"He will look
for the blood of the Raven."
"The Stag is a great beast," the Indian said sententiously; "but
the Raven eat him at last."
Then, sitting down upon a pile of skins, the chief filled his pipe,
and made signs to his wife to bring fire. Then he smoked in silence
for some time until the sun went down, and a thick darkness closed
over the valley.
At length he got up, and said to his wife, "If they ask for the
Raven, say that he has just gone out; nothing more. He will not
return till daybreak; and remember," and he laid his hand upon her
arm to impress the caution, "whatever noise the Mouse hears in the
night, she is not to leave the hut till the Raven comes back to
her."
The girl bowed her head with an Indian woman's unquestioning
obedience; and then, drawing aside the skin which served as a door,
and listening attentively hear if any one were near, the Raven went
out silently into the darkness.
CHAPTER XVII.
RESCUED.
In spite of their utmost efforts Mr. Hardy's party had made slower
progress than they had anticipated. Many of the horses had broken
down under fatigue; and as they had no spare horses to replace them
as the Indians had in like case done from those they had driven off
from Mr. Mercer, they were forced to travel far more slowly than at
first.
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