ter a few moments' thought, "do you feel quite
safe with these Indians?"

"Quite," replied the girl with a slight elevation of the eyebrows; "they
are unusually gentle and good-natured people. Besides, their chief
would lay down his life for my father--he is so grateful. Oh yes, I
feel perfectly safe here."

"But what does your father think. He is always so fearless--I might say
reckless--that I don't feel certain as to his real opinion. Have you
heard him speaking about the chance of that rascal Stalker following him
up?"

"Yes; he has spoken freely about that. He fully expects that Stalker
will search for us, but considers that he will not dare to attack us
while we live with so strong a band of Indians, and, as Stalker's
followers won't hang about here very long for the mere purpose of
pleasing their chief, especially when nothing is to be gained by it,
father thinks that his enemy will be forced to go away. Besides, he has
made up his mind to remain here for a long time--many months, it may
be."

"That will do," returned Tom, with a sigh of relief; "then there will be
no need for me to--"

"To what?" asked Betty, seeing that the youth paused.

"Forgive me if I do not say what I meant to. I have reasons for--" (he
paused again)--"Then you are pleased with the way the people treat you?"

"Of course I am. They could not be kinder if I were one of themselves.
And some of the women are so intelligent, too! You know I have picked
up a good deal of the Indian language, and understand them pretty well,
though I can't speak much, and you've no idea what deep thinkers some of
them are! There is Unaco's mother, who looks so old and dried up and
stupid--she is one of the dearest old things I ever knew. Why,"
continued the girl, with increasing animation, as she warmed with her
subject, "that old creature led me, the other night, into quite an
earnest conversation about religion, and asked me ever so many questions
about the ways of God with man--speculative, difficult questions too,
that almost puzzled me to answer. You may be sure I took the
opportunity to explain to her God's great love to man in and through
Jesus, and--"

She stopped abruptly, for Tom Brixton was at that moment regarding her
with a steady and earnest gaze.

"Yes," he said, slowly, almost dreamily, "I can well believe you took
your opportunity to commend Jesus to her. You did so once to me, and--"

Tom checked himself, as if with a g