"Neowage, Neowage!" she cried.
The big Indian grinned down at her and held her hand.
"How come here?" he asked gently.
Nina burst into tears. "I was captured by the Sioux," she cried. "They made an assault on the house—they got me—and Joe—Joe came after me to rescue me—and he was killed, Neowage, he was killed! Red Snake shot him."
Neowage threw up his hands. "Ai-ee, ai-ee! Keel? Sho keel? Ai-ee, that too bad. Tell."
Between her heartbroken sobs Nina told of the assault upon the sod house, of her capture, and of Joe's attempted rescue and what followed. When she had finished she clung to Neowage's hand sobbing bitterly.
"Take me home, Neowage," she begged, "oh, take me home! They've been good and kind to me here, but oh, I want to go back to Mother Peniman, and Ruth and Sara and Lige and Sam and little Da-da! I want to go back to them and try to comfort them, for if it were not for me dear Joe would not now be gone."
The big Indian stroked the golden hair with his great brown hands and patted and comforted her.
"Me take you home, Nee-ah-nah," he said, "me take you home."
The next morning Nina bade farewell to the squaws and papooses, the boys and girls that had been so kind to her, and mounted upon Kit's back, rode away by the side of Neowage in the direction of the homestead on the Blue River.