es, sailing like
hawks.

A warrior of the Yellow-Eyes came to meet them, waving a white cloth
from his gun-barrel after the manner of his people, and the two
peace-bearers shook hands. Breaking into a run, the red line swept on,
their ponies' legs beating the ground in a vibratory whirl, their plumes
swishing back in a rush of air, and with yelps which made the white men
draw their guns into a menacing position.

At a motion of the chief's arm, the line stopped. The Yellow-Eyed men
rose slowly from the grass and rested on their long rifles, while their
chief came forward.

For a long time the two head men sat on their ponies in front of the
horsemen, speaking together with their hands. Not a sound was to be
heard but the occasional stamp of a pony's hoof on the hard ground.
The beady eyes of the Chis-chis-chash beamed malevolently on the white
chief--the blood-thirst, the warrior's itch, was upon them.

After an understanding had been arrived at, the Indian war-chief
turned to his people and spoke. "We will go back to our village. The
Yellow-Eyes do not want us among their carts--they are afraid. We will
camp near by them to-night, and tomorrow we will exchange gifts. Go
back, Chis-chis-chash, or the white chief says it is war. We do not
want war." This and much more said the chief and his older men to the
impulsive braves, whose uncontrollable appetites had been whetted by the
sight of the carts. The white man was firm and the Indians drew off to
await the coming of the village.

The two camps were pitched that night two miles apart; the Yellow-Eyes
intrenched behind their packs and carts, while the Indians, being in
overwhelming strength, did much as usual, except that the camp-soldiers
drove the irrepressible boys back, not minding to beat their ponies
with their whips when they were slow to go. There was nothing that a boy
could do except obey when the camp-soldier spoke to him. He was the one
restraint they had, the only one.

But as a mark of honor, the Bat and Red Arrow were given the
distinguished honor of observing the Yellow-Eyed camp all night, to note
its movements if any occurred, and with high hearts they sat under
a hill-top all through the cold darkness, and their souls were much
chastened by resisting the impulses to run off the white man's ponies,
which they conceived to be a very possible undertaking. The Bat even
declared that if he ever became a chief this policy of inaction would be
followe