the shore as soon as he had recovered breath.

The Indian looked hastily around him without releasing the bearlike hug.
He saw the swimmer quickly approaching, and he gave a cry of fury as he
thought that he would be baulked of his purpose of revenge, for he
rightly thought that he would stand a poor chance against two active
lads. He might succeed in injuring the one, but there was little chance
of his escaping.

Suddenly he released Alf. Feeling himself free for the moment, the boy
jumped back in readiness for another attack. But once again the
unexpected had him at a vantage. The boy anticipated no other attack now
but that of fists or a knife at the utmost. These were the only
contingencies that his inexperience could imagine. But before he had
time to conjecture other possibilities, Red Fox had slipped off his
blanket, flung it around the lad just as the ancient gladiator was wont
to entangle his opponent in the deadly net, and before Arnold had
reached the river bank the Indian had wound the blanket tightly round
his captive, picked him up in his arms, and commenced running towards
the tent.

Bob gave a cry of dismay and rushed on in pursuit.

But the redskin had the start, and ran straight towards the picketed
horse, still carrying the lad, who was half stifled by the thick cloak,
and practically helpless, owing to the tightness with which the bond was
twined.

It would have been an easy matter then for Red Fox to have killed his
captive and yet escape the other boy. But that was not his purpose. In
his thirst to revenge the insult of Alf's words, he had quite forgotten
Thunder-maker's commission and the coveted ermine robe. These were
nothing to him now. He had listened to sneers with patience. The time
had now come to repay the taunts with interest. He ran towards the
pack-horse. A slash with his hunting-knife severed the rope within two
or three feet of the halter. Alf was then thrown roughly across the
animal's back, while the Indian was himself astride an instant
afterwards. A vicious dig of the heels, and the horse sprang forward.

And the last that Bob saw as he reached the tent was an ugly face
grinning at him and an arm waving tauntingly as horse, rider, and burden
disappeared into the woods.

Arnold was aghast!

He rushed into the tent and snatched up his repeating rifle, which was
already loaded; by the time he emerged again he could only hear the
distant sound of the fugitive rider pressing