’s hands. He is cunning. He will tell a miraculous story of its loss—and straightway procure another. I have robbed him of nothing but the bauble itself. But you are tarrying too long—you must go at once. Crane Bill, my aged attendant, may return at any time. She hates all palefaces; she would raise an alarm. Hark!”
Both listened intently, holding their breaths in their excitement. Fierce yells came to their ears—yells of fiendish rage and disappointment. Both knew what the uproar meant; Douglas’s enemies had discovered his escape.
Grasping her companion’s arm with both her trembling hands, La Violette cried breathlessly:
“Go—go at once! They are searching for you. Soon they will be here. The cabin will be surrounded and your escape cut off. For my sake—go!”
Slipping his arm around her supple waist, he panted in reply:
“Come with me! This is no place for you. You are not safe here—they’ll wreak their revenge upon you——”
“No—no!” she answered brokenly. “It is impossible. You could not escape with me. I am safe here—they will not dare to harm me. Bid me good-by—and go—go!”
“Come with me, La Violette!” he insisted—tenderest pity, intensest love in his voice. “Together we will return to the blessings of civilization. I’ll be your protector—your brother——”