“I can follow, Nick—­having come so far, why distrust me, now?”

“’Cause he here—­down dere—­woman love man; man love woman—­dat right; but, no show it, when scalp in danger.”

“Perhaps I do not understand you, Tuscarora—­but, my trust is in God; he is a support that can uphold any weakness.”

“Good!—­stay here—­Nick come back, in minute.”

Nick now descended to the passage between the rocks and the lean-to, in order to make certain that the major still remained in his prison, before he incurred any unnecessary risk with Maud.  Of this fact he was soon assured; after which he took the precaution to conceal the pool of blood, by covering it with earth and stones.  Making his other observations with care, and placing the saw and chisel, with the other tools, that had fallen from the captain’s hand, when he received his death-wound, in a position to be handy, he ascended the path, and rejoined Maud.  No word passed between our heroine and her guide.  The latter motioned for her to follow; then he led the way down to the cabin.  Soon, both had entered the narrow passage; and Maud, in obedience to a sign from her companion, seated herself on the precise spot where her father had been found, and where the knife had passed into his heart.  To all this, however, Nick manifested the utmost indifference.  Everything like ferocity had left his face; to use his own figurative language, his sores smarted no longer; and the expression of his eye was friendly and gentle.  Still it showed no signs of compunction.

Chapter XXVII.

                   “Her pallid face displayed
  Something, methought, surpassing mortal beauty. 
  She presently turn’d round, and fixed her large, wild eyes. 
  Brimming with tears, upon me, fetch’d a sigh,
  As from a riven heart, and cried:  He’s dead!”

Hillhouse.

Maud had been so earnest, and so much excited, that the scarcely reflected on the singularity and novelty of her situation, until she was seated, as described at the close of the last chapter.  Then, indeed, she began to think that she had embarked in an undertaking of questionable prudence, and to wonder in what manner she was to be useful.  Still her heart did not fail her, or her hopes altogether sink.  She saw that Nick was grave and occupied, like a man who intended to effect his purpose at every hazard; and that purpose she firmly believed was the liberation of Robert Willoughby.

As for Nick, the instant his companion was seated, and he had got a position to his mind, he set about his business with great assiduity.  It has been said that the lean-to like the cabin, was built of logs; a fact that constituted the security of the prisoner.  The logs of the lean-to, however, were much smaller than those of the body of the house, and both were of the common white pine of the country; a wood of durable qualities, used as it was here,