horseback?"

Dot pointed to a slight eminence between their house and the stream;
and, shifting his glance, Melville saw an Indian horseman standing as
motionless as if he and his animal were carved in stone. He seemed to
have reined up on the crest of the elevation, and, coming to a halt, was
doing the same as the brother and sister--surveying his surroundings.

His position was midway between Melville and his house, and his horse
faced the brother and sister. The distance was too great to distinguish
the features of the red man clearly, but the two believed he was looking
at them.

Now, there was nothing to cause special alarm in this sight, for it was
a common thing to meet Indians in that part of the country, where indeed
many of them may be seen to-day; but the lad suddenly remembered that
when looking in the direction of his home he had failed to see any signs
of life, and he was at once filled with a misgiving which caused him to
swallow a lump in his throat before answering the question--

"Who is it, Mel?"

"Some Indian; he is too far off for me to tell who he is, and likely
enough we have never seen him before."

"What's he looking at us so sharply for?"

"I'm not sure that he is looking at us; his face seems to be turned this
way, but he may have his eyes on something else."

"Watch him! See what he is doing!"

No need to tell the lad to watch, for his attention was fixed upon the
warrior. Just as Dot spoke he made a signal which the intelligent youth
could not comprehend. He flung one end of a blanket in the air slightly
above and in front of him, and, holding the other part in his hand,
waved it vigorously several times.

That it was intended for the eyes of the brother and sister seemed
beyond all question; but, as I have said, they did not know what it
meant, for it might have signified a number of things. It is a practice
with many Indians to use such means as a taunt to their enemies, but
they generally utter shouts and defiant cries, and nothing of the kind
was now heard.

Besides this, it was not to be supposed that a Sioux warrior (that, no
doubt, being the tribe of the red man before them) would indulge in any
such action in the presence of a single white youth and small girl.

"I don't understand it," said Melville, "but I'll be as polite as he."

With which, he took off his hat and swung it above his head. Then,
seeing that the Indian had ceased waving his blanket, he replaced his