pped limp
and helpless to the ground, as a man does when he is stabbed to the
heart.

The savages knew the symptoms well--too well! They rose, breathless,
and each looked inquiringly at the other, as though to say, "Who did the
deed?" Before they discovered that the deed had not been done at all,
Stalker sprang up, knocked down two of them, overturned the third, and,
bounding into the bushes, was out of sight in a few seconds.

The whole band, of course, went yelling after him, except their chief,
who stood with an angry scowl upon his visage, and awaited the return of
his braves.

One by one they came back panting and discomfited, for the white robber
had outrun them all and got clear away.

"Well, now, it was cliverly done," remarked Paddy Flinders, finding his
tongue at last; "an' I raly can't but feel that he desarves to git off
this time. All the same I hope he'll be nabbed at last an' recaive his
due--bad luck to him!"

"Now, Redskin--" began Bevan.

"My name is Unaco," interrupted the chief, with a look of dignity.

"Well, then, Unaco," continued Bevan, "since ye must see that we have
nothing whatever to do wi' the blackguard that's just given ye the slip,
I hope you'll see your way to untie our hands an' let us go."

"You may not belong to that man's band," answered the chief, in his own
tongue, "but you are a white man, and by white men I have been robbed of
my wife and child. Your lives are forfeited. You shall be slaves to
those whom you call Redskins, and this girl with the sunny hair shall
replace the lost one in my wigwam."

Without deigning to listen to a reply, Unaco turned and gave orders to
his men, who at once brought up the horse and pony, set Betty and Tolly
thereon, lifted Tom Brixton on their shoulders as before, and resumed
their march deeper into the fastnesses of the Sawback Hills.

It was growing rapidly dark as they advanced, but the chief who led the
party was intimately acquainted with every foot of the way, and as the
moon rose before daylight had quite disappeared, they were enabled to
continue their journey by night.

"No doubt" remarked Fred Westly to Paul, who was permitted to walk
beside him, though Flinders was obliged to walk behind--"no doubt the
chief fears that Stalker will pursue him when he is rejoined by his
robber band, and wants to get well out of his way."

"Very likely," returned Bevan; "an' it's my opinion that he'll find some
more of his tribe hereabo