om their camp-fire he found an Indian maiden
sitting on the ground with bowed head. A low moan came from her lips.
Her skin was of a light copper color. There was a wreath of wild
flowers in her hair.

"My purty maid, are your people near?" Solomon asked in the Mohawk
tongue.

She looked up at him, her beautiful dark eyes full of tears, and
sorrowfully shook her head.

"My father was a great white chief," she said. "Always a little bird
tells me to love the white man. The beautiful young pale face on a red
horse took my heart with him. I go, too."

"You must go back to your people," said Solomon.

Again she shook her head, and, pointing up the trail, whispered:

"They will burn the Little White Birch. No more will I go in the trail
of the red man. It is like climbing a thorn tree."

He touched her brow tenderly and she seized his hand and held it
against her cheek.

"I follow the beautiful pale face," she whispered.

Solomon observed that her lips were shapely and her teeth white.

"What is your name?" he asked.

"They call me the Little White Birch."

Solomon told her to sit still and that he would bring food to her.

"It's jest only a little squaw," he said to Jack when he returned to
the camp-fire. "Follered us from that 'ere Injun village. I guess she
were skeered o' them drunken braves. I'm goin' to take some meat an'
bread an' tea to her. No, you better stay here. She's as skeery as a
wild deer."

After Solomon had given her food he made her take his coat for a
blanket and left her alone.

Next morning she was still there. Solomon gave her food again and when
they resumed their journey they saw her following.

"She'll go to the end o' the road, I guess," said Solomon. "I'll tell
ye what we'll do. We'll leave her at Mr. Wheelock's School."

Their trail bore no further signs of Harpe and his followers.

"I'll bet ye a pint o' powder an' a fish hook they was p'intin' south,"
said Solomon.

They reached the Indian school about noon. A kindly old Mohawk squaw
who worked there was sent back in the trail to find the maiden. In a
few minutes the squaw came in with her. Solomon left money with the
good master and promised to send more.

When the travelers went on that afternoon the Little White Birch stood
by the door looking down the road at them.

"She has a coat o' red on her skin, but the heart o' the white man,"
said Solomon.

In a moment Jack heard him muttering, "It's a