helpless, she thought! Flying through darkness to an end worse than
death! In the power of a naked savage! Her fear almost robbed her of
her reason.

After what seemed to her endless hours, the horses were stopped
suddenly. She felt her fastenings removed. Then Kut-le lifted her to
the ground where she tumbled, helpless, at his feet. He stooped and
took the gag from her mouth. Immediately with what fragment of
strength remained to her, she screamed again and again. The two
Indians stood stolidly watching her for a time, then Kut-le knelt in
the sand beside her huddled form and laid his hand on her arm.

"There, Rhoda," he said, "no one can hear you. You will only make
yourself sick."

Rhoda struck his hand feebly.

"Don't touch me!" she cried hoarsely. "Don't touch me, you beast! I
loathe you! I am afraid of you! Don't you dare to touch me!"

At this Kut-le imprisoned both her cold hands in one of his warm palms
and held them despite her struggles, while with the other hand he
smoothed her tumbled hair from her eyes.

"Poor frightened little girl," he said, in his rich voice. "I wish I
might have done otherwise. But there was no other way. I don't know
that I believe much in your God but I guess you do. So I tell you,
Rhoda, that by your faith in Him, you are absolutely safe in my hands!"

Rhoda caught her breath in a childlike sob while she sstill struggled