nd then the way he has been mousing around the outside, and
his decision to keep watch to-night: why what could tell the story more
plainly?"

"Begorrah," said the admiring Terry, "ye are not such a big fool as you
look to be; I never thought of that."

"Which looks as if you are a bigger dunce than you seem; but," added
Fred, turning toward the Shawanoe, "have you seen any thing of the
Winnebagos?"

"Deerfoot has seen their footprints in the woods; they are on the watch
for his white brothers that they may gain their scalps, because the gun
of the Wolf was taken from him."

"They seem to have hard work in finding us: where do those Winnebagos
come from?"

Deerfoot pointed to the northward, or rather to a little east of north.

"Their hunting grounds are many suns' travel that way."

"Why do the spalpeens come down in this part of the world, and why don't
they behave thimselves whin they do?" demanded Terry, with some
indignation.

Deerfoot shook his head, as though the question was more than he could
answer.

"Deerfoot has met Shawanoes and Sacs and Wyandottes and Pawnees far away
from their villages and hunting grounds, besides the strange Indians
who come much further from the setting sun. The red men travel whither
they will. Why the Winnebagos passed near the home of my brothers only
they can tell."

"Well, they're a bad lot," said Terry, "to try the mean trick they did
on me; though," he added the next moment, "I'm glad they done the same,
for if they hadn't, how would I've got hold of this lovely gun? Do ye
think we shall have any more trouble with them?"

"Deerfoot believes there will be trouble, and it will come soon!"

"Well, if it does, all ye have to do is to take away the rist of their
guns and set 'em on the run home agin."

CHAPTER XVII.

A SUSPICIOUS SOUND.

By and by Fred Linden and Terry Clark became drowsy. Devoutly kneeling,
they spent several minutes in prayer, and then stretched out on a single
blanket, with their backs toward each other, and the face of Fred in
such a position that he could look across the blaze at Deerfoot on the
other side. The latter had remained still and motionless, while the
lads, remembering the lesson they had learned at their mothers' knee,
asked their Heavenly Father to hold them in His keeping. The young
Shawanoe, who spent many an hour in communion with his Maker, was
touched to see that his friends did not forget their duty.

Deerfoot sti