k was impatient. He
did not hesitate to ask for an explanation; but he quickly learned that
impatience, anger or dictation availed nothing with the young Shawanoe.
He was afraid of no one, and if he chose to keep his thoughts to
himself, it mattered naught whether it gave pleasure or offense to
others.

Before attempting the passage, Deerfoot ranged up and down the stream
for a considerable distance, scrutinizing the belt of open land on the
other shore, and the woods beyond. Not a vestige of the Pawnees was to
be seen. Then he climbed a tree, and from the top looked off over the
country for a space of many miles. He hoped to detect the faint stains
left in the atmosphere by the camp-fire of the hostiles, but he was
disappointed in that also. Had he not learned the contrary the previous
night, he could have believed that he was the first human being whose
feet had ever pressed that solitude.

The Shawanoe was too subtle a woodman to forget any point of the
compass. It was not impossible that the Pawnees, angered by the
indignities and the disappointments they had suffered at the hands of
the young warrior and his companions, had tried to flank them. They were
not all cowards, and though some of them looked upon the phenomenal
youth as an evil spirit, there were others who must have known him as he
was, and who were eager for the chance to bring him low by means of
their rifles.

CHAPTER XIX.

JACK AND HAY-UTA.

Deerfoot's survey of the opposite shore was ended; but whether it was
satisfactory to himself or not, could be learned only by questioning
him. Jack Carleton took good care not to do that. He had never seen the
young Shawanoe so reserved, and having once been denied the knowledge he
sought, he left his friend to work in his own way.

It looked to Jack as if the Shawanoe was seeking to wrap more mystery
than usual around himself, for when he came back to his friends, he took
off his quiver of arrows and placed it and his bow in their charge, thus
showing his purpose to leave them behind in the business in which he was
about to engage. It certainly was inconvenient to swim the river with
them, and, in spite of the care and skill of the owner, it was
impossible to reach land with bow and arrows in the best condition.
Furthermore, they rendered him too conspicuous. No doubt some of the
Pawnees were near at hand, even though no signs were discovered, and if
the Shawanoe carried his weapons, his venture