advanced with the same lengthy step and extended his hand
with his hearty "Howdy?" to each in turn.

"Glad to see you, younkers; you seem to have got along as well without
me as if I'd been with you."

"Nothing has come amiss; but, Hank, we're glad indeed to see you."

"Where did you git your breakfast?" he asked, glancing at the signs of
the meal of which they had partaken.

"Oh, I thought it best yesterday afternoon to shoot a buck," said Fred,
airily; "for the main thing for us to do in this part of the world is to
look out that we don't starve to death."

"You shot a buck, eh? How was it?"

Thereupon the younger lad gave the particulars of the incident. Hank
listened attentively, and when he learned of the part played by Motoza,
the vagrant Sioux, his interest deepened.

"So that scamp is in the mountains? I s'pected it; he claimed to have
shot the buck and wouldn't divide till Jack took a hand. Why did you let
him have any of it?"

"Because he had the right. I thought it was my shot that killed the
game, but the bullet only grazed one of his antlers; it was Motoza who
killed the buck, and he was entitled to him. Have you been to
breakfast?"

"Yes," replied the veteran, whose manner showed that he was displeased
with the story he had just heard.

"Hank," said Jack, "why did Motoza give us any of the venison?"

"I don't know," was the unexpected reply; "I'd give a good deal to
know."

"Do you suppose he was frightened when he found there were two instead
of one to face?"

"It looks that way, but I can't believe it. The Sioux is a scamp mean
enough to do anything; but he has grit, and I don't believe that two
young tenderfeet like you could scare him."

"Perhaps he felt a respect and friendship for Jack because of what took
place in the grove on the prairie," suggested Fred.

The boys expected their friend to ridicule this idea, but he did not. On
the contrary, he admitted that it was the most reasonable explanation
that presented itself; and because of this admission, both of the lads
were confirmed in their faith that the right cause had been named.

"One of you stood guard last night while the other slept?"

The question was so abrupt that Jack's face flushed. Fred was silent,
but his comrade thought the best course was to make a clean breast of
it, and he did so. Hank won the gratitude of the boys by not uttering a
word of reproof or showing any displeasure. More than that, he made the
astoun