Beatrice left him for a moment and went up the sand hill to reconnoitre. Peeping over the top of it, she saw that the Indians were all north of them, except a few, and that the trail was clear.
"I can't," she lied, when she came back. "There's hundreds of them in the south."
The cry of a wounded horse came from the field, and Queen started in terror. Beatrice quieted her, then knelt down beside Ronald. A look of ineffable happiness came into his eyes and his lips moved, but she put a warning hand upon his face. "Hush—you mustn't talk—lie still!"
"It seems like heaven," he breathed, "to have you—near me—and to have you—kind!"
The hot tears came to her eyes. "Don't!" she pleaded. "Dear boy, can't you forgive me?"
"Sweet, there is naught to forgive. I would live it all—to have you near me—to have you kind."
"Oh," she sobbed, "you break my heart!"
His hand closed limply over hers. "You must not stay—go—go—to Fort Wayne!"
"I shall never leave you," said Beatrice, simply.