“You’ll have need to fear him no more.”
“Ah! it was a good fight! I watched. The Long Hair is indeed a great chief.”
Cody shuddered and glanced away. He did not like to think of the daughter of Oak Heart’s white wife viewing with satisfaction such a terrible battle as that which had just cursed this spot.
“The Long Hair is cold. Let him come to the fire yonder and dry his body and rest.”
“I don’t care if I do. I feel like I was frozen clear to my marrow. You’ve got a fire, have you?”
“Death Killer made it to dry us by. Now you shall have it,” she said.
The scout basked for some minutes in the heat of the fire, which White Antelope heaped with fresh fuel. But he could not remain inactive for long. His perturbed mind, relieved by the discovery of the girl’s safety, instantly fixed upon other worriments.
Her absence from the encampment of the Sioux would have long since been noted. Oak Heart would be troubled by her absence. And they were a long way from the valley in which the Indian village lay.
Besides, they were marooned on this island in the middle of the river. The canoe was wrecked, and Cody shrank from making that long swim to the mainland again. Besides, he doubted the girl’s ability to accomplish such a task.
There was nothing to eat on this island, however, and food they must have before long. At least, the scout felt the need of it.