Who bade you come to the camp of the Pawnees? Do you
think we are squaws who are ill, that we will let a dog bark at our
heels without kicking him from our path?"

Lone Bear talked louder and faster with each word, until when the last
passed his lips, he was in a passion. He had faced clear round, so that
he glowered upon the youth. He now rose to his feet and Deerfoot, seeing
that trouble was at hand, did the same. As he came up, he took care to
limp painfully and to stand as though unable to bear any part of his
body's weight on the injured leg.

"Lone Bear is as brave as the fawn that runs to its mother, when it
hears the cry of the hound; he is in the camp of his friends and it
makes him brave; but if he stood alone before Deerfoot, then would his
heart tremble and he would ask Deerfoot to spare him!"

No more exasperating language could be framed than that which was
uttered by the young Shawanoe. He meant that it should fire Lone Bear
and he succeeded.

CHAPTER V.

SHAWANOE VS. PAWNEE.

Why it was Deerfoot sought a quarrel with the Pawnee can not be made
fully clear. I incline to believe that his quick penetration detected
signs among the warriors that they did not mean to let him withdraw,
when he should seek to do so, and his plan was to use the quarrel as a
shield to thwart their purpose. This may seem a strained explanation but
let us see how it worked.

It is not impossible that the wonderful young warrior brought about the
disturbance in what may be called pure wantonness; that is, his
confidence in his own prowess led him to invite a contest, which
scarcely any other person would dare seek.

His last words were the spark to the magazine. The knife griped by Lone
Bear was snatched from his girdle, and he sprang forward, striking with
lightning-like viciousness at the chest of the Shawanoe, who avoided him
with half an effort.

In dodging the blow, the youth moved backward and to one side, so as to
bring all the warriors in front, and to leave open his line of retreat.
He had been as quick as Lone Bear to draw his weapon, but he did not
counter the blow--that is to an effective extent. He struck his
antagonist in the face, but only with the handle of the weapon. Perhaps
a pugilist would have said that the younger "heeled" the other.

The stroke was a smart one, and delivered as it was on the nose,
intensified, by its indignity, the fury of Lone Bear. He lost all
self-control, as Deerfoot m