, brothers, or sons for lost relatives. Many of those thus
brought in had been born among the Indians or had lived with them for
so long as to forget their own people. These clung piteously to their
savage friends, begging that they might not be separated from them, and
a number of these afterward effected an escape from the soldiers, in
order to return to their beloved forest homes.

As group after group came in, Edith Hester scanned them eagerly in
search of a familiar face. At length she saw it, and her eyes lighted
with pleasure as she and Christie again met. He was escorted by two
venerable warriors, one of whom was the father of the woman whose white
husband had slain her for her scalp. While Edith and Christie were
eagerly talking, this Indian standing quietly near them suddenly
uttered an exclamation of rage, raised his rifle and fired at a white
man who was passing. It was the miscreant, David Owens; and as he fell
dead the whole camp was instantly in an uproar. The unresisting
avenger would have been killed on the spot but for the determined
protection of Edith and Christie. As it was, he was placed under
arrest and held for trial on the following day.

At this trial, after Christie's testimony and that of several Indians
had been taken, Edith Hester delivered such a passionate and convincing
plea in behalf of the venerable warrior who had thus avenged the foul
murder of his daughter and grandchildren that, to the gratification of
the entire assembly, Bouquet ordered him to be acquitted and set free.

With the happy ending of this trial, while Edith was surrounded by a
group of officers and receiving their congratulations, a young Indian
forced his way through the circle, gave one searching look at the
girl's face, and with an almost inarticulate cry of "Edith!" threw his
arms about her in a joyful embrace. The scandalized officers were
about to lay violent hands on the young savage, when to their
amazement, they saw that her arms were about his neck, and that with
her fair head on his shoulder she was sobbing hysterically.

In another moment Christie had seized one of his hands and was
proclaiming the astounding news that the young Indian was none other
than Donald Hester, ensign in His Majesty's regiment of Royal
Americans, and long since reported dead.

For nearly half an hour the excited group exchanged an uninterrupted
stream of questions and congratulations, mingled with laughter and
tears.