Notwithstanding the incumbrance of their spoils, the Indians must have been travelling faster than we. They had no fear of foes to retard them; nought to require either spies or caution. They were now in their own country—in the very heart of the Comanche range—and in dread of no enemy. They were moving freely and without fear. We, on the contrary, had to keep our scouts in the advance; every bend of the road had to be reconnoitred by them, every bush examined, every rise of the ground approached with extreme care and watchfulness. These manoeuvres occupied time, and we moved slowly enough.
It was after mid-day when we arrived at the noon-camp of the savages. The smoke, as before, warned us, and approaching under cover, we perceived that they were gone. They had kindled fires and cooked flesh. The bones, clean picked, were easily identified, and the mid-day meal showed that there had been no change in the diet of these hippophagists: dinner and déjeuner had been alike—drawn from the same larder.
Again I searched the ground; but, as before, the eyes of the trapper proved better than mine.
“Hyur’s a other billy-dux, young fellur,” said he, handing me the paper.
Another leaf from the missal!
I seized it eagerly—eagerly I devoured its contents! This time they were more brief:
“Once more I open my veins. The council meets to-night. In a few hours it will be decided whose property I am—whose slave—whose—Santissima Maria! I cannot write the word. I shall attempt to escape. They leave my hands free, but my limbs are tightly bound. I have tried to undo my fastenings, but cannot. O, if I but had a knife! I know where one is kept; I may contrive to seize it, but it must be in the last moment—it will not do to fail. Henri, I am firm and resolute; I do not yield to despair. One way or the other, I shall free myself from the hideous embrace of— They come—the villain watches me—I must—”
The writing ended abruptly. Her jailers had suddenly approached.
The paper had evidently been concealed from them in haste; it had been crumpled up and flung upon the grass—for so was it when found.
We remained for a while upon the spot, to rest and refresh our horses; the poor brutes needed both. There was water at the place; and that might not be met with again.