“Will you then, Aniwee, send back for food, and my son shall accompany the Indians to bear the news to the other white Caciques?” exclaimed Sir Francis eagerly.
“I will go myself,” she replied quietly, “and bring back all that I think you will require. When the head works, the body acts quicker.”
With these words Aniwee put spurs to her horse, and followed by her Indians, set forward across the plain on her return journey.
“Freddy, my lad,” said Sir Francis, laying his hand upon his son’s shoulder, “do you return with the Queen, and ask the mother to mount and join me, but tell her to strictly enjoin on Willie and Mary to remain where they are. Tell the two youngsters that I trust to them to superintend everything in our absence, and that I shall move heaven and earth to bring back their cousin to them. Of course you will return with the mother, and meanwhile I and Harry will keep watch here.”
“All right, dear father,” answered Freddy, as he promptly mounted his horse. The next moment he was galloping hard after the retreating figures of Aniwee and her Indians.
Left to themselves, uncle and nephew looked at each other. Poor Harry was in a terrible way. The waiting and suspense were hard upon him, and he would have liked to have set off there and then in the tracks of his sister. However, he could not help seeing that his uncle’s plan was the most prudent and the most likely to succeed in the end.
As for Shag, he was extremely upset at first; but it gradually dawned on the wise beast that important preparations were in progress for the rescue of his mistress, and no doubt he had every confidence in his powers of tracking her. Searching about the outskirts of the forest, a little stream was found, which proved a great boon to all three, thirst having attacked them in a most acute form.
Time passed on slowly. It seemed as though the others would never arrive; but all things come at last if we only wait for them. It was well on in the afternoon, when a cavalcade of horses could be seen threading the distant gorge, which gave outlet from one plain into the other. About an hour later Freddy, Lady Vane, and Aniwee came galloping up.
“Oh, Francis!” was Lady Vane’s first words, “this is terrible. Poor, poor Topsie!”
“It is God’s will, Ruby,” answered her husband; “trust in Him. I have prayed for our poor darling, and I feel sure my prayer will be answered.”