"On hearing these words, I was deeply moved, and seizing the hand of the young girl, 'Onoura--beautiful child,' I said in her ear, 'I have a little bird in my heart which is always singing and repeating your name. Does this bird sing in your heart?' She smiled, looked at me from under her eyelashes, and murmured, 'Night and day he whispers tender words in my ear, and repeats the name of the warrior who loves me. Does not Numank-Charake find his hut very solitary during the long winter nights, when the wind howls in the forest and the snow covers the earth?' 'My heart has long flown out to you,' I cried, warmly, 'from the first hour that I saw you amidst your companions. Do you love me?' 'For life,' she said, blushing deeply. 'Good,' said I, 'then I will attempt a new expedition to win the marriage presents, and ask you of your father. You will wait for me, Onoura?' 'I will wait for you, Numank. Am I not your slave for life?' and she gently pressed my hand. I then took a wampum off my neck, and placed it on hers. She kissed it, her eyes full of tears, and taking a gold ring from the thumb of her left hand, she placed it on one of my fingers. I allowed her to do so with a smile. 'You love me,' she said; 'nothing shall ever separate us,' and before I could say another word she fled as does the gazelle before the hunter. I followed her with my eyes as long as I could, and then when she had disappeared round a corner I thoughtfully took my way to my father's hut." The chief paused. After a few minutes the Canadian, finding that the other was not disposed to continue, touched him gently on the arm. "Why did Numank-Charake show such want of confidence in his brother?" asked the Canadian, reproachfully. "What does my brother Bright-eye mean?" asked the chief, with slight embarrassment. "My brother knows what I mean," said the Canadian, with great animation. "Born almost the same day, brought up together, having made our first trails together on the prairies, as also our first expedition against the Sioux and Piekanns, our hearts melted into one, I thought we had no secrets. I know who is the woman whom my brother loves, but why let me guess all about it, instead of telling me? Have I done anything to offend?" "Oh, Bright-eye, don't think that," cried the young man, eagerly; "but love delights in mystery." "And yet it likes to confide its sorrows and its joys to the heart of a friend. On that very same night when she had this interview with the chief, Evening Dew--Nouma Hawa--on her return to her hut, told her brother all. Her heart overflowed with joy, and she could not repress her feelings." "Then Evening Dew owned her love to Bright-eye?" "Am I not her brother, and your best friend?" "True. Let my brother forgive me; I was wrong not to place confidence in him. Perhaps I was fearful he might disapprove of it." "On the contrary, it carries out my dearest wishes, and binds us more and more to one another."