"The abode of evil spirits!" cried the chief, in great alarm, with more
agitation perhaps than he would have exhibited before a shower of darts
aimed at him, or than at the stake of an enemy. "Fly!" he continued,
"before it is too late! The anger of the Evil Spirit is fearful, when
aroused; fly! fly! and save yourselves," and, with a vice-like grasp,
he caught up Jane and bounded up the passage. Howe saw the movement,
but the chief had been so quick, that he had made half the distance of
the passage before he could overtake, and get ahead of him so as to
block up the passage.

"Put her down!" thundered the indignant trapper, with menacing gestures
to the chief.

Sitting her on her feet, he glanced first at the trapper who stood
before him with compressed lips and flashing eyes, then at the
terrified girl, from her around the cavern, as if he expected a demon
to pounce upon them at every moment.

"Chief! this is hardly what I should have expected from you!" said the
trapper, angrily.

The chief seemed stupefied, and stood gazing around him like one
suddenly demented.

"No violence shall be offered to Jane, while I live," continued the
trapper. "I am her guardian here."

"And after you, I, and her brother," said Sidney, defiantly.

"Don't be too hard on the chief," spoke up Edward. "He intended no
wrong, and, judging from his actions, I take it, he thought he was
doing her a great kindness by securing her from some imagined danger.
What say you, Jane? is the chief culpable or not?"

"He was frightened, I presume," returned the young girl, evasively.

"I am not a coward; yet, who is there that dare contend with invisible
spirits?" said the chief, in an humble tone. "This is an evil place,
and the evil spirits that have their abode here, have stirred up strife
among us already! Come, let us hurry away, else we shed each others'
blood!"

"Take my hand, chief, and forgive my anger," said the trapper, kindly.
"I was wrong to deal so harshly with prejudices taught at your mother's
knee, and which are inherent with your very nature."

"That is right, uncle," said Edward. "Jane and I have long been under
the impression that it is no way to eradicate prejudice by becoming
angry with it. This," he added, addressing Sidney, "is quite as much
for your benefit as any one's."

"There, the evil spirit is at work again!" said Jane, as a cutting
retort fell from Sidney. "Come," she added, "I have not seen half
enough of