That night Lieutenant Barlow invaded the lodge of the medicine man, attacked him, and left him senseless on the ground, and secured the nuggets.
They were more than twenty in number, and were contained in two buckskin bags covered with strange markings and bead work.
The renegade got out of the lodge with the nuggets without discovery. He next secured a horse, for, being the “friend” of Red Wing, he was permitted to come and go freely in the village.
When he had got his horse and secured it beyond the village lodges, he came back, and called at the lodge where the girl was held as a prisoner by the old woman.
The old squaw mumbled unintelligibly, and seemed about to raise an alarm when he entered, but he gave her a shining silver piece from his pocket, which she examined with strange cackles by the light of her grease lamp.
May Arlington had started up in alarm.
“I have prepared a way of escape,” he whispered to her. “Come!”
He might have spoken the words aloud, so far as the old woman was concerned, for the hag knew no English.
May Arlington again hesitated, then she rose, trembling, and followed him.
Within the folds of her dress she had secreted a knife, which she had picked up in the lodge; with it, if necessary, she would kill Barlow, or herself. But she knew she must get out of that village. Some looks given her by certain Indian braves had terrified her so that anything was preferable to staying there.