THE GREAT SIOUX TRAIL

 _A STORY OF MOUNTAIN AND PLAIN_

 BY

 JOSEPH A. ALTSHELER

 AUTHOR OF "THE RULERS OF THE LAKES, " "THE SHADOW OF THE NORTH, " ETC. 

 [Illustration]

 ILLUSTRATED BY CHARLES L. WRENN

 D. APPLETON AND COMPANY NEW YORK LONDON 1918

 Copyright, 1918, by D. APPLETON AND COMPANY

 Printed in the United States of America

 THE GREAT SIOUX TRAIL

 By JOSEPH A. ALTSHELER

 THE CIVIL WAR SERIES

 The Guns of Bull Run The Guns of Shiloh The Scouts of Stonewall The Sword of Antietam The Star of Gettysburg The Rock of Chickamaugua The Shades of the Wilderness The Tree of Appomattox

 THE WORLD WAR SERIES

 The Guns of Europe The Forest of Swords The Hosts of the Air

 THE YOUNG TRAILERS SERIES

 The Young Trailers The Forest Runners The Keepers of the Trail The Eyes of the Woods The Free Rangers The Riflemen of the Ohio The Scouts of the Valley The Border Watch

 THE TEXAN SERIES

 The Texan Star The Texan Scouts The Texan Triumph

 THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR SERIES

 The Hunters of the Hills The Shadow of the North The Rulers of the Lakes

 BOOKS NOT IN SERIES

 The Great Sioux Trail Apache Gold The Quest of the Four The Last of the Chiefs In Circling Camps A Soldier of Manhattan The Sun of Saratoga A Herald of the West The Wilderness Road My Captive

 ----------

 D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, NEW YORK

[Illustration: A stroke of a great paw and the rifle was dashed from thehands of the old chief. [PAGE 288. ]]

FOREWORD

"The Great Sioux Trail" is the first of a group of romances concernedwith the opening of the Great West just after the Civil War, and havinga solid historical basis. They will be connected by the presence ofleading characters in all the volumes, but every one will be in itself acomplete story. 

 CONTENTS

 CHAPTER PAGE

 I THE SIOUX WARNING 1

 II THE NARROW ESCAPE 25

 III THE LITTLE GIANT 53

 IV THE FLIGHT 84

 V THE WHITE DOME 111

 VI THE OUTLAW 134

 VII THE BEAVER HUNTER 157

 VIII THE MOUNTAIN RAM 177

 IX THE BUFFALO MARCH 199

 X THE WAR CLUB'S FALL 229

 XI THE YOUNG SLAVE 246

 XII THE CAPTIVE'S RISE 266

 XIII THE REWARD OF MERIT 290

 XIV THE DREADFUL NIGHT 315

 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

 A stroke of a great paw and the rifle was dashed from the hands of the old chief _Frontispiece_

 FACING PAGE

 The rifle sprang to his shoulder, a jet of flame leaped from the muzzle 48

 The body of a warrior shot downward, striking on the ledges 190

 "If he ever looks upon a white face again it will be the face of one who is a friend of the Sioux" 256

THE GREAT SIOUX TRAIL

CHAPTER I

THE SIOUX WARNING

The scene cast a singular spell, uncanny and exciting, over youngClarke. The sweep of plains on one side, and on the other the dimoutline of mountains behind which a blood-red sun was sinking, gave it asetting at once majestic and full of menace. The horizon, as thetwilight spread over its whole surface, suggested the wilderness, theunknown and many dangers. 

The drama passing before his eyes deepened and intensified his feelingthat he was surrounded by the unusual. The fire burned low, the creepingdusk reached the edge of the thin forest to the right, and soon, withthe dying of the flames, it would envelop the figures of both Sioux andsoldiers. Will's gaze had roved from one to another, but now it remainedfixed upon the chief, who was speaking with all the fire, passion andeloquence so often characteristic of the great Indian leaders. He wastoo far away to hear the words, as only the officers of the troop wereallowed at the conference, but he knew they were heavy with import, andthe pulses in his temples beat hard and fast. 

