y the others.

"How much you give?" asked the savage.

"Not a coon's tail," replied Sneak, with firmness.

"Now how much?" continued the Indian, slapping the thin lank cheek of
his prisoner.

"Not a dod-rotted cent! Now jest take your tomahawk and split my skull
open as quick as you kin!" said Sneak; and he bowed down his head to
receive the fatal blow.

"You brave rascal," said the Indian, looking his captive in the eye,
and hesitating whether to practice his petty annoyances any further.
At length they turned again to Joe.

"That wasn't fair, Sneak," cried Joe, when the savages abandoned his
fellow-prisoner; "you ought to have kept them away from me as long as
I did from you."

"I'm gitting sick of this tanterlizing business," said Sneak. "I want
'em to git through the job, without any more fooling about it. If you
wasn't sich a coward, they'd let you alone, and kill us at once."

"I don't want them to kill us--I'd rather they'd do any thing in the
world than to kill us," replied Joe.

"Me won't hurt you," said the old savage, again placing his hand on
Joe's head; but instead of gently patting it, he wound a lock of hair
round one of his fingers, and with a sudden jerk tore it out by the
roots.

"Oh, my gracious! Oh, St. Peter! Oh, Lord! Mr. Indian, I beg and pray
of you not to do that any more. If you'll only untie me, I'll get down
on my knees to you," exclaimed poor Joe.

"Poor fellow, me won't hurt him any more--poor head!" said the Indian,
tearing off another lock.

"Oh! oh! goodness gracious. _Dear_ Mr. Indian, don't do that! You can
have no idea how bad it hurts--I can't stand it. I'll faint
presently!" said Joe, trembling at every joint.

"You're a fool," said Sneak, "to mind 'em that way. If you wasn't to
notice 'em, they wouldn't do it. See how they're laughing at you."

"Oh, Sneak, I can't help it, to save my life, indeed I can't. Oh, my
good Lord, what would I give to be away from here!" said Joe, his eyes
fit to burst from their sockets.

"I've killed many a deer in a minit--it don't hurt a man to die more
than a deer. I wish the snarvilorous copper-skinned rascals would git
through quick!" said Sneak.

"Me try you agin," said the savage, again going to Sneak.

"Well, now, what're you a going to do? I'm not afraid of you!" said
Sneak, grinding his teeth.

"Me rub your head," said the savage, seizing a tuft of hair and
tearing it out.

"Take some more," said Sneak, bowing down his