ze."

The Raposa's green eyes glimmered. In fact, they almost twinkled. And
for the second time the wild man spoke.

"I am not crazy."

"Huh? My gosh! Ye spoke four whole words! That makes six in a week. Be
careful, feller, or ye'll strain yerself. And as far's bein' crazy's
concerned, don't let it worry ye none. We're all crazy, too, or we
wouldn't be here."

Under cover of his banter the veteran eyed the other sharply. As he
turned his gaze aside to the moving figures about him he thought:
"Begorry! he don't look like a nut, at that. Mebbe somethin's
unscrambled his brains again. Here's hopin', anyways."

The big tribe house now was full of life. Small groups of warriors,
their hurts dressed with primitive poultices, gathered around the
hammocks of those more seriously injured and discussed the battle.
Others came in bearing armfuls of severed Red Bone hands and feet, which
were distributed among the family triangles. The women, their remedial
work done, now turned to the clay cooking vessels, freshened the fires,
stripped the flesh of their enemies from the bones, and set it to boil.
Among the hammocks moved the subchiefs, their eyes still shining with
the light of battle, examining the wounded men and glancing at the
preparations for the dire feast to come.

Over all drifted a steadily thickening smoke which rolled up and out
through the vent in the peak of the roof, where the setting sun smote it
with rays of gleaming red. Around the _maloca_ gleamed the red light of
the cooking fires among whose burning fagots bubbled the red pots and
pans. Red men and women passing about in a crimson setting--the scene
formed a fitting end to the reddest day in the unwritten records of the
tribe, who since noon had proved themselves worthy champions of the
ancient god whose name they never had heard, but who nevertheless ruled
their lives--the red god Mars.

Monitaya himself, head high and chest swelling with pride, now came
striding lithely in, followed by a young warrior carrying something. He
stopped between the hammocks of McKay and Knowlton, studied their faces
gravely, listened as his wives told of what had been done. At almost the
same moment the eyes of the pair slowly opened and stared up at him.

The face of the great chief melted in one of its transforming smiles.
The captain and the lieutenant grinned pluckily back. With a nod of
silent comradeship the big savage turned to his own hammock and sat
down. Two o