"Who is the Indian chief?" he said to Boyd, the scout and hunter, whostood by his side. "He seems to be a man. "

"He is, " replied Boyd with emphasis. "He's a man, and a great man, too. That's Red Cloud, the war chief of the Ogalala Sioux, Mahpeyalute, theycall him in their language, one of the bravest warriors that ever lived, and a thinker, as well. If he'd been born white he'd be governor of abig state by this time, and later on he might become president of 'emall. "

"I've heard of him. He's one of our most dangerous enemies. "

"So he is, Will. It's because he thinks we're going to spread over theSioux country--in which he's right--and not because he hates us as men. I've known him in more peaceful times, and we've done each other goodturns, but under that black hair of his beats a brain that can look farahead and plan. He means to close to us the main trail through the Siouxcountry, and the Sioux range running halfway across the continent, andhalfway from Canada to Mexico. Mountain and plain alike are theirs. "

"I can't keep from having a certain sympathy with him, Jim. It's butnatural that they should want to keep the forests and the great buffaloranges. "

"I share their feelings, too, though white I am, and to the white peopleI belong. I hate to think of the continent ploughed into fieldseverywhere, and with a house always in sight. Anyhow, it won't happen inmy time, because in the west here there are so many mountains and theSioux and Cheyennes are so warlike that the plough will have a hard timegetting in. "

"And the country is so vast, too. But watch Red Cloud. He points to thewest! Now he drops his hand, doubles his fist and stretches his armacross the way. What does it mean, Jim?"

"It's a gesture telling Captain Kenyon that the road is barred tosoldiers, settlers, hunters, all of us. Far to the south we may stillfollow the gold trails to California, but here at the edge of thismighty wilderness we must turn back. The nations of the Dakota, whom wecall the Sioux, have said so. "

Mahpeyalute lowered his arm, which he had thrust as a barrier across theway, but his fist remained clenched, and raising it he shook it again. The sun had sunk over the dim mountains in the north and the burning redthere was fading. All the thin forest was clothed now in dusk, and thefigure of the chief himself grew dimmer. Yet the twilight enlarged himand lent to him new aspects of power and menace. As he made his gestureof defiance, young Clarke, despite his courage, felt the blood growchill in his veins. It seemed at the moment in this dark wilderness thatthe great Indian leader had the power to make good his threats and closethe way forever to the white race. 

The other Indians, ten in number, stood with their arms folded, and theyneither stirred nor spoke. But they listened with supreme attention toevery word of their redoubtable champion, the great Mahpeyalute. Willknew that the Sioux were subdivided into nations or tribes, and hesurmised that the silent ones were their leaders, although he knew wellenough that Red Cloud was an Ogalala, and that the Ogalalas were merelyone of the Tetons who, federated with the others, made up the mightySioux nation. But the chief, by the force of courage and intellect, hadraised himself from a minor place to the very headship. 

Red Cloud was about fifty years old, and, while at times he wore thewhite man's apparel, at least in part, he was now clothed wholly inIndian attire. A blanket of dark red was looped about his shoulders, andhe carried it with as much grace as a Roman patrician ever wore thetoga. His leggings and moccasins of fine tanned deerskin were decoratedbeautifully with beads, and a magnificent war bonnet of feathers, colored brilliantly, surmounted his thick, black hair. 

He was truly a leader of wild and barbaric splendor in surroundings thatfitted him. But it was not his tall, powerful figure nor his dress thatheld Will's gaze. It was his strong face, fierce, proud and menacing, like the sculptured relief of some old Assyrian king, and in very truth, with high cheek bones and broad brow, he might have been thereincarnation of some old Asiatic conqueror. 

The young officer seemed nervous and doubtful. He switched the tops ofhis riding boots with a small whip, and then looked into the fierce eyesof the chief, as if to see that he really meant what he said. Kenyon wasfresh from the battlefields of the great civil war, where he had beenmentioned specially in orders more than once for courage andintelligence, but here he felt himself in the presence of an alarmingpuzzle. His mission was to be both diplomat and warrior. He was not surewhere the duties of diplomat ceased and those of warrior began. 

