Nevertheless, as the troop drew up in front of the council hut, and
alighted, the women pressed round as usual to heap abuse upon the
prisoner; but one of the Indians stepped up to her, and waved them
back, and saying, "She is the child of a great chief," took her by
the arm, and handed her over to the care of the wife of one of the
principal chiefs. The selection was a good one; for the woman, who
was young, was known in the tribe as the Fawn for her gentle
disposition. She at once led the captive away to her lodge, where
she bade her sit down, offered her food, and spoke kindly to her in
her low, soft, Indian tongue. Ethel could not understand her, but
the kindly tones moved her more than the threats of the crowd
outside had done, and she broke down in a torrent of tears.
The Indian woman drew the girl to her as a mother might have done,
stroked her long fair hair, and soothed her with her low talk. Then
she motioned to a pile of skins in the corner of the hut; and when
Ethel gladly threw herself down upon them the Indian woman covered
her up as she would have done a child, and with a nod of farewell
tripped off to welcome her husband and hear the news, knowing that
there was no possibility of the captive making her escape.
Exhausted with fatigue and emotion, Ethel's sobs soon ceased, and
she fell into a sound sleep.
Pages:
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326