breath upon them.

"One at a time," said the imperturbable Yankee; "one at a time, and I
will answer them all."

"Then, are they alive and well?" asked Jane, who could not restrain her
anxiety.

"They are, as far as I know," said Jones. "I saw but one they called
Lewis, and he was well, and I heard him tell another man who was
inquiring for the rest of the family that the rest were.

"Thank heaven for that," said Jane, fervently.

"Where are they?" asked the trapper.

"I don't know, exactly," said Jones. "The young man I saw was at Fort
Laramie. He had heard there were several distant tribes of Indians
encamped there to trade with the whites, and had come to see if he
could learn from them the fate that had befallen you."

"Then I suspect," said the trapper, "they have remained near the spot
where they were encamped when we were stolen."

"Who is the chief of the Arapahoes?" asked Whirlwind.

"I think he is called the Bald Eagle, but I don't remember distinctly.
When I passed through their country last spring, I heard about a great
Medicine man, who was likewise their chieftain, who had been killed or
carried away at the same time part of the family of Mr. Duncan had."

"This is the chief," said the trapper, "he still lives, and I hope will
for many a long year yet to come."

"That would be great news for the Arapahoes," said Cole, "and their joy
could scarcely be exceeded by that of Mr. Duncan's family, could they
know their lost ones were safe."

They had somewhat recovered from the fatigues of their flight, and
proposed renewing their journey. The autumn, which was far advanced,
warned them it was time to be on the move, if they intended to reach
the haunts of civilization before the snows began to fall, and as Cole
and Jones assured them they would certainly strike a trail that led to
the Pacific coast in three or four days' travel, they were impatient to
be on the move. They suffered much with the cold, as the nights were
keen enough to create ice an inch in thickness, and the frosts
destroyed a great deal of the herbage on which the horses subsisted.
The third day the sky began to grow heavy in the morning, and as the
air was keen they feared snow would fall, but it partially broke away
before night, greatly to their satisfaction. They lay down by their
camp-fire with the stars gleaming, though faintly, above them.

About midnight they were awakened by flakes of snow falling on their
faces, and on