many another, the Snowbird had received a worse name than she
deserved, and she had already been well wearied by her wild gallop on
the prairie. She had done her best to throw and kill the child which
Osceolo had bound upon her back, but she had only succeeded in
tightening the bands and exhausting both herself and her unconscious
rider. More than that, Black Partridge had a will stronger than hers
and it conquered.

"Well, I did ride a long, long way, didn't I? Feather-man, did you put
Kitty on the nice cool grass? Will you give Kitty another drink of
water? I guess I'm pretty tired, ain't I?"

These words recalled the White Pelican's attention to his charge.

"Ugh! It's a wonder you're alive."

"Is it? I rode till I got so sleepy I couldn't see. The sky kept
whirling and whirling, and the sun did come right down into my face.
And I got so twisted up I couldn't breathe. I guess--I guess I don't
much love that Osceolo. He said it would be fun, and it was--a while.
But he didn't come, too, and--I'm glad I'm here now. Who's that
walking? Oh! my own Black Partridge, the nicest Feather-man there is!"

The Sun Maid sat up and lifted her arms to be taken, while she
bestowed upon the chief one of her sweetest smiles. But he received it
gravely, and regarded the child in her new Indian dress with critical
scrutiny. Who had thus clothed her he could not surmise, for too short
a time had elapsed since he had taken her to his village for his
sister to prepare these well-fitting garments. Finally, superstition
began to influence him also, as it had influenced the weaker-minded
people at Muck-otey-pokee, as he spoke to the White Pelican, rather
than to the child.

"Place her upon the Snowbird. They belong to each other, though I know
not how they found one another."

"Osceolo," answered the younger brave, tersely.

"Humph! Then there's more of black spirits than white in this affair.
However, I have spoken. Place the Sun Maid on the Snowbird's back."

Kitty would have objected and strongly; but there was something so
unusually stern in the elder warrior's face and so full of hatred in
that of the younger that she was bewildered and wisely kept silence.

Having made a comfortable saddle out of the long blanket, they seated
her again upon the white mare's back, and each on either side, they
led her slowly toward Muck-otey-pokee. But the little one had again
fallen asleep long before they reached it, and now there could ha