cold chills, and worse still, her mind began to wander.

Antoinette was in deep distress. Her plan to fly for protection to the
nearest settlement was completely frustrated. It was too far; she
could not hope to reach it in safety. But, thinking she might possibly
discover a place of refuge in some other direction, she turned her
horse and dashed off she knew not whither.

Having rode on for several miles over prairie and oak openings,
determining to put all possible distance between herself and Bloody
Jim, a most welcome sight met her view.

It was a log cabin standing on an eminence, comfortable in appearance
and snugly embosomed in a grove of trees.

As there was no enclosure around it, she rode close to the door, and,
without dismounting; knocked loudly with her riding whip.

An echo was her only reply. The same results followed repeated
attempts to obtain a hearing, and she came to the conclusion that the
house was either unoccupied, or the inmates were insensible to noise.
The former proved to be the case, and what was more unpleasant, the
door was firmly fastened.

Letting the invalid--whom she had supported partly by her arm and
partly by fastening her blanket around both--slide softly to the
ground, Antoinette dismounted and effected an entrance through a small
window. There was but one room in the dwelling, and this was scantily
furnished. A bed, a cook-stove, a flour barrel and a chest occupied
each a corner.

On a couple of hooks that were fastened to a beam overhead rested a
rifle, and from a peg at the side was suspended a violin. A hat, an
old pair of boots, pushed partly under the bed, and several other
articles of men's wearing apparel lying about the room, proclaimed the
abode of a single man.

The door was secured within by a wooden bar, which Antoinette speedily
removed, and, by extraordinary exertions on the part of her friend,
Little Wolf was removed to a comfortable couch in the cabin.

CHAPTER X.

THE KIDNAPPER'S SURPRISE--ON THE WRONG TRACK--BLOODY JIM'S
CAPTURE--THE POWER OF HABIT--DISPAIR--THE ROTTEN PLANK.

It was late on the following morning when Bloody Jim awoke. He rubbed
his eyes and scratched his head with a vacant stare, for he did not at
first remember where he was. When the objects by which he was
surrounded had sufficiently refreshed his memory he began to look
about for his prisoner and, behold, she was nowhere to be seen.

He ground his teeth with r