"'Tis naught," I answered. "Only a sudden weakness which has passed." And I would have gone on had she not stopped me.
"Thinkest thou that I am blind?" she said indignantly. "Stop this moment, sir, and have it dressed." And with a pretty, impetuous gesture she halted.
Manteo glided to my side, and with his knife cut away the deerskin from my arm, and glanced about him.
"If Manteo had someone to hold the Eagle's arm while he cut a splint," he murmured, half to himself.
My lady stepped forward, and despite my protest, caught my arm in both of her hands, and held it in the position which the chief indicated, while Winona darted away for some water from a little brook to wash the wound. Quickly the chief splintered my arm, and putting it in a deerskin sling, said that we were ready to proceed.
"Dost thou not wish Winona to go back for some of thy dresses, Lady Margaret?" I asked, as we were about to start. She hesitated a moment.
"If she would," she said uncertainly, and she looked at the Indian girl who stood a little apart from us. Turning to Winona I bade her go to the hut, and bring back the contents of the chest which my lady described to me. She turned and bounded back down the path out of sight, while we moved on slowly towards the flat rock.
"It is well that thou didst come when thou didst," Margaret said, with a dainty little shudder, "else I know not what I would have done; for the Count DeNortier, who had protected me heretofore from Lord Dunraven, was dead, and I was alone and helpless. Is Lord Dunraven dead?" she asked suddenly, looking up at me.
"Yes," I answered slowly. "Both he and the priest are dead. My lord fell over a deep precipice as I pursued him, and I had a narrow escape from the same fate."
"I am glad," she said in a low voice. "I should have grieved if aught had befallen thee."