they had been thought of
at all, it is probable they were supposed to be in one or other of the
wigwams. As the moon could not be counted on beyond a certain time,
haste was necessary, and thus it came to pass that the party set forth
without any knowledge of the disappearance of the girls.

The "dear old one" was fain to journey like the rest on horseback, but
she was so well accustomed to that mode of locomotion that she suffered
much less than might have been expected. Besides, her son had taken
care to secure for her the quietest, meekest, and most easy-going horse
belonging to the tribe--a creature whose natural spirit had been reduced
by hardship and age to absolute quiescence, and whose gait had been
trained down to something like a hobby-horse amble.

Seated astride of this animal, in gentleman fashion, the mother of
Whitewing swayed gently to and fro like a partially revived mummy of an
amiable type, with her devoted son on one side and Little Tim on the
other, to guard against accidents.

It chanced that the two parties of horsemen journeyed in nearly opposite
directions, so that every hour of the night separated them from each
other more and more.

It was not until Whitewing's party had proceeded far on their way to
Tim's Folly that suspicion began to be aroused and inquiry to be made in
the camp. Then, as the two girls were nowhere to be found, the alarm
spread; the warriors sallied out, and the trail of the Blackfeet was
discovered. It was not, however, until daylight came to their aid that
the Indians became fully aware of their loss, and sent out a strong band
in pursuit of their enemies, while a messenger was despatched in hot
haste to inform Little Tim and Bounding Bull that Moonlight and Skipping
Rabbit had been spirited away.

CHAPTER TWELVE.

THE PURSUIT, FAILURE, DESPAIR.

Ever dreaming of the thunderbolt that was about to be launched,
Whitewing, Little Tim, Bounding Bull, and the rest of the party arrived
at the little fortress in the gorge.

They found Big Tim on the _qui vive_, and Brighteyes with Whitewing's
mother was soon introduced to the wounded preacher.

The meeting of the three was impressive, for not only had they been much
attached at the time of the preacher's former visit, but the women were
deeply affected by the sad circumstances in which they found their old
friend.

"Not much changed, I see, Brighteyes," he said, as the two women sat
down on the floor beside