e most serious crisis of all
had come.

At the moment when he began to lessen his speed, simply because the
intervening limbs annoyed him, he made the discovery that still more of
the Pawnees were in front. He caught the glimmer of their dress between
the trees scarcely, more than a hundred yards in advance, and, instead
of one or two, there were at least five who were drawing near.

These were what may be called strangers, since they and Deerfoot now saw
each other for the first time. Had they known the exact circumstances,
they would have kept out of sight until the fugitive had run, as may be
said, into their arms; but, like the rest, they were moving toward the
camp, in obedience to the signals, keeping a lookout at the same time
for the enemy that they knew was somewhere in the neighborhood. The
reason they had not put in an earlier appearance was because they were
further off than the rest.

At the moment Deerfoot observed them, he was not far off from the
winding stream over which he had passed on the fallen tree. Like a
flash, he turned about and ran with his own extraordinary fleetness,
directly over his own trail.

It will be seen that the peril of this course reached almost a fatal
degree, for the other Pawnees could not be far off, and a very brief run
would take him in full sight of them.

The last comers showed more vigor than the others. The glimpse they
caught of the strange warrior dashing toward them, told the whole truth.
The sight of a man running at full speed with a whooping mob a short
distance behind, is all the evidence needed to prove he is a fugitive.
Besides, when the Pawnees bore down on Deerfoot they knew far more of
the neighborhood than he, and were sure he was entrapped.

The purpose of the Shawanoe was to put forth his utmost swiftness,
hoping to place himself, if only for part of a minute, beyond sight of
his enemies. Though he made the closest kind of calculation,
circumstances were against him, and he not only failed to disappear from
the last two, but, short as was the distance he doubled on his own
trail, it took him into the field of vision of the parties whom he had
eluded but a few minutes before. So it came about that he was in full
view of a number of enemies, rapidly converging toward him, while a
deep, swift stream was flowing across his line of flight.

The success of the pursuers now looked so certain that their leader
emitted several whoops, a couple of which were