Her fears were now greatly increased.  She had heard of people being carried off by Indians, and tales of cruelty and insult worse than death lingered in her mind.  What was the fate in store for her?  Why had the Indians carried her off?  She had not harmed them.  The more she thought, the more puzzled she became.  She shivered as she sat crouched there.  The night was cold, and the wind piercing as it whipped across the water.  For protection she drew around her shoulders a blanket which had been placed over her body when she was unconscious.  That the Indians must have done this was a faint ray of light in the darkness of her despair.  There must be some spark of feeling in their savage hearts, at any rate.  She longed to see their faces.  Were they hard and brutal, or did they exhibit some signs of friendliness?  She thought of Dane and Pete.  How soon they would hasten to her assistance if they knew of her trouble.  But how would they know where she was?  She pictured the consternation of all, and the grief of her father and Dane upon their return home.  She knew how the latter would spare no efforts to find her.  And her poor father!  A moan escaped her lips as she thought of his agony of soul.  She looked wildly around, but only the blackness of night could she see.  Her eyes sought the stars.  How far away and cheerless were those twinkling lights.  What did they care for her troubles?

And as she looked, there came into her mind the opening lines of one of the psalms, “Unto Thee lift I up mine eyes, O Thou that dwellest in the heavens.”  How often she had heard those words at church, but never until now had they meant comfort and hope.  They were a light to her in her darkness.  There was One who could and would help and to Him alone she must now turn.  Bowing her head, she appealed to Him, and asked Him to watch over her, to keep her from all dangers, and to take her safely back home.

A sense of security such as she had never before known possessed her.  A great presence seemed near, overshadowing her, and giving her a new strength and courage.  Despair was replaced by hope, and she felt that she could face the future with confidence.  No longer did the stars seem cheerless.  Instead, they were eyes smiling down upon her, telling her to be brave, that the One who guided them in their course would not forsake her.  She determined not to lament.  She would show the Indians that a white girl could suffer and be strong.

Slowly the dawn of a new day edged into the night, and the stars faded one by one.  Jean could see her captors now quite distinctly.  They were great stalwart natives, whose faces betrayed neither friendliness nor hostility.  They never even glanced at her, but seemed entirely bent upon their work.