branches rustled
and rattled; then all was still. A panther had surprised them and
secured one for his breakfast. A long distance off might be heard the
cackling of another gobbler; the forest was full of turkeys.

Shotaye burst out laughing. The panther had done well. He had enough to
satisfy his appetite, besides, and there was no danger of her being
attacked. The American panther is not dangerous to man; but he carries a
mouthful of very sharp teeth, and his claws are long; he is a powerful
animal, agile and large. Nobody can foretell what might happen in case
he should be ill-humoured. The woman began to scan the landscape around;
it was a clear space, and she could see the bushes from their tops down
to the ground. The base of one of these bushes attracted her attention.
Almost level with the soil, something black appeared beneath its
branches. As she examined it more closely she saw that it was not really
black, but of a grayish brown, like the colour of the soil. It was
neither a plant nor was it a part of the earth itself, nor a stone. It
might be some animal. The more she looked the more she became satisfied
that it was neither animal's skin nor fur. The object was hairless. Only
the skin of a human being could appear so smooth. Her first impulse was
to hide; but before she could execute her purpose the object moved
slightly, and something white appeared above the black. It was
disk-like, and on it there was some object of a red colour. The eyes of
Shotaye sparkled; she abandoned all thoughts of concealment or of
flight, and fastened her gaze on the strange thing beneath the shrub. It
became clearer and clearer to her that it was a human form, and that on
its back was a white shield decorated with red. That shield she knew to
be Cayamo's.

But what could Cayamo be doing here? Or was it perhaps not he, but some
Navajo who had vanquished the proud warrior and was carrying home his
weapons in triumph? The latter appeared rather improbable, and yet who
could tell? At all events the man was alive, for he had moved. It was
equally certain that he had not seen her. In order to clear up all doubt
Shotaye looked around for shelter, and saw near by a bush that afforded
a scanty hiding-place. She glided to it noiselessly; and changing her
position, got nearer to him, and was even able to see more of his body
and dress. The first glance satisfied her that he was not a Navajo, but
a village Indian, and indeed her friend C