hat may be called a tour of investigation. The
driving off of the cow was probably an inspiration of the moment. The
Indians kept her until they had got all the milk they wanted, first
removing the bell so that her friends could not recover her until they
were through. The stratagem which I have been describing was an
afterthought. None of the Winnebagos except the one who tried the plan
would have any thing to do with it, though they were willing enough that
every white person in the settlement of Greville should perish, if the
same could be brought about without risk to them.

Left to himself, the Winnebago decided to make a prisoner of whomsoever
should be sent to find the cow. He had reason to believe that this
person would be a youth, and since every thing was so quiet in that
section, he was not likely to be armed. Hence, it would be an easy
matter to decoy him a goodly distance from the settlement, when the
warrior could pounce upon, make him a prisoner and compel him to go with
him. After the couple were far enough from the settlement the lad could
be put to death, if his captor or the party to which the captor
belonged, should so elect.

Terry Clark had stood behind the sheltering tree for perhaps five
minutes, when he became aware of an alarming fact: the warrior with the
bell was slowly approaching him. The faint tinkle that it gave out once
or twice told this, and when finally the lad ventured to peep around the
side of the tree, the sight was a startling one. The Indian had risen
almost to the upright posture, and holding the gun and bell as
described, was moving directly toward the oak behind which the boy
stood. Moreover at the moment the latter took the cautious look, the
visage of the Indian showed that he was looking straight at the tree.

"By the powers!" gasped Terry, "but the spalpeen observed me, and I'm
thinkin' that he saw me before I did him."

It was not at all unlikely that such was the case. The Indian may have
felt sure of his victim, and so he indulged in a little by-play, as a
cat often does with a mouse. Such a cruel proceeding was characteristic
of his race.

The belief that this was the case placed Terry Clark in a most trying
position. He was without the means with which to defend himself, and in
fact was hopeless. It was useless to try to run away, for if the warrior
could not overtake him at once, he could bring him down with his rifle.

You know how rare a thing it is for an I