was at liberty in case it should spring towards them. But the animal
evidently had no taste that night for an encounter with human beings,
and slouched off and up the side of the ravine. The imprisoned animal,
they could see, was bleeding from a large wound on its back, and in the
moonlight its eyes shone like fire.

"Poor beast!" exclaimed Nautauquas compassionately. "I would free him if
he would let me touch him. As it is he will have to starve to death
unless his enemy comes back to finish him."

"No," said Pocahontas, "that need not be. I will loose him and bind up
his wound if thou wilt cut a strip off thy leggings."

"Silly child," he laughed. "A wild beast needs no balsam nor cloths for
his wounds. If he were free to drag himself to safety he would lick his
hurt till it healed. But he would bite thy hand off shouldst thou
attempt to touch him."

"Nay, Nautauquas, he would not harm me. See how quiet he will grow."

She knelt down just beyond the reach of the wildcat and began to whisper
to it. Nautauquas could not make out what she said, but to his amazement
he beheld how the beast ceased to lash its tail and how its muscles
seemed to relax. Nevertheless the young brave caught Pocahontas by the
arm and tried to pull her away.

"There is no danger, my brother," she remonstrated. "Fear not. Hast thou
not seen old Father Noughmass when the bees swarm over his neck and
hands? They never sting him. He cannot tell thee why, nor do I know why
wild beasts will not harm me."