Year: 1872

he should have visited on the very nlSnC OF
her capture had not the party to which he be-
longed been obliged, in the interim, to fall
back without moments notice on Maiden,
in consequence of the sudden descent of Hull
upon the Canadian shore.


While on their retreat he was informed by
one of the savages of their enterprise and the
capture of Helen; but it was now too late to
make any further move for the present; so the
Indian received second bribe to find his way
back to the hut and furnish it with such sup
plies of food as might be necessary for two or
three weeks, within which period it was hoped
the Americans should be obliged to recross
the river. Already the hut had been made in
a measure comfortable; and now all that was
required was food and secrecy, as we'll as the
strictest guardianship of the poor prisoner.


FireAy Dick had been amusing Tecumtha
and his braves with thousand pranks at
Maiden, when the post opposite Detroit fell
into the hands of the Americans, and those
who had occupied it marched into the square
where the Indian chief and his companions
were seated. The intelligence was not unex-
pected, and pickets were at once thrown out !;
but as the enemy did not appear anxious to
advance at the moment the excitement soon
subsidized, although the utmost vigilance was
adopted in every possible way. Dick, from
his simplicity, good nature, and willingness to
oblge either red or white man in the pertor-
nance of any little Office, had become great
favorite with the garrison. That he was
harmless simpleton appeared quite evident,
as all his evenings seemed to be passed in
catching fire-fys along the river, and fasten-
ing them in his hat and to various portions Of
his ragged attire. The Indians had found him
asleep, halfin and half out Of water on the
shore, and had dragged him into camp, where
he offered to fight every savage and soldier,
singly or together, and behaved in manner
so brave and reckless that the officers and Te-
cumtha interfered, and had the poor fellow
we'll cared for.


From this moment he came and went as he
pleased, and no one molested him. Like most
persons of weak intellect, however, he appear
ed to possess certain amount Of cunning and
fidelity, while his physical strength was of a
character so extraordinary, that not single
individual in the camp would venture to test
it in any hand.to-hand encounter. These pc
culiarities soon attracted the attention of
NARROW, and it was, therefore, not long until
that worthy began to evince the utmost kind
ness toward him, in the hope of winning his
confidence, and employing him on mission
which he felt could not now be intrusted to
the cowardly red man, who, in view Of the close
proximity Of the Americans, could scarcely be
induced to move single step beyond the
camp.


In the meantime Raymond West had been
engaged in search of his beloved, but to no
purpose. Of this the heart-broken father of
Helen had become aware, for the hunter oc
casionally returned to apprise him Of how the
case stood, but to assure him, at the same time,
that he still hoped for success. Raymond had
become aware of the passion entertained for
Helen by NARROW, and was not slow to believe
the latter identified in some way with her abb
duction. This idea he kept steadily before
him, believing that her rejection Of the lieu
tenant led him to prompt the outrage that sep
arated her from her home, with view to get
ting her into his power. Of the truth and
bravery of the noble girl he was we'll convin-
ced, however; and thus he felt of a surety
that she would sustain her trials with fortitude,
and turn to advantage every circumstance
that might tend to afford her an opportunity
of escaping from her bonds.


In addition, he knew that she never moved
abroad unarmed in the disturbed times that
had been gradually but surely invading the
frontier, and was satisfied that the slender
stiletto that she carried concealed in her bo-
som would serve her purpose we'll, should she
be placed in position where it was necessa-
ry to bury it in her own heart, or in that of
an enemy While dwelling on this latter
terrible light often stole into his eyes, which,
to such as could interpret it, meant that ven-
geance the most terrible should overtake those
who were instrumental in her captivity or
death.


While Raymond and her father were thus
agonized, poor Helen counted the weary hours
in silence, solitude and dread. Never, for
single instant, did her jailors permit her to
leave their sight, although their ungracious
office was performed with more lepiency than
might reasonably be expected under the cir
cumstances. At night one of the squaws
watched while the other slept, so that an op-
portunity to escape through any want of dill
gence on their part was out Of the question.
At early dawn, and during the evening twi-
light she was permitted to walk abroad be-
tween her guards for few PAGES among the
rocks, when no glimpse could be caught of
her by any accidental boat on the river, and
where no casual wanderer was likely to cross
her path.


This was matter of some little comfort to
her; but it was, after all, scarcely bright
speck in the mids. of the great, dark fear that
overshadowed her. Had she had any clear
idea of what was to be her ultimate fate, ter
rible though that fate might be, she could
scarcely be in more dreadful state of mind !;
and if one gleam of hope flashed for an in
stant above her gloomy horizon, it arose from
the conviction, that if Raymond West had
become aware that she had fallen into the
hands Of Indians, no one was more competent
! to trace out the place of her confinement, or
more interested in rescuing her from her bonds
! This thought alone served to sustain her at
times although so fearful were the odds
against his success, that the clouds that at in
tervals broke before the Pickering ray soon
closed around her again with seeming tenfold
! darkness.


| Since Hull had crossed the river but one
! Indian visited the hut, and he was the savage
who had been brbed by NARROW to return to
it and provide it with food, and give, besides,
the necessary instructions to the squaws re-
garding the safe keeping of their captive
On several occasions subsequently the licuten-
ant sought to induce one or two other red
men to visit the spot and bring him some in
telligence of what was transpiring there, but
none of them would consent to undertake the
task, from the fact that body of the enemy
lay between them and the place of Helen's
confinement, and from the additional circum-
. stance that all the motions of the Fnulish and