s growing importance.
It would have done Na-tee-kah's proud heart good to have seen him in
particular, and it would have been well worth the while of almost
anybody else to have had a good look at the whole affair, as the motley
array poured out into the moonlight from under the shadowy cover of the
primeval forest.

There were no sleepy ones except the pappooses, and they could sleep
under the tightly-drawn blankets upon the backs of their mothers as well
as anywhere else. All the rest were more or less hardened to the quick
changes and migrations of the kind of life into which they had been
born. They were not likely to be injured by being kept up pretty late
for one night, and there was no need that anybody should walk, now that
their four-footed wealth had returned.

Two Arrows thought of that, and he could hardly help reminding some of
his friends of his share in so good a thing. He received a reply from
one gray-headed warrior which sounded very much like a snub:

"Ugh! Two Arrows. Red-head. Boys find pony first. Pony there. Brave find
next day. Boy talk too much. Kill 'Pache like warrior. Then talk a heap.
Show scalp. Whoop. Ugh!"

As for war and that sort of thing, there was no need for anybody to
stir the ambition of Two Arrows up to a greater heat. He was ready
enough now to do the wildest and rashest things he could think of. He
felt as if he were out upon his first war-path, and that there must be
somewhere a great heap of glory preparing for him.

The Nez Perce camp had been broken up with great celerity, and no time
had been lost, but after all the summons to move had come upon them most
unexpectedly. There had been a great deal to do and but a dim light to
do it by, and so it was pretty late before the picturesque caravan was
in motion. It took a line of march towards the mountains until its head
struck the well-marked tracks of the loaded wagons, and from that point
forward its course required little guiding. By a stern command from Long
Bear the utmost silence was maintained, and, after the moon went down,
the movement might fairly be said to have been performed in secret.
There was no danger that any small squad of Apache scouts would assail
so strong a party. Even the squaws and children felt pretty safe, but it
was very hard upon the Big Tongue, for that great brave soon found
himself in an advanced party, commanded by Long Bear himself, and after
that he was under an absolute necessity of not s