"I have brought His word to comfort us,"
and she produced a small Bible from her pocket, which she had
thoughtfully put there when leaving the chapel.

What consolation did that book give us! We read and prayed, and then
read again in a low voice, and strange as it may seem to some, the time
did not appear to drag heavily along; but calmness came ever our minds--
our hearts were at peace, we no longer feared what man could do to us.

We had been reading together, when suddenly we both started. A wild cry
readied our ears; it was echoed by others in different directions, some
coming up the ravine, others sounding, it seemed, overhead. I felt Maud
tremble as she clung to me.

"Can those cries come from the heathens, who have discovered our
footsteps?" she whispered. "If so, we are lost."

"Not lost, dear Maud," I answered. "They can but take our lives, and I
trust that though they may be near they will not find us. Our friends
felt sure of our safety in this concealment, so let us not despair, but
it will be prudent not to speak."

We remained silent, clinging to each other. Again the wild shrieks and
cries echoed around us, some of the voices appeared to be quite close.
We sat listening anxiously--now the sounds appeared to proceed from a
greater distance. Yes, we trusted that the savages were at length
passing by us, their shrieks grew fainter and fainter, and ultimately
altogether ceased.

We had been again preserved from a threatened danger. We could scarcely
believe that it was over when darkness once more crept up the ravine.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

WE REMAIN CONCEALED, NONE OF OUR FRIENDS APPEARING.--MAUD SEES A PERSON
ON THE HILL.--OUR ALARM.--WE AGAIN HEAR VOICES AND FOOTSTEPS.--OUR
NATIVE FRIENDS RETURN AND BRING US SAD TIDINGS; YET WE HAVE CAUSE TO BE
THANKFUL THAT SOME HAVE ESCAPED.--WE ARE MAKING OUR WAY TO A CANOE, WHEN
THE HEATHENS PURSUE US.--ESCAPE.--CHARLES NORTON GIVES ME HIS HISTORY.

Two more days passed away, and none of our friends had come near us. We
began to fear that they had been seized by the heathens. Should such be
the case, what must be our fate!

"We will wait where we are till our provisions are exhausted, and then
we must make our way down to the sea-shore, and perhaps we may be seen
by some passing ship and taken off," said Maud. "Anything will be
better than trusting ourselves to the savage heathens."

I agreed with her that this was the only plan we could follow,