and
unconcerned. "The beggar wouldn't trade with me at all," he said. "By
Jove, I believe he'd have got me if he'd had any sort of tools for it."

"You broke treaty!" ejaculated Belknap--"you broke the council word."

"Did that man make the first break at you?" Auberry blazed at him.

"How can I tell?" answered Orme, coolly. "It's well to be a trifle ahead
in such matters." He seemed utterly unconcerned. He could kill a man as
lightly as a rabbit, and think no more about it.

Within the instant the entire party of the Sioux was in confusion. We
saw them running about, mounting, heard them shouting and wailing.

"It's fight now!" said Auberry. "Back to the wagons now and get your men
ready, Lieutenant. As soon as the Sioux can get shut of their women,
they'll come on, and come a boilin', too. You damned fool!" he said to
Orme. "You murdered that man!"

"What's that, my good fellow?" said Orme, sharply. "Now I advise you to
keep a civil tongue in your head, or I'll teach you some manners."

Even as we swung and rode back, Auberry pushed alongside Orme, his rifle
at ready. "By God! man, if you want to teach _me_ any manners, begin it
now. You make your break," he cried.

Belknap spurred in between them. "Here, you men," he commanded with
swift sternness. "Into your places. I'm in command here, and I'll shoot
the first man who raises a hand. Mr. Orme, take your place at the
wagons. Auberry, keep with me. We'll have fighting enough without
anything of this."

"He murdered that Sioux, Lieutenant," reiterated Auberry.

"Damn it, sir, I know he did, but this is no time to argue about that.
Look there!"

A long, ragged, parti-colored line, made up of the squaws and children
of the party, was whipping up the sides of the rough bluffs on the left
of the valley. We heard wailing, the barking of dogs, the crying of
children. We saw the Sioux separate thus into two bands, the men
remaining behind riding back and forth, whooping and holding aloft their
weapons. We heard the note of a dull war drum beating the clacking of
their rattles and the shrill notes of their war whistles.

"They'll fight," said Auberry. "Look at 'em!"

"Here they come," said Belknap, coolly. "Get down, men."

[Illustration: AT EVERY TURN FORCED TO HIDE THEIR TRACKS]

CHAPTER XVII

SIOUX!

The record of this part of my life comes to me sometimes as a series of
vivid pictures. I can see this picture now--the wide gray of the flat
vall