She fought with hands and teeth, and kicked with her feet, hoping that his great age would render him too weak to resist her young muscular strength. She knew she must overpower him or he would kill her, mistaking her for the maiden descended from Spotted Bear.
She had thus far won the hand-to-hand fight, so that he was down upon his knees and she was over him with her hands at his throat, when suddenly he collapsed, and his eyes rolled upwards at her. In her horror she managed to yell for help, and then she heard—
“Julie! Julie! Have mercy! Stop tearing Betty to bits!”
Through a vague distance Julie recognized the voice of Joan. Oh, if they were only there to help! But she kept a grip on the old Chief’s neck while she waited to answer the call.
Then she heard very plainly, “For the love of Pete, Julie, wake up, won’t you!” And some one shook her madly.
Julie sat up and rubbed her eyes dazedly, while the scouts about her laughed wildly, and Betty scolded angrily.
“Oh, Julie, what an awful nightmare you must have had,” laughed Mrs. Vernon.
“Is Tally back?” asked Julie.
“He’s cooking breakfast,—smell it,” said Anne, smacking her lips.
“I can smell coffee,” mumbled Julie, still unconvinced that she had been dreaming. “It smells exactly like that old man’s.”