climbed
out of without a ladder. So the Injun carries her there, and lets her
down with a rope that it seems he must of had handy somewheres, and he
puts out; and there she is, in a holler in the mountain, not able to
move or cry out no more than if she'd been captured by a regular
highwayman."

Wilfred stared at Willock in complete bewilderment. Willock chuckled.

"There was a terrible time!" remarked Bill.

"Dark was a-coming on before the party got plumb scared," Willock
continued, "but they brushed and combed that mountain looking for the
poor lost lady, and as I tells 'em she's a-hiding a-purpose, they think
it a pore sort of joke till midnight catches 'em mighty serious.
Torches is carried here and there and everywhere, but no use. You
would think that the next day the crowd would naturally look down in
that crevice, but that's because I've posted you up on where she is.
There's lots of other crevices, and no reason as they can see why Miss
Sellimer should take the trouble to worm herself down into any of
'em--and as nobody saw that Injun, how could they suspicion foul play?
It must of been AWFUL for pore Miss Sellimer, all bound and gagged in
that horrible way, but it takes heroic treatment to get some cures--and
so Lahoma went with 'em to spend the winter."

"But the Indian--?"

"Needn't think about HIM no more, son, we got no more use for THAT
Injun. Well, on the next day, Lahoma is looking everywhere, being
urged on by me, and lo, and behold! when she comes to that
crevice--looked like she couldn't be induced to go there of her own
will, but it was brung about finally--what does she see but a tomahawk
lying right at the edge what must have been dropped there recent, or
the crowd would have saw it the day before. It come to her that Miss
Sellimer is a prisoner down below. She looks, but it's too dark to see
nothing. Not telling nobody for fear of starting up false hopes, she
gets a light and lowers it--and there is that miserable young woman,
bound and gagged and her pretty dress all tore. Lahoma jumps to her
feet to raise the cry, when she discovers a ladder under a boulder
which the Injun must have put there meaning to descend to his victim
when the coast was clear. Down she skins, and frees Miss Sellimer,
who's half dead, poor young lady! Lahoma comes up the ladder and meets
me and I carries her out just like a feather--Well, can't you imagine
the rest? I reckon if Miss Sellimer lives a thou