ew other
oddments in it.

"Get in quickly, Dick, and let us be going," murmured Ama hastily. "The
storm is passing away, and it cannot now be long before some one will
visit the prisoners to see how they have fared; indeed, that may have
happened already. And, whenever it occurs, your absence will certainly
be discovered, and a search for you will be at once begun. It will take
a little while for them to ascertain that you are nowhere concealed in
the town, but when that has been determined they will at once think of
the river, and a party will be despatched in pursuit; therefore it is
imperative that we should secure as long a start as possible."

"Of course," answered I, as I laid hold of the light craft and ran her
afloat; "I quite understand that. But, Ama, you speak of `we,' as
though you intended to accompany me. That must not be, my dear girl;
you have already done nobly in freeing me, and in providing me with the
means of flight, and I must now do the best I can for myself; I cannot
consent to implicate you by permitting you to accompany me. Therefore
let me now bid you adieu, with my warmest and most grateful thanks, not
only for what you have done for me to-night, but also for the friendship
which you have shown me from the moment when I first came to know you.
Now, hasten back to your own quarters as quickly as possible, I pray
you; I think you can be trusted to find your way back to them without
permitting your share in this night's doings to be discovered.
Farewell, dear Ama, and may God bless and keep you! I shall never
forget you, or your goodness to me. Good-bye!"

And, in the fulness of my gratitude, I took her in my arms and kissed
her.

For a moment the gentle girl resigned herself to my embrace; then,
freeing herself, she said, "Thank you, Dick, for thinking of my safety
at such a moment, dear, but I cannot return; I _must_ go with you, not
only for your own sake but for mine also. You do not understand the
ways of my people, as I do, and therefore without my help you could
never make good your escape. As for me, my father knows that there is
only one person--myself--who would dare to do what I have done for you
to-night; and even were I to succeed in returning to my own quarters
undetected--which is exceedingly doubtful--his anger at your loss will
be so great that he would assuredly condemn me to take your place at the
stake. Therefore, Dick," she concluded pleadingly, "I must either