ntly out of the _toldo_, and off towards that
in which sleeps Aguara.

Soon she reaches its door, which she finds wide open; for it is within
the tropics, and the night is a warm one. Craning her head inside, and
listening for a second or two, she can tell by his breathing that the
_cacique_ is asleep. A slumber abruptly broken by her calling out--

"Son of Naraguana, awake!"

"Shebotha!" he exclaims, recognising her shrill treble. "What is it?"
he adds, raising his head over the edge of his _hamaca_.

"Arise, Aguara! and make all haste. Know that there are enemies near,
and treason in your tribe. You've been betrayed, and so has Shebotha!"

"Betrayed! How?" he asks in wonderment, but without leaving the
hammock. "Who are these enemies you speak of? Who the traitors?"

"You'll learn that in time, chief. It may be enough for you now to
know, that your paleface captive has escaped."

"Escaped!" he cries out, bounding down upon the floor, and coming
forward to the entrance. "The paleface escaped, you say? Are you
speaking truth, Mam Shebotha?"

"Come to my _toldo_, and see for yourself."

"No, that's not needed, if you say she's gone. Tell me how, when, and
whither. Be quick!"

In hurried phrase she recounts the incidents which have occurred to her
and Nacena on the Cemetery Hill, adding her conjectures as to what may
have transpired since, and may still be in the act of occurrence. Among
these last are her suspicions, well founded as we know, that Kaolin's
sister has aided the paleface to escape; and that her own slave, who
should have hindered, has not only connived at it, but taken himself
away as well. In short, the cage is empty, and the bird with its keeper
both flown!

What direction the fugitives have taken, is a question to which the
sorceress can give answer without the need of any doubtful surmise or
conjecture. She knows it as well as if she herself had appointed the
place of rendezvous, given by Gaspar to the Indian girl. For while
riding double with the gaucho, she had heard him speak of it to his
companions; heard, despite the poncho spread over her ears, the word
_ceiba_, with others, which told of their intention to stay by that
tree.

The _cacique_ knows the noted spot, as well as Nacena herself, he too
having oft played beneath its shade, or climbed up its grand trunk and
disported himself among its branches, when more of a boy than he is now.

But he reflects not on thes