▁pick - a - back . ▁Their ▁h ats ▁were ▁restored ▁to ▁them ▁from ▁the ▁pl under ▁and ▁fair ▁progress ▁was ▁made .... " ▁ ▁Left ▁for ▁dead ▁▁ ▁Page ▁had ▁not ▁been ▁killed ▁and ▁returned ▁to ▁camp ▁to ▁discover ▁both ▁his ▁wife ▁and ▁Mer cedes ▁missing . ▁He ▁assumed ▁they ▁had ▁been ▁taken ▁by ▁Apache ▁and ▁gathered ▁Rand all ▁and ▁a ▁few ▁other ▁men ▁from ▁the ▁mill ▁to ▁help ▁follow ▁their ▁trail . ▁Just ▁before ▁sun set , ▁when ▁the ▁Apache ▁and ▁women ▁capt ives ▁were ▁about ▁ ▁from ▁the ▁camp , ▁east ▁of ▁the ▁present ▁day ▁Hel vet ia , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁Apache ▁noticed ▁Page ' s ▁party ▁approaching ▁from ▁behind . ▁The ▁Apache ▁quick ened ▁their ▁pace ▁but ▁L arc ena ▁could ▁not ▁keep ▁up . ▁While ▁the ▁group ▁was ▁standing ▁at op ▁a ▁r idge , ▁the ▁Apache ▁made ▁L arc ena ▁remove ▁her ▁sk irt ▁and ▁cor set . ▁As ▁she ▁turned ▁to ▁continue ▁walking , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁n atives ▁struck ▁her ▁in ▁the ▁back ▁with ▁a ▁lance . ▁She ▁fell ▁over ▁the ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁r idge , ▁about ▁sevent een ▁feet , ▁becoming ▁lod ged ▁against ▁a ▁p ine ▁tree . ▁The ▁Apache ▁followed ▁L arc ena ▁down ▁the ▁r idge , ▁thrust ing ▁their ▁spe ars ▁into ▁her ▁and ▁throwing ▁rocks ▁at ▁her . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁rocks ▁hit ▁L arc ena ▁in ▁the ▁face ▁and ▁she ▁fell ▁un cons cious . ▁ ▁The ▁Apache ▁drag ged ▁her ▁body ▁into ▁a ▁snow ▁bank