ell me,
quick!"

"Well--no, Mrs. Hedden," he shouted in reply, "not exactly that--but
we've got the gal safe an' sound--not a scratch on her."

In another moment Bessie was in her mother's arms.

"Only me, mother!" she sobbed; "only me; but father's looking for them
and, oh! mother, Bouncer is dead!"

The next day brought no better tidings. At noon the men returned from
their search, jaded and dispirited. After the first explanations were
over, Mr. Hedden called one of the party aside and whispered, huskily--

"Give her this, Dennis--I can't; and tell her it was the only trace we
could find."

The mother's quick eye caught sight of the object before her husband had
fairly drawn it from beneath his hunting-jacket. "It's Kitty's hood,"
she cried, stretching forth her hand as she fell senseless to the floor.

That evening, and for many a day afterward, the search was continued but
without success; no trace could be found of either Tom Hennessy,
Rudolph, or little Kitty.

V.

THE CAPTIVES.

And what had befallen Tom and the children, on the fearful day of their
sail up the beautiful stream? Bessie's eyes had not deceived her when,
in one agonized glance, she had seen Tom dash into the forest bearing
Rudolph and Kitty in his arms, followed by yelling savages. The chase,
however, was a short one; before Tom had advanced many steps his
pursuers closed upon him, and tearing the children from his embrace,
bound his arms close to his body with deerskin thongs. The children,
screaming with terror, struggled in the arms of the Indians and called
frantically upon Tom for help; but he, poor fellow, could only turn his
pitying eyes upon them and beg them to remain quiet.

"It'll save you from worse things," he groaned. By this time several
savages, darting from near hiding-places, had surrounded them and Tom
abandoned all hope of escape. Bessie's screams had died away, and he
felt sure that she had been killed by the Indian who had first rushed
upon her.

After holding a moment's council the Indians began a rapid march,
hurrying Tom along with them, and almost dragging the terrified
children--who, each with a tiny hand in the grip of a painted warrior,
ran panting by their sides. Hurrying on, faster and faster, until even
Tom was nearly out of breath, the savages, without exchanging a word
among themselves, continued their flight (for such it seemed), carefully
avoiding even the breaking of a twig, or anything