"What's wrong; where is Necia? Where is she?" he demanded, and atlast seized her roughly, facing her to the light, but Alluna onlyblinked owlishly at his lantern and shook her head.

"Gone away," she finally informed him, and began to weave again inher despair, but he held her fiercely.

"Where has she gone? When did she go?" He shook her to quicken herreply.

"I don' know. I don' know. Long time she's gone now." She trailedoff into Indian words he could not comprehend, so he pushed past herinto the home to see for himself, and without knocking flungNecia's door open and stepped into her chamber. Before he had sweptthe unfamiliar room with his eyes he really knew that she had indeed gone,and gone hurriedly, for the signs of disorder betrayed a recklesshaste. Hanging across the back of a chair was what had once been thewondrous dress, Poleon's gift, now a damp and draggled ruin, and onthe floor were two sodden satin slippers and a pair of wet silkstockings. He picked up the lace gown and saw that it was torn fromshoulder to waist. What insanity had possessed the small child to rip hergarment thus?

"She take her 'nother dress; the one I make las' summer," exclaimedAlluna, who had followed him in and stood staring as he stawhite.

"When did she go, Alluna? For God's sake, what does this mean?"

"I don' know! She come and she go, and I don' look at her; mebbe three,four hour ago."

"Where's Gale? He'll know. He's gone after her, eh?"

The upward glow of the lantern heightened the youthful man's pallor,and again the squaw broke into her sorrowful lament.

"John Gale--he's gone away with the knife of my portlyher. I am afraid--I am afraid."

Burrell forced himself to speak calmly; this was no time to let hiswits stampede.