pe in a
few days."

"Then I shall never escape," replied Millicent, a bright flash of
determination suffusing her fair face.

"Your only answer then is No?"

"No; I will never be your wife."

"And I say you shall. Farewell! We will meet again." And all the latent
savage nature gleamed forth from his face as he swiftly and noiselessly
disappeared into the forest.

Millicent, overcome with emotion, sank listlessly on the ground, where
she remained for some time with her head bowed upon her knees,
regardless of the beauty of the scene about her. Above, the sky was
cloudless, a deep impenetrable blue, as seen through the heavy foliage
of the grand primeval forest. At her feet stretched the calm, smooth
lake, dotted here and there with tiny islands, so thickly wooded that
they looked like escaped bits of the forest floating on the glassy
surface of the water. For miles stretched the line of the shore, here
straight, there gracefully curving, and everywhere heavily overhung by
majestic trees. After a time she raised her eyes, and, stretching her
hand with a hopeless gesture toward the lake, said, "Better to drown in
that quiet water than to remain longer with these savages, now that
Ninigret has turned foe also, and I have no friend to help me."

"Let me be a friend to help you," replied a manly voice close by.

Surprised and astonished Millicent sprang to her feet, and saw standing
before her a tall, handsome man of perhaps five and thirty years,
dressed in uniform.

"O sir! can I really hope that you will help a poor, distressed captive
girl?"

"Of course I will," he answered, moving near to her. "First tell me the
circumstances of your captivity and"--

"Hush! do not speak so loud, or they will hear us and take you prisoner
also. Come this way," said Millicent, as she led him to a thick clump of
trees near at hand. "A short distance from here, on yonder hill, is an
Indian camp, which has been my home for many months."

"How large is the encampment?" asked the young man, looking with
interest and admiration at the poorly clad but refined and beautiful
girl by his side.

"When all are there they number about one hundred; but at present most
of the warriors are away."

"Where is your home?"

"I have no home. I am an orphan, and with my sister was visiting friends
in Taunton, at the time the Indians attacked that place."

"Ah! Tell me the story of your capture."

"I will if you care to hear it. Upon the b