“Hauck.”

“Then it was Brokaw who went with Wapi.  Langdon and Henry went with him.  It is less than two miles to the lake, and they will be returning soon.  We must hurry!  Look—­it is growing dark!”

She ran from his arms to the window and he followed her.

“In—­fifteen minutes—­we will go, Sakewawin.  Tara is out there in the edge of the spruce.”  Her hand pinched his arm.  “Did you—­kill him?” she breathed.

“No.  I broke off a leg from the table and stunned him.”

“I’m glad,” she said, and snuggled close to him shiveringly.  “I’m glad, Sakewawin.”

In the darkness that was gathering about them it was impossible for him not to take her in his arms.  He held her close, bowing his head so that for an instant her warm face touched his own; and in those moments while they waited for the gloom to thicken he told her in a low voice what he had learned from Brokaw.  She grew tense against him as he continued, and when he assured her he no longer had a doubt her mother was alive, and that she was the woman he had met on the coach, a cry rose out of her breast.  She was about to speak when loud footsteps in the hall made her catch her breath, and her fingers clung more tightly at his shoulders.

“It is time,” she whispered.  “We must go!”

She ran from him quickly and from under the cot where the Indian lay dragged forth a pack.  He could not see plainly what she was doing now.  In a moment she had put a rifle in his hands.

“It belonged to Nisikoos,” she said.  “There are six shots in it, and here are all the cartridges I have.”

He took them in his hand and counted them as he dropped them into his pocket.  There were eleven in all, including the six in the chamber.  “Thirty-twos,” he thought, as he seized them up with his fingers.  “Good for partridges—­and short range at men!” He said, aloud:  “If we could get my rifle, Marge....”

“They have taken it,” she told him again.  “But we shall not need it. Sakewawin,” she added, as if his voice had revealed to her the thought in his mind; “I know of a mountain that is all rock—­not so far off as the one Tara and I climbed—­and if we can reach that they will not be able to trail us.  If they should find us....”

She was opening the window.

“What then?” he asked.

“Nisikoos once killed a bear with that gun,” she replied.

The window was open, and she was waiting.  They thrust out their heads and listened, and when he had assured himself that all was clear he dropped out the pack.  He lifted Marge down then and followed her.  As his feet struck the ground the slight shock sent a pain through his head that wrung a low cry from him, and for a moment he leaned with his back against the wall, almost overcome again by the sickening dizziness.  It was not so dark that the Girl did not see the sudden change in him.  Her eyes filled with alarm.