d the easy-chairs to the back of
the room and set plain ones in a semicircular row at the front. Hardly
was he settled when Elk, Grayman, and Two Horns entered the room, and,
after formally shaking hands, took the seats assigned them. Their faces,
usually smiling, were grave, and Grayman's brow was knotted with lines
of anxiety. He was a small man, with long, brown hair, braided and
adorned with tufts of the fine feathers which grow under the eagle's
wings. He was handsome and neatly dressed, the direct antithesis to
Crawling Elk, who was tall and slovenly, with a homely, grandfatherly
face deeply seamed with wrinkles, a face that would be recognized as
typical of his race. He seemed far less concerned than some of the
others.

Two Horns, also quite at his ease, unrolled his pipe and began filling
it, while Curtis resumed his writing.

Jennie, looking in at the door, recognized the chiefs, and they all rose
politely to greet her.

"I'm coming to the council," she said to Two Horns.

He smiled. "Squaws no come council--no good."

"No, no, heap good," she replied. "We come. Chiefs heap talk--we catchim
coffee."

"Good, good!" he replied. "After council, feast."

One by one the other chiefs slipped in and took their places, till all
the bands were represented save that of Red Wolf, who was too far away
to be reached. Curtis then sent for the sheriff and Calvin and Elsie and
Lawson, and when all were seated began his talk by addressing the
chieftains. He spoke in English, in order that the sheriff could hear
all that was said, and Lawson interpreted it into Sioux.

"You know this young man"--he pointed at Calvin. "Some of you know this
man"--he touched the sheriff. "He is the war chief of all the country
beyond where Grayman lives. He comes to tell us that a herder has been
killed over by the Muddy Spring. He thinks it was done by an Indian. The
white people are very angry, and they say that you must find the
murderer. Do you know of any one who has threatened to do this thing?"

One by one the chiefs replied: "I do not know who did this thing. I have
heard no one speak of it as a thing good to be done. We are all sad."

Two Horns added a protest. "I think it hard that a whole tribe should
suffer because the white man thinks one redman has done a wrong thing."

Grayman spoke sadly: "My people have had much trouble because the
cattlemen want to drive their herds up the Willow, and we are like men
who guard the d