posite him with a center
fire burning between them. Wordless, like a bashful Indian maid, the
avenger ate in silence the food set before him on the ground in front
of his crossed shins. When he had finished his meal he handed the empty
bowl to the chieftain's wife, saying, "Mother-in-law, here is your
dish!"

"Han, my son!" answered the woman, taking the bowl.

With the magic arrow in his quiver the stranger felt not in the least
too presuming in addressing the woman as his mother-in-law.

Complaining of fatigue, he covered his face with his blanket and soon
within the chieftain's teepee he lay fast asleep.

"The young man is not handsome after all!" whispered the woman in her
husband's ear.

"Ah, but after he has killed the red eagle he will seem handsome
enough!" answered the chieftain.

That night the star men in their burial procession in the sky reached
the low northern horizon, before the center fires within the teepees
had flickered out. The ringing laughter which had floated up through
the smoke lapels was now hushed, and only the distant howling of wolves
broke the quiet of the village. But the lull between midnight and dawn
was short indeed. Very early the oval-shaped door-flaps were thrust
aside and many brown faces peered out of the wigwams toward the top of
the highest bluff.

Now the sun rose up out of the east. The red painted avenger stood ready
within the camp ground for the flying of the red eagle. He appeared,
that terrible bird! He hovered over the round village as if he could
pounce down upon it and devour the whole tribe.

When the first arrow shot up into the sky the anxious watchers thrust a
hand quickly over their half-uttered "hinnu!" The second and the third
arrows flew upward but missed by a wide space the red eagle soaring with
lazy indifference over the little man with the long bow. All his arrows
he spent in vain. "Ah! my blanket brushed my elbow and shifted the
course of my arrow!" said the stranger as the people gathered around
him.

During this happening, a woman on horseback halted her pony at the
chieftain's teepee. It was no other than the young woman who cut loose
the tree-bound captive!

While she told the story the chieftain listened with downcast face. "I
passed him on my way. He is near!" she ended.

Indignant at the bold impostor, the wrathful eyes of the chieftain
snapped fire like red cinders in the night time. His lips were closed.
At length to the woman he sa