hore amid the grins of the others, and with no suspicion of the
criminal that had played the trick upon them.

The next stream was reached by the Indians a couple of hours later. This
was not as deep as the other and they did not stop to make rafts. After
a little searching, they found a portion where the current did not come
above their knees and they waded.

In doing so, Black Bear took the lead, and, in accordance with a custom
universal among Indians, each warrior carefully stepped into the
footprints in front of him. The water was so limpid that the impression
made by the chieftain's moccasin was plainly shown, so that there was no
difficulty in this respect. Had a person been trailing them, he would
have seen before him what seemed to be the footprints of a single man.
There was but a slight variation near the further shore, where the
moccasin of one of the Winnebagos had slid from a stone on which, like
all the others, it was placed. The brown stone was slippery with a faint
coating of slime, and the scrape of the deerskin down the side gave it a
white gleam like the belly of a fish. It was a "slip" in every sense,
and, when the slight splash announced it, Black Bear at the head of the
procession turned about with his most impressive scowl.

The party made a halt on the other bank. It was considerably past noon,
and, while some busied themselves in starting a fire, and a couple began
fishing in the stream, two others going into the woods with their guns,
Deerfoot was quite sure that they had decided to spend an hour or so for
dinner. He concluded, however, to follow the two who went into the
woods, and it was fortunate that he did so.

The first surprise that came to him was when the Winnebagos had gone
nearly an eighth of a mile from camp. All this time they were making
their way up quite a steep slope, so that they were close to the top of
a high, wooded ridge.

The Shawanoe might well wonder why they had taken such a course, but
when two frightened deer burst through the undergrowth and dashed by at
full speed, within easy gun shot, and the Winnebagos looked at them
without raising their guns to fire, then it was that Deerfoot was
genuinely astonished.

The conclusion was inevitable that these red men were not looking for
game.

With a suspicion of their real errand (and that caused another
surprise), Deerfoot stealthily followed the Winnebagos until they paused
on the highest part of the ridge. He was