apon, the man
laid his arms upon the ground. Then he stood erect, and, grinning in his
habitual manner, he waved an arm in the direction of the moving Indians.

"Wal?" inquired Seth, coldly.

"I, Jim Crow, come. I know heap. Fi' dollar an' I say."

Seth thought rapidly. And the result was another sharp inquiry.

"What is it?"

"Fi' dollar?"

"If it's worth it, sure, yes."

"It heap worth," replied the scout readily.

Seth's comment was short.

"You're a durned scoundrel anyway."

But Jim Crow was quite unabashed.

"See, it this," he said, and for the moment his face had ceased to grin.
"I see much. I learn much. See." He waved an arm, comprehensively taking
in the whole countryside. "White men all dead--all kill. Beacon--it gone.
Fort--it gone. Farm--all gone. So. Miles an' miles. They all kill.
Soldiers, come by south. They, too, all kill. Indian man everywhere. So.
To-morrow they eat up dis farm. So. They kill all."

"Wal?" Seth seemed quite unconcerned by the man's graphic picture.

At once Jim Crow assumed a look of cunning. His eyes became narrower slits
than ever.

"So. It dis way," he said, holding up a hand and indicating each finger as
he proceeded to make his points. "Black Fox--him angry. Much. Big soldier
men come from north. They fight--very fierce, an' tousands of 'em. They
drive Indian back, back. Indian man everywhere kill. So. They come. Chief
him much angry. Him say, 'They come. But I kill all white men first.' So
to-morrow he burn the farm right up, an' kill everybody much dead."

"And the soldiers are near?"

The white man's words were coldly inquiring, but inwardly it was very
different. A mighty hope was surging through him. The awful suspense had
for the moment dropped from his sickening heart, and he felt like shouting
aloud in his joy. The Indian saw nothing of this, however.

"Yes, they near. So. One sun."

Seth heard the news and remained silent. One day off! He could hardly
realize it. He turned away and scanned the horizon. Jim Crow grew
impatient.

"An' the fi' dollar?"

There was something so unsophisticated in the man's rascality that Seth
almost smiled. He turned on him severely, however.

"You've been workin' with your countrymen, murderin' an' lootin', an' now
you see the game's up you come around to me, ready to sell 'em same as
you'd sell us. Say, you're a durned skunk of an Indian!"

"Jim Crow no Indian. I, Jim Crow, scout," the man retorted.

Seth eyed