raid that his father will be madder than ever when he goes back not
only without the lost horse, but without some of the property he took
away with him. Now that fear is gone and Otto begins to feel better than
I do, for," thought the youth, looking around him, "we certainly are not
in the best situation in the world."

The youth could not help observing that while the Indians seemed to pay
little attention to them, he and Otto were under strict surveillance. As
no motion had been made to bind them, the boys could make a sudden
break or dash for liberty whenever the whim took possession of them, but
nothing could be gained and a great deal might be lost by such an
attempt. Stumpy and heavy-set as were the warriors, they could easily
outrun their captives, and rather than permit them to get away, they
would doubtless riddle them with bullets. Consequently, while the same
thought came to each of the friends more than once, as they sat
conversing on the log, neither proposed any effort to get away.

They had brought nothing in the shape of lunch with them, and it may be
doubted whether any one of the Indians was more ravenously hungry than
were they. It would go hard with them, if deprived of their share of the
dinner, prepared by the aboriginal cooks.

When the huge slices of venison were half broiled, the distribution
followed. The cooks handled their hunting-knives with such deftness,
that in a twinkling, as may be said, the jaws of the entire party were
vigorously at work. After receiving their respective shares, few made
the slightest use of their knives. The aborigines live and eat so much
like wild animals, that, almost without exception, they possess
admirable teeth which need no artificial assistance.

"My gracious!" whispered Jack, "I believe they don't mean to give us so
much as a bite."

"If dey doesn't do so, den I dies mit hunger," was the despairing
exclamation of Otto, who forgot that only a few hours had passed since
he had partaken liberally of food. "I never felt so hungry as I feels
now, and now I'm growing worser----"

Something thumped against the side of the speaker's head with such force
that his hat fell off. Jack had just time to see that it was a piece of
cooked venison, when a similar blessing struck him.

The two Indians were dexterous throwers, and they and half a dozen were
grinning over the result.

The result was satisfactory in every way to the victims, if such they
may be conside