The house, we soon found, had been burnt down. Not a stick
remained. Where it had stood a heap of black ashes covered the
ground--nothing more. But on looking round we could discover no
sign of human beings having recently visited the spot. A rank
growth of grass and herbage now covered the once clear space
surrounding the site of the dwelling, and the ash-heap looked as
if it had been lying there for a month at least. As to what had
become of Rima the old man could say no word. He sat down on the
ground overwhelmed at the calamity: Runi's people had been there,
he could not doubt it, and they would come again, and he could
only look for death at their hands. The thought that Rima had
perished, that she was lost, was unendurable. It could not be!
No doubt the Indians tract come and destroyed the house during
our absence; but she had returned, and they had gone away again
to come no more. She would be somewhere in the forest, perhaps
not far off, impatiently waiting our return. The old man stared
at me while I spoke; he appeared to be in a kind of stupor, and
made no reply: and at last, leaving him still sitting on the
ground, I went into the wood to look for Rima.
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