he handle of his scalping-knife in a moment, but before he could
draw it, his arms were glued to his sides by the bear-like embrace of
Henri, while Dick tied a handkerchief quickly yet firmly round his
mouth. The whole thing was accomplished in two minutes. After taking
his knife and tomahawk away, they loosened their gripe and escorted him
swiftly over the prairie.

Mahtawa was perfectly submissive after the first convulsive struggle was
over. He knew that the men who walked on each side of him grasping his
arms were more than his match singly, so he wisely made no resistance.

Hurrying him to a clump of small trees on the plain which was so far
distant from the village that a yell could not be heard, they removed
the bandage from Mahtawa's mouth.

"_Must_ he be kill?" inquired Henri, in a tone of commiseration.

"Not at all" answered Joe, "we'll tie him to a tree and leave him
there."

"Then he vill be starve to deat'. Oh! dat is more horrobell!"

"He must take his chance o' that. I've no doubt his friends'll find him
in a day or two, an' he's game to last for a week or more. But you'll
have to run to the willow-bluff, Dick, and bring a bit of line to tie
him. We can't spare it well; but there's no help."

"But there _is_ help," retorted Dick. "Just order the villain to climb
into that tree."

"Why so, lad?"

"Don't ask questions, but do what I bid ye."

The hunter smiled for a moment as he turned to the Indian, and ordered
him to climb up a small tree near to which he stood. Mahtawa looked
surprised, but there was no alternative. Joe's authoritative tone
brooked no delay, so he sprang into the tree like a monkey.

"Crusoe," said Dick, "_watch him_!"

The dog sat quietly down at the foot of the tree, and fixed his eyes on
the savage with a glare that spoke unutterable things. At the same time
he displayed his full compliment of teeth, and uttered a sound like
distant thunder.

Joe almost laughed, and Henri did laugh outright.

"Come along, he's safe now," cried Dick, hurrying away in the direction
of the willow-bluff, which they soon reached, and found that the
faithful squaw had tied their steeds to the bushes, and, moreover, had
bundled up their goods into a pack, and strapped it on the back of the
pack-horse; but she had not remained with them.

"Bless yer dark face," ejaculated Joe as he sprang into the saddle and
rode out of the clump of bushes. He was followed immediately by the
ot