r
from a questionable situation. Red Wolf, who was sitting cross-legged,
like a tailor, sent an enormous puff of smoke over his shoulder, and
nodded several times with much vigor, to signify that he indorsed the
sentiments of his comrade.

"He can not be harmed until the Good Spirit shall drive the Evil One
away; then the bullet of Lone Bear and the tomahawk of Red Wolf and the
knives of the Pawnees shall reach him. He shall then die as dies the
rattlesnake coiled in our path."

At intervals the two ceased speaking, and, looking toward the wood,
listened, but an interval of silence followed. Both began to hope that
in spite of the armor they had thrown around the Shawanoe, he had been
brought down by some of the Pawnees, who were making such efforts to
destroy him.

It will be remembered that the wood from which Deerfoot had caught sight
of the Pawnee war party came down to the edge of the broad stream over
which he swam in order to reach them. On their side, the growth of the
forest ceased some rods away from the water, so that for a considerable
distance, a broad band of open land lined the river. In this cleared
space the camp-fire of the Pawnees was burning, and they were grouped
around it, with nearly as many warriors at varying distances in the
wilderness beyond. When they looked, it was toward the nearest trees,
from which they expected almost every moment to see some of their
comrades emerge, escorting the prisoner.

Red Wolf seemed to glow with anger, because the Shawanoe persisted in
keeping out of the hands of the Pawnees, who, it may be said, surrounded
him. Removing his long-stemmed pipe from between his teeth, he held it
poised in his left hand, while he gesticulated with his right.

"Who are the bravest warriors that hunt through the wilderness and over
the prairies?" he asked, launching out in that vain-glorious boasting,
so characteristic of his race: "who drove all other red men before them?
Whose war-whoop makes the pale-faces run to their cabins and hold their
doors closed? Whose shouts cause their enemies to tremble and call on
the Great Spirit to protect them? Who is it that sweeps--"

A splintering crash broke in upon this series of questions, and the bowl
of Red Wolf's pipe was shattered into a hundred fragments, the atoms
flying into the faces of the startled Pawnees, who, accustomed to
surprises, leaped to their feet and glanced right and left to learn the
cause of the astounding occurre