Shaking off the sadness by which she had been of late overcome, she sprang to her feet, and her eyes sparkling with grateful joy, she pressed her hand upon Reginald’s breast, then, looking round, she pronounced distinctly the name of “Olitipa.”
On hearing herself thus called, Prairie–bird came forth from her inner tent, and having learnt the intelligence that, by the restoration of her new friend, the liberation of Paul Müller was to be effected, she embraced the former and presented her with a necklace of coral. Bending–willow returned the embrace with affectionate earnestness, and was then led by Besha from the tent.
As they passed towards the stockade, Pierre, whose suspicions were not yet entirely lulled, and who felt a deep interest in the safety of Ethelston, came up to the horse–dealer, and whispered in his ear, “If the tongues of the Crows or of Besha are forked, if the white prisoners are detained or injured, many widows shall howl in the camp, and the tongues of the wolves shall be red with Upsaroka blood!”
The prairie–guide spoke these words in a tone of deep meaning, and Besha knew that he was not a man likely to utter an idle or empty threat; he answered accordingly, “If Besha lives, the prisoners shall return unhurt before the next sunset,” and, so saying, pursued his unmolested way to the Crow camp.
While they were crossing the valley which separated the two encampments, Reginald, War–Eagle, and Baptiste still lingered near the door of the tent, discussing the events of the day, and expressing their respective opinions as to the probable conduct of the Crows.
“What says Prairie–bird?” inquired Reginald, addressing the maiden, who had been a not uninterested auditor of the discussion.
“Has not the Crow chief,” she replied, “given a faithful promise that on the return of the bride he would restore my father and his friend unhurt?”
“He has.”
“What, then, is the doubt?”
“The doubt is, whether the word of the Crow can be believed: whether he may not still detain or injure his prisoners.”