grasped his hand.

"My white father!" he said.

"Whitewing!" exclaimed the preacher; "I little expected that our meeting
should be like this!"

"Is the preacher badly hurt?" asked the Indian in a low voice.

"It may be so; I cannot tell. My feelings lead me to--to doubt--I was
going to say fear, but I have nothing to fear. `He doeth all things
well.' If my work on earth is not done, I shall live; if it is
finished, I shall die."

CHAPTER EIGHT.

NETTING A GRIZZLY BEAR.

As it is at all times unwise as well as disagreeable to involve a reader
in needless mystery, we may as well explain here that there would have
been no mystery at all in Little Tim's prolonged absence from his
fortress, if it had not been that he was aware of the intended visit of
his chum and brother-in-law, Whitewing, and his old friend the
pale-faced missionary, and that he had promised to return on the evening
of the day on which he set off to hunt or on the following morning at
latest.

Moreover, Little Tim was a man of his word, having never within the
memory of his oldest friend been known to break it. Thus it came to
pass that when three days had passed away, and the sturdy little hunter
failed to return, Big Tim and his bride first became surprised and then
anxious. The attack on the hut, however, and the events which we have
just related, prevented the son from going out in search of the father;
but now that the Blackfeet had been effectually repulsed and the
fortress relieved by the arrival of Whitewing's party, it was resolved
that they should organise a search for the absentee without an hour's
delay.

"Leetil Tim," said Whitewing decisively, when he was told of his old
friend's unaccountable absence, "must be found."

"So say I," returned Big Tim. "I hope the Blackfoot reptiles haven't
got him. Mayhap he has cut himself with his hatchet. Anyhow, we must
go at once. You won't mind our leaving you for a bit?" he added,
turning to the missionary; "we will leave enough o' redskins to guard
you, and my soft one will see to it that you are comfortable."

"Think not of me," replied the preacher. "All will go well, I feel
assured."

Still further to guard the reader from supposing that there is any
mystery connected with the missionary's name or Little Tim's surname, we
think it well to state at once that there is absolutely none. In those
outlandish regions, and among that primitive people, the forming of
names by