Though the starlight is brighter than ever, Molly does not see the lariat, but there is something, something,—­what is it?—­that prompts her to fling herself forward face downwards upon Tam’s mane; and the lariat that was about to drop over her head once more falls harmless to the ground, and Tam once more seems to know what danger has been escaped, and starts forward again with an exultant bound.  They are almost there!  Molly sees the smoke from the tepees of the reservation, and a light from a log cabin, and draws a breath of relief.  But not yet, O brave little frontier girl, O gallant little steed, is the race won and the danger passed!  Not yet, oh, not yet! for just ahead there is a treacherous pitfall which neither Tam nor his mistress sees,—­a hollow that some little animal has burrowed out, and into this Tam plunges a forefoot, stumbles, and falls!

CHAPTER III.

“She said, ’I sha’n’t forget; I sha’n’t break my promise.  You’ll see, on Christmas eve, I shall send you a Christmas present, sure.  Now remember.’  On Christmas eve!  And to-night is Christmas eve!”

Wallula had said this over and over to herself ever since the sun went down.  She had kept count of the days from the day that Molly had made her that vehement promise.  That promise meant so much to Wallula.  It meant not merely a gift, but keeping faith, holding on, making real friends with an Indian girl.  And her mother had said, “She’ll forget, like the rest.  White peoples always forget what they say to Indians.”  And her father had nodded his head when her mother said this.  But Wallula had shaken her head, and declared with passionate emphasis more than once,—­

“Major Molly will never forget,—­never!  You’ll see, you’ll see!”

Wallula had awakened very early that morning, and the minute she opened her eyes she thought, “This is the day before Christ’s day.  To-night, ’bout sundown, Major Molly’ll keep her promise.”  All through the day this happy thought was uppermost.  In the afternoon she followed Major Molly’s instructions, and hung pine wreaths about the cabin.

The short afternoon sped on, and sundown came, and the gray dusk, and then the stars came out.

“Where’s your Major Molly now?” asked the mother.  There was a sharp accent in the Indian woman’s voice, and a bitter expression on her face.  But it was not for Wallula; it was for the white girl,—­the Major Molly who, in breaking her promise to Wallula, had brought suffering upon her; for on Wallula’s face the mother could see by this time the shadow of disappointment gathering.  It made her think of Metalka.  Metalka had gone amongst the white people.  She had come back full of belief in them, and it was the white people’s white traders with their lies and their broken promises that had hurt Metalka to death.  There was only little Wallula left now.  Was it going the same way with Wallula?  These were some of the Indian mother’s bitter resentful thoughts as she watched Wallula’s face.