Meanwhile his protagonist, the Indian chief, had no doubt at all abouthis own intentions and was stating them with a clearness that could notbe mistaken. Captain Kenyon continued to switch his boot uneasily and totake a nervous step back and forth, his figure outlined against thefire. Young Clarke felt a certain sympathy for him, placed withoutexperience in a situation so delicate and so full of peril. 

The Ogalala stopped talking and looked straight at the officer, standingerect and waiting, as if he expected a quick answer, and only the kindof answer, too, that he wished. Meanwhile there was silence, save for anoccasional crackle of burning wood. 

Both young Clarke and the hunter, Boyd, felt with all the intensity ofconviction that it was a moment charged with fate. The white people hadcome from the Atlantic to the great plains, but the mighty Sioux nationnow barred the way to the whole Northwest, it was not a barrier to bepassed easily. Will, as he said, understood, too, the feelings ofMahpeyalute. Had he been an Ogalala like the chief he would have feltas the Ogalala felt. Yet, whatever happened, he and Boyd meant to go on, because they had a mission that was calling them all the time. 

The Captain at last said a few words, and Red Cloud, who had beenmotionless while he waited, took from under his blanket a pipe with along curved stem. Will was surprised. He knew something of Indiancustom, but he had not thought that the fierce Ogalala chief wouldpropose to smoke a pipe of peace at a time like the present. Nor was anysuch thought in the mind of Red Cloud. Instead, he suddenly struck thestem of the pipe across the trunk of a sapling, breaking it in two, andas the bowl fell upon the ground he put his foot upon it, shattering it. Then, raising his hand in a salute to Captain Kenyon, he turned upon hisheel and walked away, all the other Indians following him without aword. At the edge of the thin forest they mounted their ponies and rodeout of sight in the darkness. 

Captain Kenyon stood by the fire, gazing thoughtfully into the dyingcoals, while the troopers, directed by the sergeants, were spreading theblankets for the night. Toward the north, where the foothills showeddimly, a wolf howled. The lone, sinister note seemed to arouse theofficer, who gave some orders to the men and then turned to meet thehunter and the lad. 

"I've no doubt you surmised what the Indian meant, " he said to Boyd. 

"I fancy he was telling you all the trails through the Northwest wereclosed to the white people, " said the hunter. 

"Yes, that was it, and his warning applied to hunters, scouts andgold-seekers as well as settlers. He told me that the Sioux would nothave their hunting grounds invaded, and the buffalo herds on which theylive destroyed. "

"What he told you, Captain, is in the heart of every warrior of theirnation. The Northern Cheyennes, a numerous and warlike tribe, feel thesame way, also. The army detachments are too few and too scattered tohold back the white people, and a great and terrible war is coming. "

"At least, " said Captain Kenyon, "I must do my duty as far as I may. Ican't permit you and your young friend, Mr. Clarke, to go into the Siouxcountry. The Indian chief, Red Cloud, showed himself to be a fierce andresolute man and you would soon lose your lives. "

Will's face fell, but the hunter merely shrugged his great shoulders. 

"But you'll permit us to pass the night in your camp, Captain?" he said. 

"Of course. Gladly. You're welcome to what we have. I'd not driveanybody away from company and fire. "

"We thank you, Captain Kenyon, " said Will warmly. "It's a genuinepleasure to us to be the guests of the army when we're surrounded bysuch a wilderness. "

Their horses were tethered nearby with those of the troop, and securingtheir blankets from their packs they spread them on dead leaves near thefire. 

"You'll take breakfast with us in the morning, " said Captain Kenyonhospitably, "and then I'll decide which way to go, and what task we'reto undertake. I wish you'd join us as scout, hunter and guide, Mr. Boyd. We need wisdom like yours, and Mr. Clarke could help us, too. "

"I've been independent too long, " replied the hunter lightly. "I'vewandered mountain and plain so many years at my own free will that Icouldn't let myself be bound now by military rules. But I thank you forthe compliment, just the same, Captain Kenyon. "

He and Will Clarke lay down side by side with their feet to the fire, their blankets folded about them rather closely, as the air, when thenight advanced and the coals died completely, was sure to grow cold. Will was troubled, as he was extremely anxious to go on at once, but hereflected that Jim Boyd was one of the greatest of all frontiersmen andhe would be almost sure to find a way. Summoning his will, he dismissedanxiety from his mind and lay quite still, seeking sleep. 

