om price was at once collected. Next morning, Little Fellow, on
a fresh mount with a string of laden horses on each side, went post
haste back to the Sioux.

In all conscience, Hamilton had been wild enough during the first
parley. His excitement now exceeded all bounds. The first two days, when
there was no possibility of Miriam's coming and Little Fellow could not
yet have reached the Sioux, I tore after Eric so often I lost count of
the races between our lodge and the north hill. The performance began
again on the third day, and I broke out with a piece of my mind, which
surprised him mightily.

"Look you here, Hamilton!" I exclaimed, rounding him back from the hill,
"Can't you stop this nonsense and sit still for only two days more, or
must I tie you up? You've tried to put me crazy all winter and, by Jove,
if you don't stop this, you'll finish the job----"

He gazed at me with the dumb look of a wounded animal and was too amazed
for words. Leaving me in mid-road, feeling myself a brute, he went
straight to his own hut. After that incident, he gave us no further
anxiety and kept an iron grip on his impatience. With me, anger had
given place to contrition. He remained much by himself until the night,
when our messengers were expected. Then he came across to my quarters,
where Father Holland and I were keyed up to the highest pitch. Putting
out his hand he said--

"Is it all right with us again, Rufus, old man?"

That speech nigh snapped the strained cords.

"Of course," said I, gripping the extended hand, and I immediately
coughed hard, to explain away the undue moisture welling into my eyes.

We all three sat as still and silent as a death-watch, Father Holland
fumbling and pretending to pore over some holy volume, Eric with fingers
tightly interlaced and upper teeth biting through lower lip, and I with
clenched fists dug into jacket pockets and a thousand imaginary sounds
singing wild tunes in my ears.

How the seconds crawled, and the minutes barely moved, and the hours
seemed to heap up in a blockade and crush us with their leaden weight!
Twice I sought relief for pent emotion by piling wood on the fire,
though the night was mild, and by breaking the glowing embers into a
shower of sparks. The soft, moccasined tread of Mandanes past our door
startled Father Holland so that his book fell to the floor, while I
shook like a leaf. Strange to say, Hamilton would not allow himself the
luxury of a single moveme