The woman now came and knelt by the girl's side. She looked into her
eyes, stroked her tangled hair, and touched the Love-Charm at her
throat.

"Poor babby! Poor babby!" she crooned. "Hard tam, eh? white man bad,
ugh!"

"Why do you say 'white man'?" Jean asked in surprise. "Indians carried
me away. You saw them this afternoon."

Suddenly a suspicion flashed into her mind, which caused her to sit
bolt upright. Did a white man have anything to do with it? And was
that man Seth Lupin? But why had she not seen him? Then she thought
of that wild cry of despair outside the lodge, which had caused her
such terror. She looked into the Indian woman's face.

"Tell me," she said. "Was it Seth Lupin?"

"A-ha-ha. Seth. Bad. Ugh!"

"Where is he now?"

The woman merely shook her head, and spoke a few rapid words to her
husband. She then turned to Jean and placed a light hand upon her
shoulder.

"No mind white man now. Babby tired."

Jean smiled as the woman pressed her gently back upon the soft furs,
and then stooped to take off her shoes. The latter were torn, and her