The camp was now quiet and the fire was sinking rapidly. Sentinelswalked on every side, but Will could not see them from where he lay. Alight wind blowing down from the mountains moaned through the thinforest. Clouds came up from the west, blotting out the horizon andmaking the sky a curving dome of blackness. Young William Clarke feltthat it was good to have comrades in the immense desolation, and itstrengthened his spirit to see the soldiers rolled in their blankets, their feet to the dying coals. 

Yet his trouble about the future came back. He and Boyd were in truthand reality prisoners. Captain Kenyon was friendly and kind, but hewould not let them go on, because the Sioux and Cheyennes had barred allthe trails and the formidable Red Cloud had given a warning that couldnot be ignored. Making another effort, he dismissed the thought a secondtime and just as the last coals were fading into the common blackness hefell asleep. 

He was awakened late in the night by a hand pushing gently butinsistently against his shoulder. He was about to sit up abruptly, butthe voice of Boyd whispered in his ear:

"Be very careful! Make no noise! Release yourself from your blanket andthen do what I say!"

The hand fell away from his shoulder, and, moving his head a little, Clarke looked carefully over the camp. The coals where the fire had beenwere cold and dead, and no light shone there. The figures of thesleeping soldiers were dim in the dusk, but evidently they sleptsoundly, as not one of them stirred. He heard the regular breathing ofthose nearest to him, and the light step of the sentinel just beyond aclump of dwarf pines. 

"Sit up now, " whispered Boyd, "and when the sentinel passes a littlefarther away we'll creep from the camp. Be sure you don't step on astick or trip over anything. Keep close behind me. The night's as blackas pitch, and it's our one chance to escape from friends who are toohospitable. "

Will saw the hunter slowly rise to a stooping position, and he didlikewise. Then when the sound of the sentinel's step was lost at the farend of his beat, Boyd walked swiftly away from the camp and Willfollowed on his trail. The lad glanced back once, and saw that the dimfigures by the dead fire did not stir. Weary and with the soothing windblowing over them, they slept heavily. It was evident that the two whowould go their own way had nothing to fear from them. There was now nobar to their departure, save the unhappy chance of being seen by thesentinel. 

A rod from the camp and Boyd lay flat upon the ground, Will, without theneed of instruction, imitating him at once. The sentinel was comingback, but like his commander he was a soldier of the civil war, used toopen battlefields, and he did not see the two shadows in the dusk. Hereached the end of his beat and turning went back again, disappearingonce more beyond the stunted pines. 

"Now's our time, " whispered Boyd, and rising he walked away swiftly butsilently, Will close behind him. Three hundred yards, and they stoppedby the trunk of a mountain oak. 

"We're clear of the soldiers now, " said the hunter, "but we must haveour horses. Without 'em and the supplies they carry we'd be lost. Idon't mean anything against you, Will. You're a likely lad and you learnas fast as the best of 'em, but it's for me to cut out the horses andbring 'em here. Do you think you can wait patiently at this place till Icome with 'em?"

"No, Jim, I can't wait patiently, but I can wait impatiently. I'll makemyself keep still. "

"That's good enough. On occasion I can be as good a horse thief as thebest Sioux or Crow or Cheyenne that ever lived, only it's our own horsesthat I'm going to steal. They've a guard, of course, but I'll slip pasthim. Now use all your patience, Will. "

"I will, " said the lad, as he leaned against the trunk of the oak. Thenhe became suddenly aware that he no longer either saw or heard Boyd. Thehunter had vanished as completely and as silently as if he had meltedinto the air, but Will knew that he was going toward the thin forest, where the horses grazed or rested at the end of their lariats. 

All at once he felt terribly alone. He heard nothing now but the moaningof the wind that came down from the far mountains. The camp was gone, Boyd was gone, the horses were invisible, and he was the only humanbeing in the gigantic and unknown Northwest. The air felt distinctlycolder and he shivered a little. It was not fear, it was merely thefeeling that he was cut off from the race like a shipwrecked sailor on adesert island. He took himself metaphorically by the shoulders and gavehis body a good shake. Boyd would be coming back soon with the horses, and then he would have the best of comradeship. 

