"That's true," said Belhumeur, philosophically; "they are a great many, and yet, you know, my dear friend, that if your heart bids you, we can but try; who knows what may happen?" "Thanks!" said Loyal Heart, smiling; "but I think it useless." "As you like." "Stratagem alone can assist us." "Let us try stratagem, then; I am at your orders." "We have some traps near here, I believe?" "Pardieu!" said the Canadian, "within half a mile, at most, there is a large pond of beavers." "That's true; for the last few days, Belhumeur, I scarcely know what I am thinking about; this captivity of my mother makes me mad; I must deliver her, cost what it may." "That is my opinion, Loyal Heart, and I will aid you in it with all my soul." "Tomorrow morning, at daybreak, you will repair to Black Elk, and beg him, in my name, to collect as many white hunters and trappers as he can." "Very well." "In the meantime I will go to the camp of the Comanches, to treat for the ransom of my mother; if they will not restore her to me, we will have recourse to arms, and we will see if a score of the best rifles of the frontiers will not give a good account of five hundred of these plunderers of the prairies." "And if they should make you prisoner?" "In that case I will send you my bloodhound, who will come to you in the river grotto; on seeing it come alone, you will know what that means, and will act accordingly." The Canadian shook his head. "No," said he, "I shall not do so." "What! you will not do so?" the hunter exclaimed, in great surprise. "Certainly no, I will not do so, Loyal Heart. Compared with you, who are so brave and so intelligent, I am but little worth, I know; but if I have only one good quality, nothing can deprive me of it, and that quality is my devotedness to you." "I know it, my friend; you love me like a brother." "And you would have me leave you, as they say in my country beyond the great lakes, to go cheerfully into the jaws of the wolf; and yet my comparison is humiliating for the wolf, for the Indians are a thousand times more ferocious! No, I repeat, I will not do that; it would be a wicked action, and if any harm happened to you, I should never forgive myself." "Explain yourself, Belhumeur," said Loyal Heart, with a little impatience; "upon my honour I cannot possibly understand you." "Oh! that will be easy enough," the Canadian answered; "if I am not very clever, and am not an able speaker, I have good common sense, and can see my way clearly when those I love are concerned; and I love nobody better than you, now my poor father is dead." "Speak then, my friend," said Loyal Heart, "and pardon the little ill-humour I could not repress." Belhumeur reflected for a few seconds, and then continued:--