o. But they were still farther off.
They were standing on a high ground in the shelter of a bluff of trees.
Their direction was towards the river, where the Indian had led them
earlier in the night.

The fire licked up towards the heavy sky in jagged tongues of flame.
The Indians were held fascinated by their own terror. The others were
waiting for other reasons.

Two figures were on the ground. One was squatting on his heavy
buttocks. The other was stretched prone and helpless. Two men were
standing guard, their eyes wide for that which was to come. The Indian
Charley was absent. He had gone to summon aid from the river.

That which was awaited came when the fire was at its height. It came
with a roar, tossing the licking flames into a wild chaos of protest.
They were swept apart, and a great detonation boomed across to
expectant ears. A pillar of smoke and flame shot up to the heavens.
Then a deluge of smoke partially obscured all vision.

"Good!" Kars' monosyllable was full of intense satisfaction.

"They'll go hungry for fighting fodder," said Bill.

Nor was there any less satisfaction in his comment.

CHAPTER XXX

THE END OF THE TERROR

Kars stood on the embankment watching the receding form of the aged
chief, Thunder-Cloud, taking his departure with his escort. It was an
outfit to inspire ridicule, were it not for the seriousness lying
behind the human passions governing the situation. Kars understood.
Those with him understood. Peigan Charley alone lacked appreciation.
He regretted the old man's coming under a truce. He even more
regretted his departure--whole. But then Peigan Charley was a savage,
and would never be otherwise.

The old man tottered along over the rough foreshore which had been
cleared of its human debris. His blanket-clad shoulders, though gay
with color, were bowed with senility, a mockery of the vaunting
splendor which glared out in vivid stripes. His escort, too, was
mostly elderly. There were no fighting men in it. They were the
counselors, who worked overtime with inadequate brains, and delivered
the result by word of mouth with all the confidence of their kind.

It had been an interesting moment for the leaders of the camp. For
Kars it had been something in the nature of a triumph. It had yielded
him his reward for a superlative effort of reckless daring, in which
the loyalty of his companions had helped him.

The old man had talked. He had babble