But the hunter was a long time in returning, a half hour that seemed toWill a full two hours, but at last, when he had almost given him up, heheard a tread approaching. He had experience enough to know that thesound was made by hoofs, and that Boyd was successful. He realized now, so great was his confidence in the hunter's skill, that failure had notentered his mind. 

The sound came nearer, and it was made by more than one horse. Then thefigure of the hunter appeared in the darkness and behind him came fourhorses, the two that they rode, and the extra animals for the packs. 

"Splendidly done!" exclaimed the lad. "But I knew you could do it!"

"It was about as delicate a job as I ever handled, " said Boyd, with acertain amount of pride in his tone, "but by waiting until I had a goodchance I was able to cut 'em out. It was patience that did it. I tellyou, lad, patience is about the greatest quality a man can have. It'sthe best of all winners. "

"I suppose that's the reason, Jim, it's so hard to exercise it at times. Although I had nothing to do and took none of the risk, it seemed to meyou were gone several hours. "

Boyd laughed a little. 

"It proves what I told you, " he said, "but we want to get away from hereas quick as we can now. You lead two of the horses, I'll lead the othertwo, and we won't mount for a while yet. I don't think they can hear usat the camp, but we won't give 'em a chance to do so if we can help it. "

He trod a course straight into the west, the ground, fortunately, beingsoft and the hoofs of the horses making but little sound. Although thedarkness hung as thick and close as ever, the skillful woodsman foundthe way instinctively, and neither stumbled nor trod upon the fallenbrushwood. Young Clarke, just behind him, followed in his tracks, alsostepping lightly and he knew enough not to ask any questions, confidentthat Boyd would take them wherever they wished to go. 

It was a full two hours before the hunter stopped and then they stood ona low hill covered but thinly with the dwarfed trees of that region. Thenight was lightening a little, a pallid moon and sparse stars creepingout in the heavens. By the faint light young Clarke saw only a wild andrugged country, low hills about them and in the north the blur that heknew to be mountains. 

"We can stand up straight now and talk in our natural voices, " saidBoyd, in a clear, full tone, "and right glad I am, too. I hate to stealaway from friends, as if you were running from the law. That CaptainKenyon is a fine fellow, though he and his men don't know much aboutthis wild country. "

"Isn't this about the same direction that Red Cloud and his warriorstook?" asked Will. 

"Not far from it, but we won't run into 'em. They're miles and milesahead. There's a big Sioux village two or three days' journey fartheron, and it's a certainty that their ponies are headed straight for it. "

"And we won't keep going for the same village?"

The big hunter laughed infectiously. 

"Not if we know what is good for us, " he replied, "and we think we do. Our trail leads far to the north of the Sioux town, and, when we startagain, we'll make an abrupt change in our course. There's enoughmoonlight now for you to see the face of your watch, and tell me thetime, Will. "

"Half-past one, Jim. "

"And four or five hours until morning. We'll move on again. There's achance that some pursuing soldier might find us here, one chance in athousand, so to speak, but slim as it is it is well to guard against it. Mount your horse. There's no reason now why we shouldn't ride. "

Will sprang gladly into the saddle, leading his pack-animal by thelariat, and once more followed Boyd, who rode down the hill into a wideand shallow valley, containing a scattered forest of good growth. Boyd'shorse raised his head suddenly and neighed. 

"What does that mean?" asked Will, startled. "Sioux?"

"No, " replied the hunter. "I know this good and faithful brute so wellthat he and I can almost talk together. I've learned the meaning ofevery neigh he utters and the one you have just heard indicates that hehas smelled water. In this part of the world water is something that youmust have on your mind most of the time, and his announcement iswelcome. "

"If there's a stream, do we camp by it?"

"We certainly do. We won't turn aside from the luck that fortune puts inour way. We're absolutely safe from the soldiers now. They can't trailus in the night, and we've come many miles. "

They descended a long slope and came into the valley, finding the grassthere abundant, and, flowing down the centre, a fine brook of clear coldwater, from which horses and horsemen drank eagerly. Then they unsaddledand prepared for rest and food. 

