ed, after which the
party could drop over the divide into the happy little kingdom just off
the reservation where a capable man with the branding-iron was always
welcome and where the authorities never interfered.

Helen listened for another call from Plenty Buffalo, but the minutes
dragged past and no summons came. The silence of the forest became
almost unbearable. The men sat uneasily, casting occasional glances back
at the tent, and making sure that Helen was remaining quiet. Finally
Plenty Buffalo called again. There was another brief parley and Talpers
renewed his threats. While the talk was going on, Helen heard a slight
noise behind her. Turning her head, she saw the point of a knife cutting
a long slit in the back of the tent. Then Fire Bear's dark face peered
in through the opening. The Indian's long brown arm reached forth and
the bonds at Helen's wrists were cut. The arm disappeared through the
slit in the canvas, beckoning as it did so. Helen backed slowly toward
the opening that had been made.

The talk between Plenty Buffalo and Talpers was still going on. Helen
waited until both men had glanced around at her. Then, as they turned
their heads once more toward Plenty Buffalo's hiding-place, she half
leaped, half fell through the opening in the tent. A strong hand kept
her from falling and guided her swiftly through the underbrush back of
the tent. Her face was scratched by the bushes that swung back as the
half-naked Indian glided ahead of her, but, in almost miraculous
fashion, she found a traversable path opened. Torn and bleeding, she
flung herself behind a rock, just as a shout from the camp told that her
disappearance had been discovered. There was a crashing of pursuers
through the underbrush, but a gun roared a warning, almost in Helen's
ear.

The shot was fired by Lowell, who, hatless and with torn clothing, had
followed Fire Bear within a short distance of the camp. Helen crouched
against the rock, while Lowell stood over her firing into the forest
tangle. Fire Bear stood nonchalantly beside Lowell. Helen noticed,
wonderingly, that there was not a scratch on the Indian's naked
shoulders, yet Lowell's clothes were torn, and blood dripped from his
palms where he had followed Fire Bear along the seemingly impassable way
back of the camp.

One or two answering shots were fired, but evidently Talpers and his
companion were afraid of an attack by Plenty Buffalo, so no pursuit was
attempted.

The