the harsh treatment and
prolonged journeying through forest and swamp, over hill and dale, on
insufficient food, had not only brought them to the verge of the grave,
but had killed outright one or two others of the crew who had started
with them.

The visitors, owing to their position with their backs to the light of
the cave's mouth, could not be recognised by the prisoners, who regarded
them with listless apathy, until Captain Trench spoke, swallowing with
difficulty a lump of some sort that nearly choked him.

"Hallo! shipmates! how goes it? Glad to have found ye, lads."

"Och!" exclaimed Squill, starting up, as did all his companions; but no
other sound was uttered for a few seconds. Then a deep "thank God"
escaped from Grummidge, and Little Stubbs tried to cheer, but with small
success; while one or two, sitting down again, laid their thin faces in
their hands and wept.

Reader, it were vain to attempt a description of the scene that
followed, for the prisoners were not only overwhelmed with joy at a
meeting so unexpected, but were raised suddenly from the depths of
despair to the heights of confident hope, for they did not doubt that
the appearance of their mates as friends of the Indians was equivalent
to their deliverance. Even when told that their deliverance was by no
means a certainty, their joy was only moderated, and their hope but
slightly reduced.

"But tell me," said Paul, as they all sat down together in the cave,
while the Indians stood by and looked silently on, "what is the truth
about this Indian who was murdered, and the dog and the woman?"

"The Indian was never murdered," said Grummidge stoutly. "He had
evidently fallen over the precipice. We found him dead and we buried
him. His dog came to us at last and made friends with us, though it ran
away the day the settlement was attacked. As to the woman, we never saw
or heard of any woman at all till this hour!"

When Bearpaw was told how the matter actually stood, he frowned and said
sternly--

"The palefaces lie. If they never saw Rising Sun, why did she not come
back to us and tell what had happened? She was not a little child. She
was strong and active, like the young deer. She could spear fish and
snare rabbits as well as our young men. Why did she not return? Where
is she? Either she is dead and the palefaces have killed her, or they
have her still among them. Not only shall the palefaces answer for her
with their lives