fondly brushing back a stray lock from the forehead of the little
maid.

"I have no doubt that your chief is good, brave, and handsome; but
he should be all these in a high degree before he is worthy to get
such a girl as yourself, ma Julie. Now, away to your bed, and sleep
of your lover. I go, too, for I am tired."

With the morrow's sun all the neutral tribes were astir and mixing
their paint; and long before Annette or her little maid had risen,
Colonel Marton had saddled his horse, and ridden towards the
rendez-vous at Burnt Hills.

The bright, windless day passed over the prairie, and whenever
Annette spoke of the bravery of Captain Stephens, Julie would tell
some praises of the chief with the graceful loins and the great
luminous eye.

"Your lover has said that he would come to see you, Julie, but, ah
me, in these troublesome times Captain Stephens can no more return to
our cottage. Do you know, my little friend, that I cannot bear being
cooped up here during all this strife and tumult, when brave men and
defenceless women are at the mercy of savages and ill-advised men of
our own class. There have been evil and oppressive doings by
government and its agents, but I do not think that Monsieur Riel and
my father have taken the prudent course to remove the wrongs. It will
not be fair or honorable war; for when the savage and cruel instincts
of the red men are once aroused, they will treat the innocent like
the guilty, and neither woman nor child will be safe from their
horrible vengeance. Therefore, Annette, I have made up my mind to go