Page:The Prairie Flower; Or, Adventures In the Far West.djvu/93

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Leigh ton but I was so engaged in re flecting on a various matters, that I failed to catch the sound of your footsteps."

"I saw you were deeply abstracted, and would not have intruded on your privacy, only that I have a matter of some little moment to communicate."

"Indeed!" she rejoined, turning dead ly pale and trembling nervously : " I trust nothing has happened to to any one ?"

"Give yourself no uneasiness, dear Prai rie Flower. I have only come to thank you, and through you your friends, for the kindness and unbounded hospitality of all to myself and Hntly, and inform you that we are on the point of taking our de parture."

For a moment after I spoke, Prairie Flower stoo'd staring upon me with an expression of intense anguish, her breast hea\ ing tumultuously, and apparently with out the power to utter a syllable in reply. A*' length, placing her hand to her throat, as if she felt a choking sensation, she fairly gasped forth :

"Not not going surely?"

"I fear we must, dear Prairie Flower," I answered sadly for I felt touched to the very soul at this unusual display of feeling and sorrowful regret at our departure coming too from one to whom both Huntly and I were under such deep obligations for the preservation of our lives, and the many kindnesses we had received. "We have intruded upon your hospitality too long already," I continued, "and have at last decided to depart immediately."

"But but your wounds?"

"Are nearly healed."

"And your your strength?"

"Sufficient for the journey, I think."

"And whi her go you?"

"Over the mountains to Oregon, or California, as the case may be."

"But have you considered the dangers?"

"Everything."

"But the Indians maybe in your path?"

"We must take our chance, then, as be fore. We have decided on taking a new route, however, and consequently will avoid all ambuscades."

"Still there are ten thousand dangers or a new route. You may get lost, get ouried in the snows of the mountains, fall over some precipice or, escaping all these,

get captured by some roving tribe and put to the tortures."

"There are many dangers, sweet Prai rie Flower, as you say; but had we feared to encounter them, we should never have been here."

"But you have no horses."

"We can purchase them at Fort Lara- mie, together with what other things we may need.''

"You have no companions!"

"We may find some there, also if not, we can venture alone."

"But but . You will go, then?"

"I fear we must loth as we are to part from you and your people, with whom (I wish not to flatter when I say it) some of the happiest moments of my life have been spent."

For some time Prairie Flower did not reply, during which her eyes were cast upon the ground, and a look of deep sor row settled over her lovely features, and her bosom lieaved with internal emotions. Raising her soft, dark eyes again to mine, I was pained to behold them slightly dim med with tears, which she had striven in vain to repress.

"I did not think," she said, with a deep sigh, " that you would leave us so soon."

"Soon? dear Prairie Flower! God bless your noble soul! Soon, say you? Why, have we not been here two long months and more?"

"True," she answered, as I fancied a little reproachfully, " I had forgotten that the time must have seemed long to you." "Nay, sweet Prairie Flower, I meant not that. You are too sensitive you mis construe me. I only meant, it was long for utter strangers to share your hospitali ty, and trouble you with their presence."

"You would not trouble us if you staid forever," she rejoined, with an air of such sweet simplicity, that in spite of all my as sumed stoicism, I felt a tear trembling ia my eye.

Prairie Flower saw it, and quickly add ed, with an earnest, tender expression, which could only be realized by being seen :

"Oh sir! I fear I have wounded your feelings!"

No wonder Huntly was in love, if h had ever seen anything like tin's for witk