nd.

Henri, being ignorant of the language, had not been able to understand
the foregoing conversation, although he saw well enough that it was not
an agreeable one but no sooner did he find himself thus rudely and
unexpectedly deprived of the rifle, than he jumped up, wrenched it in a
twinkling from the Indian's grasp, and hurled him violently out of the
tent.

In a moment Mahtawa drew his knife, uttered a savage yell, and sprang on
the reckless hunter, who, however, caught his wrist, and held it as if
in a vice. The yell brought a dozen warriors instantly to the spot, and
before Dick had time to recover from his astonishment, Henri was
surrounded and pinioned despite his herculean struggles.

Before Dick could move, Joe Blunt grasped his arm, and whispered
quickly, "Don't rise! You can't help him! They daren't kill him till
San-it-sa-rish agrees."

Though much surprised, Dick obeyed, but it required all his efforts,
both of voice and hand, to control Crusoe, whose mind was much too
honest and straightforward to understand such subtle pieces of
diplomacy, and who strove to rush to the rescue of his ill-used friend.

When the tumult had partly subsided, Joe Blunt rose and said--"Have the
Pawnee braves turned traitors that they draw the knife against those who
have smoked with them the pipe of peace and eaten their maize? The
Pale-faces are three; the Pawnees are thousands. If evil has been done,
let it be laid before the chief. Mahtawa wishes to have the medicine
gun. Although we said No, we could not part with it, he tried to take
it by force. Are we to go back to the great chief of the Pale-faces,
and say that the Pawnees are thieves? Are the Pale-faces henceforth to
tell their children when they steal, `That is bad; that is like the
Pawnee?' No! this must not be. The rifle shall be restored, and we
will forget this disagreement. Is it not so?"

There was an evident disposition on the part of many of the Indians,
with whom Mahtawa was no favourite, to applaud this speech; but the wily
chief sprang forward, and, with flashing eye, sought to turn the tables.

"The Pale-face speaks with soft words, but his heart is false. Is he
not going to make peace with the enemies of the Pawnee? Is he not going
to take goods to them, and make them gifts and promises? The Pale-faces
are spies. They come to see the weakness of the Pawnee camp, but they
have found that it is strong. Shall we suffer the false-hear