"She is too frightened to see anything," he said, and turned back to Nancy.
"The only man who can free you is Black Hawk. I'll try to convince him that he should, but he is away with a war party now."
"Killing more innocent men and women and children?" Her teeth and eyes gleamed in the faint light within the wickiup.
Her words left a hollow ache in his chest, but he went on speaking doggedly.
"When he comes back, I'll go to him. Meanwhile, ask your God to help you be brave."
She let go of his arm abruptly. "What do you know about my God, with your paint and your feathers and your magic wand?"
Her words hurt, and he was about to answer angrily, but he told himself she was half mad with terror and grief.
"Because I have these things I can help you," he said gently. "But I want so much to know what happened at Victor. Can you bear to tell me?"
She took his arm again. "I'd just gotten dressed to go out and feed the animals—when I saw the Indians riding toward our house. So many of them! I knew right away. I ran into the house and woke Father. By the time they got to the house he was standing in the doorway. He never even got his rifle loaded, Auguste. Before he could move there was an arrow in his chest."
White Bear knew that Reverend Hale had never liked him; but he was Nancy's father, and to see her father killed—how that must hurt her!