The embers on the had smouldered so low that they were points of light that served to make the gloom deeper and more . But suddenly a half-burned stick fell apart, and a little twist of flame filled almost the entire room with light.  
By its illumination the Indian was seen at the foot of the ladder, his rifle grasped in his left hand, his right at his , while his body was in the attitude of intense attention, and as if he were on the point of making a leap forward.
 
He happened to be looking toward the fireplace; but, fortunately for the women, both were gazing straight at him. He glanced to the right and left, and, sight of the figures behind him, wheeled like a panther, emitting a of at the knowledge that he had found his victims at last.
 
But the first of his serpent-like eyes showed the white woman, as immovable as a statue, with her rifle levelled at his chest and her delicate on the trigger.
 
Mrs. Shirril had the drop on him!
 
“If you move, I will shoot you dead!” she said in a low voice, in which there was not the first .
 
Possibly the Comanche did not understand the English tongue, but he could not mistake her meaning. He knew that on the first motion to raise his rifle, draw his knife, or take one step toward the couple, he would be where he stood. He, therefore, remained as motionless as she who held him at her mercy.
 
The tiny twist of flame on the hearth, that had served our friends so well, would soon burn itself out; it was already , and, if left alone, the room would soon be in darkness again, and the situation would undergo a change.
 
“Dinah,” said her mistress, without changing 161her position, or raising her voice, “keep the fire burning!”
 
“Yes’m, I will,” she replied, hurriedly across the floor to the hearth, where she stooped down. She scorned to turn out of the way of the prisoner, lest he should fancy he was held in fear. She passed him almost close enough to touch, and showed her contempt by shaking her fist at him.
 
“Oh, you willian! I’d like to your neck for comin’ into my dispartment without axin’ permission.”
 
A strange shot from the eyes of the as they followed her for a moment, but he neither moved nor , his gaze again to his .
 
Under the manipulation of Dinah’s fingers, the flames shot up with more than before. Then, recalling the risk that this involved, Mrs. Shirril told her to come to her side, where she would be out of range of any of their enemies who might be near the windows.
 
“That will burn for a considerable time,” added the lady, referring to the fire the servant had renewed, “so, if you please, you may go to the and see how the captain is getting along.”
 
“Wouldn’t you like to do that, missis?” asked Dinah.
 
“But I must watch this person.”
 
“I’ll do dat.”
 
Her mistress, however, read her meaning in her tones and manner. She was eager to get a chance at the fellow, and, if she did, even for only a few seconds, it would go hard with him.
 
“No; I will attend to him; do as I told you.”
 
There was no questioning the decision of the little lady, and Dinah, with another threatening gesture at the painted face of the , went by him and began climbing the ladder.
 
“Neber mind,” she said to herself, though her mistress overheard the words, “when I come downstairs again, I’ll cot............