"Wetzel may avenge her, but he can never save her. It"s too late.
h.e.l.lo---"
The exclamation was called forth by the appearance of Young, who entered with a rifle in his hands.
"George, where are you going with that gun?" asked Edwards, grasping his friend by the arm.
"I"m going after her," answered George wildly. He tottered as he spoke, but wrenched himself free from Dave.
"Come, George, listen, listen to reason," interposed Heckewelder, laying hold of Young. "You are frantic with grief now. So are all of us. But calm yourself. Why, man, you"re a preacher, not a hunter.
You"d be lost, you"d starve in the woods before getting half way to the Indian town. This is terrible enough; don"t make it worse by throwing your life away. Think of us, your friends; think of your Indian pupils who rely so much on you. Think of the Village of Peace. We can pray, but we can"t prevent these border crimes. With civilization, with the spread of Christianity, they will pa.s.s away.
Bear up under this blow for the sake of your work. Remember we alone can check such barbarity. But we must not fight. We must sacrifice all that men hold dear, for the sake of the future."
He took the rifle away from George, and led him back into the little, dark room. Closing the door he turned to Jim and Dave.
"He is in a bad way, and we must carefully watch him for a few days."
"Think of George starting out to kill Girty!" exclaimed Dave. "I never fired a gun, but yet I"d go too."
"So would we all, if we did as our hearts dictate," retorted Heckewelder, turning fiercely upon Dave as if stung. "Man! we have a village full of Christians to look after. What would become of them?
I tell you we"ve all we can do here to outwit these border ruffians.
Simon Girty is plotting our ruin. I heard it to-day from the Delaware runner who is my friend. He is jealous of our influence, when all we desire is to save these poor Indians. And, Jim, Girty has killed our happiness. Can we ever recover from the misery brought upon us by poor Kate"s fate?"
The missionary raised his hand as if to exhort some power above.
"Curse the Girty"s!" he exclaimed in a sudden burst of uncontrollable pa.s.sion. "Having conquered all other obstacles, must we fail because of wicked men of our own race? Oh, curse them!"
"Come," he said, presently, in a voice which trembled with the effort he made to be calm. "We"ll go in to Nellie."
The three men entered Mr. Wells" cabin. The old missionary, with bowed head and hands clasped behind his back, was pacing to and fro.
He greeted Jim with glad surprise.
"We want Nellie to see him," whispered Heckewelder. "We think the surprise will do her good."
"I trust it may," said Mr. Wells.
"Leave it to me."
They followed Heckewelder into an adjoining room. A torch flickered over the rude mantle-shelf, lighting up the room with fitful flare.
It was a warm night, and the soft breeze coming in the window alternately paled and brightened the flame.
Jim saw Nell lying on the bed. Her eyes were closed, and her long, dark lashes seemed black against the marble paleness of her skin.
"Stand behind me," whispered Heckewelder to Jim.
"Nellie," he called softly, but only a faint flickering of her lashes answered him.
"Nellie, Nellie," repeated Heckewelder, his deep, strong voice thrilling.
Her eyes opened. They gazed at Mr. Wells on one side, at Edwards standing at the foot of the bed, at Heckewelder leaning over her, but there was no recognition or interest in her look.
"Nellie, can you understand me?" asked Heckewelder, putting into his voice all the power and intensity of feeling of which he was capable.
An almost imperceptible shadow of understanding shone in her eyes.
"Listen. You have had a terrible shock, and it has affected your mind. You are mistaken in what you think, what you dream of all the time. Do you understand? You are wrong!"
Nell"s eyes quickened with a puzzled, questioning doubt. The minister"s magnetic, penetrating voice had pierced her dulled brain.
"See, I have brought you Jim!"
Heckewelder stepped aside as Jim fell on his knees by the bed. He took her cold hands in his and bent over her. For the moment his voice failed.
The doubt in Nell"s eyes changed to a wondrous gladness. It was like the rekindling of a smoldering fire.
"Jim?" she whispered.
"Yes, Nellie, it"s Jim alive and well. It"s Jim come back to you."
A soft flush stained her white face. She slipped her arm tenderly around his neck, and held her cheek close to his.
"Jim," she murmured.
"Nellie, don"t you know me?" asked Mr. Wells, trembling, excited.
This was the first word she had spoken in four days.
"Uncle!" she exclaimed, suddenly loosening her hold on Jim, and sitting up in bed, then she gazed wildly at the others.
"Was it all a horrible dream?"
Mr. Wells took her hand soothingly, but he did not attempt to answer her question. He looked helplessly at Heckewelder, but that missionary was intently studying the expression on Nell"s face.
"Part of it was a dream," he answered,impressively.
"Then that horrible man did take us away?"
"Yes."
"Oh-h! but we"re free now? This is my room. Oh, tell me?"
"Yes, Nellie, you"re safe at home now."
"Tell--tell me," she cried, shudderingly, as she leaned close to Jim and raised a white, imploring face to his. "Where is Kate?--Oh!
Jim--say, say she wasn"t left with Girty?"
"Kate is dead," answered Jim, quickly. He could not endure the horror in her eyes. He deliberately intended to lie, as had Heckewelder.
It was as if the tension of Nell"s nerves was suddenly relaxed. The relief from her worst fear was so great that her mind took in only the one impression. Then, presently, a choking cry escaped her, to be followed by a paroxysm of sobs.