"Is she with you, Mrs. Chamberlain?" "No, no; she is not here," cried a dozen voices. The anxious father called, "Halt! halt! We must not leave till we can find Abbie." "Wait a moment," said Bearie. "It has just occurred to me that Abbie left us about ten minutes ago, remarking that she had lost her muff, and was going to search for it at the foot of the hill." They called and searched in vain, and suddenly the Chief said: "Where is Machecawa?" "He left some time ago on snow-shoes," said one of the party. "Follow him up, boys," he said. "Trace the track of the snow-shoes through the woods. The moon will furnish sufficient light." Fully a dozen volunteers responded, and hastened through the woods in the direction of the Indian's camp, where they found the Red Chief and his friends before the fire smoking. "Have you seen Mr. Wright's daughter, Abbie?" asked Mr. Bancroft. They shook their heads and did not move from their lazy attitudes before the fire, except Machecawa, who was on his feet in a moment, and led the way back to the sugar bush at a slow trot. In the meantime Bearie and Thomas Brigham had followed a track leading from the foot of the hill where they had been coasting into the woods. They waded through drifts knee deep, through a forest almost impenetrable, and to their amazement found the object of their search securely lashed to a tree by a long strip of deerskin, blindfolded, and with a red handkerchief tied over her mouth. Hurriedly releasing her, they searched the neighborhood, but could find no trace of the perpetrator of the deed. She was suffering from hysteria, and could hardly give an intelligible account of what had happened. "I saw my muff in the snow," she said, "and was stooping to pick it up when someone suddenly threw a cloth over my face and tied my hands. It was all done so suddenly and gently that I had not time to see who it was, and thought it was one of the boys who had done it in jest. The truth dawned upon me when I began to struggle to get free and found myself half-dragged, half-carried through the deep snow and tied to a tree. I was nearly insane with terror. If ever I prayed in my life I prayed then to be released." On their return home they were met by Mr. Wrenford, who asked if they had had an enjoyable time. Phil, in a very excited manner, gave an account of the attempted abduction of his sister, whereupon the tutor exclaimed: "Most mysterious! What treachery! What villainy! Evidently the infamous work of Indians. Where was your friend, Machecawa?" he said, addressing Abbie. "Machecawa had absolutely nothing to do with it," replied Bearie, sharply, "nor had any of his tribe, for the tracks were made by hob-nail boots--not moccasins." CHAPTER XIII. _ACCIDENTAL AND CONFIDENTIAL._ 1815. Mr. Wrenford, the bookkeeper, whose tutoring days were now over, sat at his desk in the office, reading letters which had come by morning post addressed to the firm.