the poor lost lady, and as I tells 'em she's a-hiding a-purpose,
they think it a pore sort of joke till midnight catches 'em mighty
serious. Torches is carried here and there and everywhere, but no
use. You would think that the next day the crowd would naturally
look down in that crevice, but that's because I've posted you up on
where she is. There's lots of other crevices, and no reason as they
can see why Miss Sellimer should take the trouble to worm herself
down into any of 'em--and as nobody saw that Injun, how could they
suspicion foul play? It must of been AWFUL for pore Miss Sellimer,
all bound and gagged in that horrible way, but it takes heroic
treatment to get some cures--and so Lahoma went with 'em to spend
the winter."

"But the Indian-?"

"Needn't think about HIM no more, son, we got no more use for THAT
Injun. Well, on the next day, Lahoma is looking everywhere, being
urged on by me, and lo, and behold! when she comes to that crevice
--looked like she couldn't be induced to go there of her own will,
but it was brung about finally--what does she see but a tomahawk
lying right at the edge what must have been dropped there recent,
or the crowd would have saw it the day before. It come to her that
Miss Sellimer is a prisoner down below. She looks, but it's too
dark to see nothing. Not telling nobody for fear of starting up
false hopes, she gets a light and lowers it--and there is that
miserable young woman, bound and gagged and her pretty dress all
tore. Lahoma jumps to her feet to raise the cry, when she discovers
a ladder under a boulder which the Injun must have put there meaning
to descend to his victim when the coast was clear. Down she skins,
and frees Miss Sellimer, who's half dead, poor young lady! Lahoma