“But have you any word of the soldiers?”
“They are still on the other side, though I did not see them.”
“I supposed they had gone, for we had seen no camp-fire smoke for three days.”
“It may be a trick, so still be cautious and guard the fords, especially now that I have a captive here for whose rescue Colonel Carr would doubtless send his whole force.”
With this the chief rode on, muttering to himself:
“I must win that fellow with presents, for he will be the next chief after Iron Eyes, and he has as much influence now. Probably he has been educated in some school, for he speaks English like a paleface, and acts like one, too. There is some secret about him that I cannot fathom.”
He had not ridden far before Lucille came up alongside of him. She saw now about her in a valley like cañon a camp of Indians.
They were in full war paint, and gazed savagely at her as she rode by, yet were gloating in her capture.
Once through the cañon, and the trail led down into a beautiful valley in which was the village of old Iron Eyes.
Lucille uttered a cry as the view burst upon her, for, through the valley ran a mountain stream, upon both sides of which, for several miles, were the tepees of the Indians, the scattered village of the red men.