forget.

There were two other persons who also had a long memory, and who
remained at the outside of the crowd. Dusty Star's sharp eyes caught
sight of a tall, slightly stooping figure, standing alone in solitary
contemplation, and he immediately made his way towards it.

As he saw the youth approaching him, Lone Chief never moved. Something
that might almost have been taken for a smile flickered in his face.

Dusty Star was the first to speak.

"I said I would not come," he said, and stopped.

Lone Chief understood. He was remembering an occasion when a boy had
come to him with an urgent appeal for help which he had refused; and
which because the boy had brought a strange influence with him, he had
given it after all.

"I also said I would not come," he replied, while the thing that might
have been a smile flickered and went out. "The medicine has strange
ways. Though the words go west, the heart may take the eastern trail."

Dusty Star's mind flashed to Sitting-Alway's sickness, and he also
understood.

They said nothing more, but each felt that, whatever happened in the
future, there was a sympathy between them which would always hold them
friends.

The other person with the backward-reaching memory remained even further
in the background than Lone Chief. As the reflections of the dancing
flames lit up the old yellow-painted face, its sunken eyes glared out
upon the scene with an expression of uneasiness that was almost fear.

"The wolves are bad medicine," the painted mouth muttered. "No good will
come of it, if the wolf stays."

Nikana found her mother crouching in the shadows on her way back to the
tepee, and did her utmost to persuade her to come and join in welcoming
her grandson back; but the old squaw's obstinate refusal was not to be
overcome, and she gave up the attempt.

So, half in shadow, half in flickering light, the old painted mouth went
on muttering from time to time: "Bad medicine! Bad medicine," till at
last Sitting-Always took herself off uneasily to bed.

* * * * *

For three days the feasting and rejoicing were continued. Dusty Star,
was, of course, the central figure. In spite of his extreme youth, the
treatment he received was that of a great chief and famous medicine-man
combined. He was loaded with honours and marks of distinction. Presents
of all kinds were showered upon him. He became rich--as the Indian mind
counts riches--in a day. Even thos