ond caressing
manner of a woman, and it was scarcely possible that it should not
obtain credit for sincerity with a young and ingenuous person of the
same sex. Mabel returned the pressure, and then held the other off at
the length of her arm, looked her steadily in the face, and continued
her inquiries.

"If June has something to tell her friend, let her speak plainly," she
said. "My ears are open."

"June 'fraid Arrowhead kill her."

"But Arrowhead will never know it." Mabel's blood mounted to her
temples as she said this; for she felt that she was urging a wife to be
treacherous to her husband. "That is, Mabel will not tell him."

"He bury tomahawk in June's head."

"That must never be, dear June; I would rather you should say no more
than run this risk."

"Blockhouse good place to sleep, good place to stay."

"Do you mean that I may save my life by keeping in the blockhouse, June?
Surely, surely, Arrowhead will not hurt you for telling me that. He
cannot wish me any great harm, for I never injured him."

"Arrowhead wish no harm to handsome pale-face," returned June, averting
her face; and, though she always spoke in the soft, gentle voice of an
Indian girl, now permitting its notes to fall so low as to cause them to
sound melancholy and timid. "Arrowhead love pale-face girl."

Mabel blushed, she knew not why, and for a moment her questions were
repressed by a feeling of inherent delicacy. But it was necessary to
know more, for her apprehensions had been keenly awakened, and she
resumed her inquiries.

"Arrowhead can have no reason to love or to hate _me_," she said. "Is he
near you?"

"Husband always near wife, here," said June, laying her hand on her
heart.

"Excellent creature! But tell me, June, ought I to keep in the
blockhouse to-day--this morning--now?"

"Blockhouse very good; good for women. Blockhouse got no scalp."

"I fear I understand you only too well, June. Do you wish to see my
father?"

"No here; gone away."

"You cannot know that, June; you see the island is full of his
soldiers."

"No full; gone away,"--here June held up four of her fingers,--"so many
red-coats."

"And Pathfinder? would you not like to see the Pathfinder? He can talk
to you in the Iroquois tongue."

"Tongue gone wid him," said June, laughing; "keep tongue in his mout'."

There was something so sweet and contagious in the infantile laugh of
an Indian girl, that Mabel could not refrain from joining in it, mu