"Ah, ah! The paleface escaped the redskins, but his own brothers have seized him."
"Is there another prisoner in this dungeon?" the hunter asked.
"Who may you be, comrade; and why do you seem to rejoice so greatly at my misfortune?"
"Running Water is a chief," the voice answered. "His heart is glad when he sees a paleface suffer."
"Much good may it do you, chief; but I don't exactly see what profit you can derive from my sufferings."
"Running Water is an enemy of the Yoris."
"In the first place, redskin, let us settle facts; I am not a Yori, but a Canadian hunter, which I take some pride in informing you is by no means the same thing."
"Does my brother speak truly? Is he really a great heart of the east?"
"I fancy that you can recognize that fact from my way of speaking Spanish. But where the deuce are you stowed away, chief, for I cannot see you?"
"I am close to my brother, seated on his right hand."
The hunter looked carefully in the direction which the strange speaker indicated, and at length distinguished a human form crouched in a corner of the wall.
"On my word," he continued, "I am not sorry to have someone to talk to, for time passes more quickly. Tell me, chief, what have you done to be here?"
"Are not the Indians hunted like wild beasts by the Yoris?" he answered, bitterly. "Is a pretext wanted to kill a redskin?"
"That is true, chief. You are right. It is unhappily but too true. And have you been a prisoner long?"
"Running Water fell into the trap he set for others. The sun was level with the lowest branches at the moment when his enemies threw him into this hole like an unclean beast."
"That is a sad thing for you, chief; the more so, as in all probability you will only leave it to march to your death."
"It will be welcome," the Indian said in a hollow voice, "since Running Water's vengeance has escaped him."
There was a silence, during which the two men reflected.--
"If you succeeded in getting out of this hole, as you term it so correctly," the Canadian presently continued, "and your liberty were restored you, would you be grateful to the man who did you so great a service?"
"My life would belong to him," the Indian exclaimed eagerly; but quickly recovering himself, he added, "Why should I believe such words? All the palefaces have crooked tongues; moreover, is not my brother a prisoner also?"