All this was understood by Captain Flint, and it was as he explained to his men, in order to get the upper hand of Rosenthrall, and thus prevent the danger which threatened him from that quarter, he had caused Hellena to be kidnapped, and conveyed to their grand hiding place, the cave in the side of the mountain.
Rosenthrall at this time resided in a cottage on the banks of the river, a short distance from his place of business, the grounds sloping down to the water.
These grounds were laid out into a flower garden where there was an arbor in which Hellena spent the greater part of her time during the warm summer evenings.
It was while lingering in this arbor rather later than usual that she was suddenly pounced upon by the two Indians employed by Captain Flint for the purpose, and conveyed to his vessel, which lay at anchor a short distance further up the river.
Captain Flint immediately set sail with his unwilling passenger, and in a few hours afterwards she was placed in the cave under the safe keeping of the squaw who presided over that establishment.
If the reader would like to know what kind of a looking girl Hellena Rosenthrall was at this time, I would say that a merrier, more animated, if not a handsomer face he never looked upon. She was the very picture of health and fine spirits.
Her figure was rather slight, but not spare, for her form was compact and well rounded, and her movements were as light and elastic as those of a deer.
Her complexion was fair, one in which you might say without any streak of fancy, the lily was blended with the rose.
Her eyes were blue and her hair auburn, bordering on the golden, and slightly inclined to wave rather than to curl.
Her nose was of moderate size and straight, or nearly so.