pons in hand I crouched as his horse approached; and the fool mistook
my action for fear. White teeth glistened and he shrieked with derisive
laughter. I knew that sound. Back came memory of Le Grand Diable
standing among the shadows of a forest camp-fire, laughing as I struck
him.

The Indian swung his club aloft. I dodged abreast of his horse to avoid
the blow. With a jerk he pulled the animal back on its haunches. Quick,
when it rose, I sent a bullet to its heart. It lurched sideways, reared
straight up and fell backwards with Le Grand Diable under. The fall
knocked battle-axe and club from his grasp; and when his horse rolled
over in a final spasm, two men were instantly locked in a death clutch.
The evil eyes of the Indian glared with a fixed look of uncowed hatred
and the hands of the other tightened on the redman's throat. Diable was
snatching at a knife in his belt, when the cries of my Indians rang out
close at hand. Their coming seemed to renew his strength; for with the
full weight of an antagonist hanging from his neck, the willowy form
squirmed first on his knees, then to his feet. But my men dashed up,
knocked his feet from under him and pinioned him to the ground. La Robe
Noire, with the blood-lust of his race, had a knife unsheathed and would
have finished Diable's career for good and all; but Little Fellow struck
the blade from his hand. That murderous attempt cost poor La Robe Noire
dearly enough in the end.

Hare-skin thongs of triple ply were wound about Diable's crossed arms
from wrists to elbows. Burnt Earth gagged the knave with his own
moccasin, while Ringing Thunder and Little Fellow quickly roped him neck
and ankles to the fore and hind shanks of the dead buffalo. This time my
wily foe should remain in my power till I had rescued Miriam.

"_Monsieur! Monsieur!_" gasped Little Fellow as he rose from putting a
last knot to our prisoner's cords. "The Sioux!" and he pointed in alarm
to the cliff.

True, in my sudden conflict, I had forgotten about the marauding Sioux;
but the fellows had disappeared from the field of the buffalo hunt and
it was to the embankment that my Indians were anxiously looking. Three
thin smoke lines were rising from the prairie. I knew enough of Indian
lore to recognize this tribal signal as a warning to the Sioux band of
some misfortune. Was Miriam within range of those smoke signals? Now was
my opportunity. I could offer Diable in exchange for the Sioux captives.
Mean