fficult problem, "The lad was
right; I had no business to speak to him in that way, but what I said
about them both I believe to be the truth, gospel truth, and sooner or
later there's going to be trouble for him in Shuter's dive; and I'm
going to be with him when it comes, although he did give me that hard
rub about bein' afraid of Shuter and his friends."

He slowly picked up his hat, and was about to step out into the
darkness when the Indian girl, whom he had seen accost Harry,
noiselessly entered the tent, and drawing the wet blanket from her
head, said passionately, in quaint broken English, as she pointed in
the direction of Shuter's store, "He go dare again--Harry--for see de
white girl, Nellie; I see him go, and she no love him."

As Joe looked at her he saw she was far more prepossessing than the
other squaws; while against her character he had not heard a word. He
had seen her for the first time about three months ago, when she came
to camp with some old squaws, to sell prairie chickens and ducks,
which the braves had shot, and Indian-like had sent them to sell.

Her acquaintance with Harry had not been of long duration. The first
time she met him he was lying in the deep rich grass, for it was the
time the fever was upon him. Joe was away in the distance taking care
of both the mules and the scraper. So unexpectedly had she come across
him, that her moccasined foot touched his hand before he was aware of
her presence.

In his gentlemanly way he had risen and told her he was sorry he had
been in her way, and then had sunk weakly back again. The suffering on
his pinched boyish face went straight to her heart, which awoke to
longings never known before.

Every day after this little adventure, on one pretext or another, she
managed to encounter him. At first, he nodded and smiled and had a
kindly word for her, but suddenly he ignored her altogether, for word
of her infatuation had reached Nellie Shuter's ears, and she had acted
as though she were displeased.

For a time the girl stayed away, and Harry thought she would not
return; but one night, when he was walking alone on the prairie, she
ran suddenly up to him, and pointing to the swiftly-flowing Red
River, told him in the figurative language of her people, that because
of him her heart was as troubled as the river was in the
spring-time--when the melting snow vexed it so that it burst its
barriers and flowed over the prairie. She went on in her childi