iends occupied a fire by themselves, the only
native who stood beside them being Unaco. It is probable that the
savage chief constituted himself their guard in order to make quite sure
of them, for the escape of Stalker weighed heavily on his mind. To
secure this end more effectively, and at the same time enable the
captives to feed themselves, the right arm of each was freed, while the
left was tied firmly to his body. Of course, Betty and Tom Brixton were
left altogether unbound.

"I feel uncommon lopsided goin' about in this one-armed fashion,"
remarked Paul, as he turned the stick on which his supper was roasting.
"Couldn't ye make up yer mind to trust us, Unaco? I'd promise for
myself an' friends that we wouldn't attempt to cut away like that big
thief Stalker."

The chief, who sat a little apart near the farther end of the blazing
pile of logs, smoking his pipe in motionless gravity, took not the
slightest notice.

"Arrah! howld yer tongue, Paul," said Flinders, who made so much use of
his one arm, in stirring the kettle, turning a roasting venison rib, and
arranging the fire, that it seemed as if he were in full possession of
two; "why d'ye disturb his majesty? Don't ye see that he's meditatin',
or suthin' o' that sort--maybe about his forefathers?"

"Well, well, I hope his after mothers won't have many sulky ones like
him," returned Paul, rather crossly. "It's quite impossible to cut up a
steak wi' one hand, so here goes i' the next best fashion."

He took up the steak in his fingers, and was about to tear off a
mouthful with his teeth, when Betty came to the rescue.

"Stay, father; I'll cut it into little bits for you if Unaco will kindly
lend me his scalping-knife."

Without a word or look the chief quietly drew the glittering weapon from
its sheath and handed it to Betty, who at once, using a piece of
sharpened stick as a fork, cut her father's portion into manageable
lumps.

"That's not a bad notion," said Fred. "Perhaps you'll do the same for
me, Betty."

"With pleasure, Mr Westly."

"Ah, now, av it wouldn't be axin' too much, might I make so bowld--"

Flinders did not finish the sentence, but laid his pewter plate before
the Rose of Oregon with a significant smile.

"I'm glad to be so unexpectedly useful," said Betty, with a laugh.

When she had thus aided her half-helpless companions, Betty returned the
knife to its owner, who received it with a dignified inclination of the
head.