companied him.

"Flintheads," whispered Noggin. "He says they are not his people. They
are up to some deep treachery. They, of course, don't know that old
White Dog is here, and that we are warned of their intentions. What is
to be done? I wish Short and the rest were here."

Laban, after Noggin had spoken, stood for a minute or two in an attitude
of reflection. I believe that if a great gun had been let off at his
ear he would not have heard it just then. At length he said--"Wait till
they come, and then we will let the red-skins enter the encampment. As
they do so we must seize every mother's son of them, and bind them all
to the posts of the huts. We won't brain them, as they would have
brained us, and maybe the lesson we thus give them will teach them that
the religion of the white-faces is better than that of the red-skins."

We eagerly looked out for the return of the other scouts, for we were
afraid that they might have been picked off by some prowling bands of
Flintheads. Soon after daylight, however, they came in, without having
seen any one. Our arrangements were speedily made. The women were to
keep out of the way, and to pretend to be nursing the children. As we
far outnumbered the Indians, two of us were told off to take charge of
one of them, the rest were to act as a party of reserve to seize any who
might escape. The instant they entered the camp they were to be seized,
as, seeing us prepared to move, of course their suspicions would be
aroused. Noggin, who best knew their ways, undertook to tell them that
they might come in.

"The varmints, knowing their own treacherous ways, are so suspicious,
that if we show that we are too willing to let them come, they'll fancy
that we've some plot in hand, and will be off to their friends."

The gate of our stockade being opened, Noggin carelessly sauntered out
and squatted himself down before the Indians, as if prepared for a
regular palaver. Not to lose time, the rest of us got our breakfasts,
harnessed the horses, and prepared for an immediate start. I must say I
never bolted my food at such a rate as I did that morning. At last
Noggin got up, and he and the Indians came towards the stockade. My
heart beat in a curious way. We watched Noggin. He looked glum, and
made no signal that we were to alter our tactics. The Indians all
trooped in one after the other, looking sedate and quiet enough, but
their dark eyes rolled furtively about, an