“Who is it?”

“Her name is Nesis.  She is the youngest of the four wives of Watusk.”  Ambrose told her story briefly and baldly.

“So!” said the inspector with a peculiar smile.  “According to your own story you eloped with Watusk’s wife.  Upon my word!  Do you expect a jury to attach any weight to her evidence?”

“I take my chance of that,” said Ambrose.  “If you want to get at the truth you must find her.”

“I’ll have a search made at once.”

“Watch Watusk,” warned Ambrose.  “He’ll stop at nothing to keep her evidence out of court—­not even murder.”

The inspector smiled in an annoyed way.  Ambrose’s attitude did not agree with his preconceptions.

However, he immediately rode back to the Kakisa village with three troopers.  In an hour he sent one of the men back for Watusk.  In two hours they all returned—­without Nesis.

Ambrose’s heart sank like a stone.  By instinct he strove to conceal his discouragement from his enemies under a nonchalant air.

The inspector, feeling that some explanation was due to Ambrose, had him brought to his tent again.

“I have searched,” he said.  “I can find no trace of any such person as you describe.”

“Naturally, not with Watusk’s help,” said Ambrose bitterly.

The inspector bit his lip.  According to his lights he was honestly trying to be fair to the prisoner.

“First I searched the teepees myself,” he condescended to explain.  “It appears there are several girls by that name.  When I called on Watusk I had him watched and checked.”

“The Indians were primed in advance,” said Ambrose.  “Watusk can pull wool over your eyes.”

“Silence!” cried the exasperated inspector.  “Your story is preposterous anyway.  Pure romance.  Nevertheless I have instructed Sergeant Plaskett to continue the search.  If any such girl should be found, which would surprise me, she will be sent out.  You can go.”

Inspector Egerton with half his force started back for the Kakisa River en route to Fort Enterprise that same afternoon.  They convoyed seven prisoners, and five additional members of the Kakisa tribe, whom Watusk had indicated would be material witnesses.

Ambrose watched Watusk ingratiating himself with bitterness at his heart.  The Indian ex-leader’s air of penitent eagerness to atone for past misdeeds was admirable.

They rode hard, and crossed the river before making their first camp.  The next day they covered sixty miles, reaching a station established by Inspector Egerton on the way over, where they found fresh horses.  At the end of the third day they camped within thirty miles of Fort Enterprise.

Ambrose could never afterward think of these days without an inward shudder.  Pain angered him.  Outwardly he looked the hard and reckless character they thought him, because his sensibilities were raw and quivering.