take a long
time for him to make up the losses that follered his inviting Jack
Halloway to have a drink. Shawanoe," added the trapper, abruptly
turning to the Indian, "I want to ask you a question."

"Deerfoot will be glad to answer if he can."

"When I went down to French Pete's place and smashed things and cleaned
it out, as I've been stating, did I do right?"

Instead of directly answering, the Shawanoe asked:

"Has the conscience of my brother ever whispered to him that he did
wrong in breaking the whiskey bottles?"

"No, I rather think it's the other way. When I started home I felt my
conscience clapping me on the shoulder and saying, 'You hit it right
that time, old fellow,' and ever since, when I think of it, I hear the
same soft words."

There was a twinkle in the eyes of Deerfoot as he gently replied:

"My brother should always do what his conscience tells him to do."

"Good! That settles it! But I've got something more interesting than
all that to tell you. If French Pete didn't do anything to me for what
I'd done to him, he laid a deep plan to get his revenge. You see he's
afraid to tackle me in the open, for I may say there ain't a man living
that Jack Halloway is afeard of--barring one."

"Who is he?" asked Victor Shelton, slyly nudging his brother.

"Deerfoot the Shawanoe."

The face of the Indian flushed and he protested:

"Deerfoot would be only a pappoose in the hands of my brother."

"P'raps, but you'd never be in his hands. I've studied your build and
quickness, and the chap that can whip a Blackfoot war chief without
using a weapon is the best fellow in the world to let alone--I beg
pardon, Deerfoot. I'll drop it.

"When it was getting time for me to think about going to the beaver
runs agin Dick Burley come to me and proposed that we should be
pardners. Dick is a good fellow and I always liked him, for he hasn't a
streak of yaller in his make-up. The only objection to him was that he
liked firewater too well. He spent enough money at French Pete's to
support that rogue. Dick's wife and two children were in rags, and the
poor woman had to work herself almost to death to keep from starving. I
had talked with Dick many times, not neglecting to give him a good
cussing now and then, but it didn't amount to nothing. In the hope of
being able to do him good I agreed to go with him to the Northwest.

"Wal, you wouldn't 'spicion what a trick French Pete and Dick was
trying to play on me. I