ran forward, as persons along shore follow a boat race, so as not to
lose a phase of the struggle.

In the depths of his wrath, Lone Bear regained something of his
self-command, and called to mind the stories he had heard of the
fleetness of the young Shawanoe. That, with the fact that there was no
longer the least halt in his gait, told the disadvantage in which the
pursuer was placed.

If he could not reach the Shawanoe with his knife, he could with his
tomahawk or his rifle. Hastily thrusting back the knife, he whipped out
his tomahawk and raising it over his shoulder, hurled it with might and
main at the crown surmounted by the stained eagle feathers and streaming
black hair. At that moment, pursuer and fugitive were scarcely ten feet
apart.

But Deerfoot knew what was coming, and the instant the missile left the
hand of Lone Bear, he dropped flat on his side, as if smitten by a
thunderbolt. The shouting Pawnees, who were some distance behind,
supposed his skull had been cloven by the fiercely-driven tomahawk, but
it was not so.

Lone Bear did not see the trick of Deerfoot in time to escape its
purpose. The fall was so sudden, that before he could check himself, his
moccasin struck the prostrate figure, and he sprawled headlong over him,
heels in the air, and with a momentum almost violent enough to cause him
to overtake the tomahawk that had sped end over end several rods in
advance.

Before the Pawnee could rise, Deerfoot bounded up, sprang forward, and,
placing one foot on the head of Lone Bear, leaped high in the air and
spun around so as to face the party. Brandishing his bow aloft, he
emitted a shout of defiance and called out:

"Why do not the Pawnees run? Is none of their warriors fleet enough to
seize Deerfoot when he is lame?"

The only one of the company who could understand these questions was the
slightly stunned Lone Bear, who just then was climbing to his feet; but
the gestures and manner of the fugitive told the meaning of the
performance.

The young Shawanoe stood still on the edge of the wood, as if to show
his contempt for the Pawnees, who before Lone Bear could recover from
his discomfiture, sped forward in pursuit. One of them emitted several
whoops, which Deerfoot half suspected were meant as a signal, though of
course he could not be sure of their meaning.

It seemed like tempting fate to stand motionless, when only a few
seconds were required to bring his enemies to the spot, bu