wish, therefore, was to set
off to ascertain their fate. Should we discover my uncle, it would be a
great relief to him to know that his daughter was in comparative safety.

Juanita's position, however, was far from pleasant: though she had her
brother, her uncle, and me, there was no female in the fort to attend on
her, and the best accommodation which could be provided was rough in the
extreme.

How to proceed was now the question. If she were left in the fort,
either Carlos or my father must remain with her. My father was ill, and
unfit for any fatigue, though he might have been able to perform an easy
journey of short stages. It was therefore decided that he should remain
in the fort, and that as many men as could be spared,--including
Lejoillie, Carlos, and I,--under the command of Captain Norton, should
set off to search for my uncle. Should we discover him, our plan was to
return directly to Fort King, and from thence make our way to the Saint
John River, by which we could descend to Castle Kearney. It was
possible, however, that by this time my uncle had returned home, though
he was not likely to have done so without having obtained tidings of his
daughter. We therefore resolved, after giving the horses a day's rest,
to set out on our fresh expedition.

To my surprise, Rochford excused himself from accompanying us, although
he did not intend to remain in the fort. "I have a duty," he said, "to
perform to others; and while fully alive to the dangers I shall run in
passing through the country alone, it must be done."

I asked him what it was.

"There are some who have put confidence in me, and I cannot disappoint
them; besides which, I have still some hopes of inducing Oceola to sue
for peace, and to endeavour to obtain by lawful means the object he
desires," he answered.

"But should he discover that you assisted to carry off Juanita, how will
he treat you?"

"As he has hitherto done. He is not likely to be informed of the
circumstance; and if he were, I do not fear the consequences to myself,"
he replied.

Before we set out, Rochford had left the fort.

Black Hawk had hitherto remained a prisoner at large in the fort. He
was narrowly watched, but he had not made the slightest attempt to
escape. When he heard of the death of Spotted Wolf, and that he had
been killed by Carlos, he remarked that it served him right, as he had
come for the purpose of betraying us, and would have succeeded had w