hen, laying hold on it,
when the owner was busy with something else, he carried it towards the
bosom of his leather hunting-shirt. Before it reached that place of
concealment, however, Lumley quickly, yet so quietly that the act was
scarce perceived, seized the elbow of the chief and gave him a look.
Attick promptly put the tobacco down and looked at Lumley with a scowl,
but the pale-face chief was smilingly giving some advice to the man,
with whom he was trading.

He thought that the man would not attempt anything more of a similar
kind, at least at that time, but he was mistaken. He under-estimated
the force of covetousness and the power of temptation in a savage. Soon
afterwards he saw Attick deftly pass a packet of bright beads, belonging
to another comrade, from the counter to his breast, where he let it
remain, grasped in his hand. Immediately afterwards the owner of the
beads missed them. He turned over his goods hastily, but could not find
the packet and looked suspiciously at Salamander, who had been standing
near all the time, besides fingering the things occasionally.

"A comrade has stolen it," said Lumley, in a quiet voice and without
looking at any one save the robbed man.

This was received with scowls and strong marks of disapprobation.

"Not so! The interpreter, the pale-face, has stolen it," returned the
Indian fiercely.

Instead of replying, Lumley vaulted lightly over the counter, stood
before the astonished Attick, thrust his hand into the bosom of that
savage, and, by main force, dragged forth the thieving fist still closed
over the missing packet. The Indians were too much taken by surprise at
the promptness of the act to speak--they could only glare.

"My friends," said Lumley, still maintaining, however, something of
kindliness in his look of stern gravity, "the Great Master of Life does
not love thieving, and no thief will be permitted to enter this store."

What more he would have said I know not for, swift as lightning, Attick
drew his knife and made a plunge at my friend's heart. Expecting a
scuffle, I had also leaped the counter. Lumley caught the wrist of the
savage; at the same time he exclaimed, "Open the door, Max."

I obeyed, expecting to see the Indian kicked out, but I was wrong, for
my friend, with a sharp twist turned Attick's back to his own breast,
then, seizing him by both elbows, he lifted him off his feet as if he
had been a mere infant, carried him forward a