and knees. Sure enough, the tunnel was broken down
near the barn. We got out through the hole and went across the drifts
to the open place back of the hotel. I tried again to get the gun away
from him, but he hung on to it tighter than ever. I asked him if he
were hungry, and he forgot to grunt and said "yes."

I brought out some food for him, and he stood in the shed and ate it
like a hungry wolf. He gave a satisfied grunt when he got through, and
I once more tried to get him to let me have the gun, but he hung to it
without even a grunt, and started in the direction of the Fitzsimmons
building. I went with him, as I could not understand how he had gone
in and out for so long without my seeing some traces of it.

He stalked on in silence, his moccasins not making a sound on the hard
snow. There was a well with a high curb a few feet behind the
Fitzsimmons building and directly opposite the window through which I
had shown the jack-lantern. There was now a big bank of snow as high
as the well curb from it to the building. He stepped over in the well
curb, and, without looking back, disappeared through a hole in the
side of it where he had pried off some of the boards. He had borrowed
one of my ideas and made a tunnel between the well and window.

I went back to the hotel, and though I did not like the notion of his
having the gun, there was a great load gone from my mind. I saw that
every mysterious happening could be explained by the presence of the
Indian. I made no doubt he had set the livery stable on fire by using
matches when visiting it to find something to steal. A few sounds and
part of the glimpse I got of him that night when I watched in the shed
would have to be charged to my imagination; but I guess it could stand
it. I had to laugh at myself when I remembered how I had thought I
heard strange noises before the Indians came at all.

I think I slept better the rest of the night (though it was only a few
hours) than I had for a long time, notwithstanding the shock I got
when I sat up and saw the Indian, when my heart, instead of beating
too much, just stood still and didn't beat at all.

I saw nothing of the Indian the next morning, and after breakfast went
to the Fitzsimmons store. I took the lantern and went down cellar.
Everything was still in the greatest disorder. Boxes of groceries had
been broken open, and empty cans were scattered everywhere. The
missing saddle lay in one corner. I looked about f