Their eyes met, and hers, large, soft, and dark as those of a gazelle, lighted up with pleased surprise.
"You are better, señor," she said, in low musical tones, and in the Spanish tongue.
Rupert understood her; he was fond of languages, and had gained a good knowledge of Spanish from Dr. Landreth, who had learned to speak it fluently during his long sojourn in South America.
"Yes," he said faintly in that tongue, "and you have been my kind nurse?"
"It has been happiness to care for the weak and wounded stranger," she said in her liquid tones, "though I little thought he could speak to me in my own language; for you are not my countryman, señor; your face is too fair."
"I am from the United States," he replied. "And you, fair lady?"
"I am a Mexican, a captive among the Indians like yourself," was the mournful reply, tears gathering in the beautiful eyes.
His heart was touched with sympathy, and he was opening his lips to express it; but with playful authority she bade him be quiet and not waste his feeble strength in talk.
Then she brought him food and drink prepared by her own fair hands, and fed him too—for he had scarce strength to feed himself—and directly his hunger was satisfied he fell asleep again.
When again he woke it was night; the stars were shining in the sky, as he could see through the opening in the top of the wigwam left for the escape of smoke, and by their glimmer he could faintly perceive the outlines of dusky forms lying on all sides of him; their quietude and the sound of their breathing telling that they slept.