But the Sauk was quick to recover, and his old enmity seemed to blaze up
with ten-fold intensity.

"The Shawanoe is a buffalo," said he, from behind his gleaming paint;
"he fights like the buffalo when his foe is stronger and braver than
he."

Deerfoot flung the knife of the warrior to him.

"The Shawanoe will fight as a buffalo no more; he will now use his
knife; let the Sauk do what he can."

A brave warrior could take no exception to this declaration, accompanied
as it was by such significant action; but it cannot be conceived that
the Sauk was free from misgiving, when knowing, as he did, that he held
the position of contestant only through the grace of his youthful
antagonist, who a moment before could have pierced his heart with his
hunting knife.

Having displayed the character of a battering ram, Deerfoot now assumed
another.

"The Sauk is afraid of Deerfoot; he dare not attack him until he
stumbles; Deerfoot's heart was oppressed with pity when he saw the fear
of Hay-uta, and he stumbled that it might give Hay-uta the courage the
Great Spirit did not give him."

These were taunting words, but, convinced they were spoken with the
purpose of disturbing his self-possession, the Sauk only compressed his
lips the tighter, and held himself ready to seize the first chance that
presented itself. His recent experience had taught him a lesson which he
could not forget.

Bending his knees until he assumed a crouching posture, the Sank
centered his burning gaze on the face of Deerfoot, drew back his lips
until his white teeth showed like those of a wild cat, and uttered a
tremulous, sibilant sound, as if he were a serpent ready to burst with
venom.

If he meant to frighten Deerfoot he failed, for the mishap of the Sauk
was too recent to allow such impression to be made. The figure of the
crouching warrior was startling in its hideousness, but there was never
a moment from the opening of the singular contest, when the young
Shawanoe did not feel secure in his mastery of the situation.

The feinting and retreating went on several minutes longer, when all at
once Deerfoot caught an expression, which the paint on the face of his
antagonist could not hide, that showed he had resolved on forcing the
fight to a conclusion. A couple of quick feints followed, and then
Hay-uta leaped forward, meaning to force Deerfoot to the earth. Had the
Shawanoe remained quiet, such would have been the result, but he was too
supple