the boomer, eying him sharply.

Tucker could not stand that gaze and his eyes dropped.

"Yes, you're a prisoner," said Ross. "Let's bind him up, Skimmy."

"Take that!"

Pawnee Brown leaped forward and hurled both Ross and Skimmy to the
ground. Ere they could rise he had turned upon Tucker. The tall calvary
man had his pistol cocked, and now he blazed away almost in Pawnee
Brown's face, and then both went down, with the scout on top.

The flash of the pistol had scorched the boomer's skin, but the bullet
sung over his head, missing him by less than an inch. As he came down
upon Tucker he hit the cavalryman a terrific blow in the jaw, breaking
that member and knocking out several teeth.

"On him!" yelled Skimmy, and tried to rise. But now Pawnee Brown was
again up, and flung Skimmy on top of Ross. In a moment more he was
running along the river bank.

He was almost out of sight, when there came two shots, from Ross and
Skimmy. Neither hit him, however, and he continued on his way, while the
two cavalrymen turned back to pick up Tucker, who lay in a heap,
groaning and twisting from intense pain. The tall cavalryman could not,
of course, talk, and his wound was so serious that there was nothing to
do but to carry him to his horse, support him in the saddle and ride
back to the fort for medical assistance. It was a clean knock-out, and
one that Tucker had good cause to remember to the day of his death.

It was some time ere Pawnee Brown struck the trail of Yellow Elk again,
but having once spotted it he pursued his course with increased vigor.
The trail led along the river to where there was almost a lake. This had
just been reached, when he heard a scream. Instantly he recognized
Nellie Winthrop's voice.

"Thank heaven I came as soon as I did," he murmured, and dashed forward
to the spot from whence the sound had proceeded.

CHAPTER XXVII.

THE LAST OF YELLOW ELK.

When Nellie Winthrop recovered sufficiently to realize what was going on
around her, she found herself upon Yellow Elk's back, with her hands
tied together at the wrists behind her.

Away went the redskin until the vicinity where the encounter with Dick
had occurred was left far behind.

The brook crossed, the Indian chief set off for the river. Not once did
he stop or speak until a pond was gained.

Beyond the pond was a shelter of trees, growing in a circle which was
about fifteen feet in diameter. Against the trees the brush had been