The old servant sighed, pressed the hand of Loyal Heart warmly, and placing the lifeless form of his mistress before him in the saddle, he turned his horse's head and left the camp slowly, no one attempting to oppose his departure. Loyal Heart looked after his mother as long as he could see her; then, when she disappeared, and the steps of the horse that bore her could no longer be heard, he breathed a deep, broken sigh, and passing his hand over his brow, murmured,-- "All is ended! My God, watch over her!" Then, turning towards the Indian chief who surveyed him in silence, mingled with respect and admiration--he said in a firm clear voice, and with a contemptuous look,-- "Comanche warriors! you are all cowards! brave men do not torture women!" Eagle Head smiled. "We shall see," he said ironically, "if the pale trapper is as brave as he pretends to be." "At least I shall know how to die like a man," he replied haughtily. "The mother of the hunter is free." "Yes. Well! what do you want with me?" "A prisoner has no arms." "That's true," he said, with a smile of contempt, "I will give you mine." "Not yet, if you please, good friend!" said a clear, sarcastic voice; and Belhumeur rode up, bearing across the front of his saddle a child of four or five years of age, and a rather pretty young Indian Squaw securely fastened to the tail of his horse. "My son! my wife!" cried Eagle Head, in great terror. "Yes," said the Canadian jeeringly, "your wife and child, whom I have made prisoners. Ah ah! that is pretty well played, is it not?" At a signal from his friend, Loyal Heart bounded on the woman, whose teeth chattered with fear, and who cast terrified looks on all sides. "Now," Belhumeur continued with a sinister smile, "let us talk a bit; I think I have equalized the chances a little--what say you?" And he placed the muzzle of a pistol to the brow of the little creature, which uttered loud cries on feeling the cold iron. "Oh!" cried Eagle Head, in a tone of despair, "my son! restore me my son!" "And your wife--do you forget her?" Belhumeur replied, with an ironical smile, and shrugging his shoulders. "What are your conditions?" Eagle Head asked. END OF THE FIRST PART. PART II. WAKTEHNO--"he who kills." CHAPTER I. LOYAL HEART. The position was completely changed. The hunters, who a moment before were at the mercy of the Indians, felt they were not only in a manner free, but that they had it in their power to impose hard conditions. Many guns were levelled in the direction of the Canadian--many arrows were pointed towards him; but, at a signal from Eagle Head, the guns were recovered, and the arrows were returned to the quivers.