fortunate people in their midst. The latter, knowing that they would
not yet be sacrificed, sat in perfect silence, without exhibiting any
emotion, and bearing patiently the insults heaped upon them.

I had not abandoned my idea of pleading for the unhappy prisoners, but
at this time I was thinking more of Clarice, and the means of recovering
her; still, should I go away, I feared that the prisoners might be put
to death during my absence. Having seen that the horses of my white
friends were turned out on a pasture close at hand, where they could get
abundance of grass, I went to the chief and asked him whether he wished
to be on friendly terms with the Palefaces?

He said that he certainly did--it was his greatest ambition.

"Then," I replied, "you must live as they do, and imitate their customs.
I have told you before, that we do not torture or otherwise injure our
prisoners, and that it is our duty to forgive our enemies, and to do
them good. Now I want you to promise me that no one shall suffer while
I am away."

The chief could not make up his mind to yield, but I urged him again and
again, and at last I hoped, from what he said, that he would do as I
wished.

The lieutenant was now sufficiently recovered to mount his horse, and,
followed by his two troopers, he and I set off in search of Clarice.
None of the Indians, however, offered to accompany us, nor did Maysotta,
as I thought she would have done; but I found that she had left the camp
with her dog and rifle before we started. It was her custom, I
discovered, to act in a very independent manner on all occasions, her
father never interfering with her.

We pushed forward at as rapid a rate as we could make our horses move;
but the ground was at first too rough to allow us to proceed as fast as
we wished. When we got to the plain we gave our steeds the rein.

Judging from the report of Winnemak's people who last came in, we had
not much risk of encountering any of our foes; indeed, our whole
thoughts were entirely occupied by Clarice and Rachel. Had they waited
quietly the return of their escort; or had any hostile Indians
discovered them, and carried them off as captives? The idea of such an
occurrence as that was too horrible to be contemplated. Perhaps they
might have caught and mounted their horses, and set off to try and find
their way to the camp. In that case we might possibly meet them, and as
we rode along we kept a strict look-out on eve