e chief, after the first day of her rescue, exhibited perfect
indifference to her presence, and rarely gave her a glance; but they
had noticed that when his eye did rest on her or the child it had a
peculiar exulting savage glitter seen at no other times, for his eye
usually had a mild expression, and they had known him to exhibit
disinterested humane acts that set at defiance the supposition that he
was devoid of sensibility.

This was a new phase in the character of the Indian, and one that
highly amazed the young people. As for Howe, though he did sometimes
open his eyes with wonder, it did not interest him, and he never spoke
to them of the "by play" that was every day growing more interesting to
the younger ones, and becoming a great torture to the young mother.
Jane, who was daily becoming more and more attached to her guests, used
every art in her power to inspire her with more confidence, and at the
same time assure her of the kindness and friendship of the chief, but
without success. She was equally silent as to what tribe she belonged;
for, though she had learned to use many words correctly in expressing
her wants, she never seemed to learn any to express the past with
regard to herself, except that she was lost, and could not find her way
home. Jane had made her and the babe clothing before she had recovered
her strength; but, though it was as neatly done as that she herself
wore, the squaw had, as soon as she was able to move around, taken some
skins, and had manufactured a suit for herself and child, that was
really pretty, so neatly was it done. This finished, she made one also
for Jane, presenting it to her with gestures of gratitude for the
kindness she and her babe had received at her benefactress' hands.

Jane looked really much better when adorned in the handiwork of the
young squaw, than she did in her own, for the suits they had on when
carried off by the Indians, had been worn and torn to shreds in their
wanderings, and they were all dressed in skins dried with the fur on,
having been made soft and pliable under the skilful hands of Howe and
the chief.

It was now midwinter, and the valley was covered with a mantle of snow,
but not as deep as they had anticipated it would be. They found they
were partly defended from the storms, by a spur curving round to the
principal range of mountains, giving the valley the form of a horse
shoe--three high, precipitous sides breaking the storms of wind and
sn