th it. Only I don't want to appear as if I
was gettin' panicky over nothing."

"What is it, Clay? You are so provoking when I am just dying to hear
about it," cried Stella with a laugh. "Out with it."

"Injuns!" said Clay explosively.

"Indians!"

Every one around the fire sat up with a jump.

Clay nodded his head slowly without taking his eyes from the fire.

There was silence for a few minutes, for every one was turning this new
menace over in their minds.

The danger from Indians in this far-away Northern country was very real.
It was not that the Indians would make any open or daring attacks, but
that they were lawless and fearless of the authority of the United
States, and despised the "buffalo soldiers" at the near-by army posts.

"Buffalo soldiers" is a name of contempt given by the Indians to the
negro troops who had been stationed near the Blackfeet and Crow Indian
agencies, on account of their curly, woolly hair, which, in the
fantastic minds of the Indians, resembled the short, curly hair on the
shoulders of the buffalo.

The negro troops were too near their own color to demand much respect
from the Indians.

But the danger did not come so much from the reservation Indians, as
from the fugitive Indians who had left the reservations and had become
outlaws, allying themselves with the white bandits in the mountains, and
living by thievery from the ranchmen and sheep-herders.

Some of these Indians had rallied around Running Bear, a young
Blackfeet, son of a chief, a graduate of the Indian School at Carlisle,
in Pennsylvania.

Running Bear was a young fellow of magnificent physique, for he had been
a member of the famous Indian football team of Carlisle that had a year
or two previously cleared all white teams from the gridiron.

Running Bear was well educated also, and a man of fine address and
manners, when he wished to be so. But he was unprincipled, and when he
returned to the tribe lost no time in breaking all the laws imposed by
the United States for the government and welfare of the Indians.

This brought him into conflict with the Indian agent, and certain
penalties were imposed on him. This he would not stand, and soon
persuaded other of the young men of the tribe to mutiny against the
agent.

This led to further trouble, and after committing some unforgivable
offense against the United States, Running Bear rallied his young men,
and they fled the reservation and the ways and protecti