war cry of victory, just as
I have done these many days. Hast thou sat among the wise men of our
people long enough to learn what thou must do then--when the enemy
laughs over my body?'

"'Yes,' replied the boy, 'I am thy nearest of kin. Indian law demands
that I alone must avenge thy death. Thy murderer must die, and die by
no hand but mine. It is the law.'

"'It is the law,' echoed the chief. 'I can trust you to carry it out,
eh, Little Brother?'

"'You can trust me, no matter how great a giant thy enemy may be,'
answered the boy.

"'Thy words are as thy name,' smiled the chief. 'Thou art indeed worthy
of thy eagle plume. Thou art a true Ok-wa-ho.' Then placing his scalping
knife in its sheath at his belt he lifted his palm to his lips, a long,
strange, quivering yell rent the forest trails--a yell of defiance, of
mastery, of challenge; his feet were upon the warpath once more.

"That night, while the campfires yet glowed and flickered, painting the
forest with black shadows, against which curled the smoke from many pipe
bowls, a long, strange, haunting note came faintly down on the wings of
the water--the dark river whispering past bore on its deep currents the
awful sound of the Death Cry.

"'Some mighty one has fallen,' said the old men. 'The victor is voicing
his triumph from far upstream.' Then as the hours slipped by, a runner
came up the forest trail, chanting the solemn song of the departed. As
he neared the campfires he ceased his song, and in its place gave once
again the curdling horror of the Death Cry.

"'Who is the victor? Who the fallen brave?' cried the old men.

"'Thy chief this hour hunts buffalo in the happy hunting grounds, while
his enemy, Black Star, of the Bear Clan, sings the war song of the Great
Unconquered,' replied the runner.

"'Ah, ha!' replied the old men. 'Ok-wa-ho here is next of kin, but this
stripling boy is too young, too small, to face and fight Black Star. But
the law is that no other hand but his may avenge his brother's death.
So our great dead chief must sleep--sleep while his murderer sings and
taunts us with his freedom.'

"'Not so!' cried the young Ok-wa-ho. 'I shall face Black Star. I shall
obey the law of my people. My hand is small but strong, my aim is sure,
my heart is brave, and my vengeance will be swift.'

"Before the older men could stay him he was away, but first he snatched
the silver chain from off his tomahawk, emptied the bowl of tobacco,
destroy