n, and that he
was gazing round him, astonished at seeing so many people.

"He is awake," I observed; and Clarice, coming up, made signs to inquire
whether he would have some more food.

He shook his head, and lay back again, evidently unable to sit up.

Just then Uncle Jeff, who had been out, returned.

"I suspect that he is one of the Kaskayas, whose hunting-grounds are
between this and the Platte," observed Uncle Jeff; and approaching the
Indian, he stooped over him and spoke a few words in the dialect of the
tribe he had mentioned.

The Indian answered him, although with difficulty.

"I thought so," said Uncle Jeff. "He has been badly wounded by an arrow
in the side, and although he managed to cut it out and bind up the hurt,
he confesses that he still suffers greatly. Here, Bartle, you are the
best doctor among us," he added, turning to Won, who was at work mending
some harness on the opposite side of the room; "see what you can do for
the poor fellow."

Bartle put down the straps upon which he was engaged, and joined us,
while Clarice retired. Uncle Jeff and Bartle then examined the Indian's
side.

"I will get some leaves to bind over the wound to-morrow morning, which
will quickly heal it; and, in the meantime, we will see if Rachel has
not got some of the ointment which helped to cure Gideon when he cut
himself so badly with his axe last spring."

Rachel, who prided herself on her ointment, quickly produced a jar of
it, and assisted Bartle in dressing the Indian's wound. She then gave
him a cooling mixture which she had concocted.

The Indian expressed his gratitude in a few words, and again covering
himself up with a buffalo robe, was soon asleep.

The next morning he was better, but still unable to move.

He remained with us ten days, during which Clarice and Rachel watched
over him with the greatest care, making him all sorts of dainty dishes
which they thought he would like; and in that time he and Uncle Jeff
managed to understand each other pretty well.

The Indian, according to the reticent habits of his people, was not
inclined to be very communicative at first as to how he had received his
wound; but as his confidence increased he owned that he had, with a
party of his braves, made an excursion to the southward to attack their
old enemies the Arrapahas, but that he and his followers had been
overwhelmed by greatly superior numbers. His people had been cut off to
a man, and himself badly w