"Is there no danger here from the Sioux?" asked Will. 

"I think not, " replied the hunter. "I've failed to find a pony track, and I'm quite sure I saw a buck among the trees over there. If theIndians had passed this way there would have been no deer to meet oureyes, and you and I, Will, my lad, will take without fear the rest weneed so much. "

"I see that the brook widens and deepens into a pool a little fartheron, and as I'm caked with dust and dirt I think I'll take a bath. "

"Go ahead. I've never heard that a man was less brave or less enduringbecause he liked to keep clean. You'll feel a lot better when it'sdone. "

Will took off his clothes and sprang into the pool which had a fine, sandy bottom. The chill at once struck into his marrow. He had notdreamed that it was so cold. The hunter laughed when he saw himshivering. 

"That water comes down from the high mountains, " he said, "and a fewdegrees more of cold would turn it into ice. But splash, Will! Splash!and you'll feel fine!"

Young Clarke obeyed and leaped and splashed with great energy, until hiscirculation grew vigorous and warm. When he emerged upon the bank hiswhole body was glowing and he felt a wonderful exhilaration, bothphysical and mental. He ran up and down the bank until he was dry, andthen resumed his clothing. 

"You look so happy now that I'll try it myself, " said Boyd, and he wassoon in the water, puffing and blowing like a big boy. When he hadresumed his deerskins it was almost day. A faint line of silver showedin the east, and above them the sky was gray with the coming dawn. 

"I'll light a little fire and make coffee, " said Boyd, "but the rest ofthe breakfast must be cold. Still, a cup of coffee on a chill morningputs life into a man. "

Will, with the zeal characteristic of him, was already gathering deadbrushwood, and Boyd soon boiled the grateful brown liquid, of which theydrank not one cup but two each, helping out the breakfast with crackersand strips of dried beef. Then the pot and the cups were returned to thepacks and the hunter carefully put out the fire. 

"It's a good thing we loaded those horses well, " he said, "because we'llneed everything we have. Now you roll up in your blanket, Will, and getthe rest of your sleep. "

"And you feel sure there is no danger? I don't want to leave all theresponsibility to you. I'd like to do what I can. "

"Don't bother yourself about it. The range of the Sioux is farther westmostly, and it's not likely we could find a better place than this forour own little private camp. "

The coming of a bright, crisp day removed from Will the feeling ofdesolation that the wilderness had created in his mind. Apprehension andloneliness disappeared with the blackness of the night. He was with oneof the best scouts and hunters in the West, and the sun was rising upona valley of uncommon beauty. All about him the trees grew tall andlarge, without undergrowth, the effect being that of a great park, withgrass thick and green, upon which the horses were grazing in deepcontent. The waters of the brook sang a little song as they hurried overthe gravel, and the note of everything was so strongly of peace that thelad, wearied by their flight and mental strain, fell asleep in a fewminutes. 

It was full noon when he awoke, and, somewhat ashamed of himself, hesprang up, ready to apologize, but the hunter waved a deprecatory hand. 

"You didn't rest too long, " said Boyd. "You needed it. As for me, I'mseasoned and hard, adapted by years of practice to the life I lead. It'snothing to me to pass a night without sleep, and to catch up later on. While you were lying there in your blanket I scouted the valleythoroughly, leaving the horses to watch over you. It's about two mileslong and a mile broad. At the lower end the brook flows into a narrowchasm. "

"What did you find in the valley itself, Jim?"

"Track of bear, deer, wolf and panther, but no sign of human being, white or red. It's certain that we're the only people in it, but if weneed game we can find it. It's a good sign, showing that this part ofthe country has not been hunted over by the Indians. "

"Before long we'll have to replenish our food supply with game. "

"Yes, that's certain. We want to draw as little on our flour and coffeeas we can. We can do without 'em, but when you don't have 'em you miss'em terribly. "

The stores had been heaped at the foot of a tree, while the pack horses, selected for their size and strength, nibbled at the rich grass. Willcontemplated the little mound of supplies with much satisfaction. Theyhad not started upon the path of peril without due preparation. 

Each carried a breech-loading, repeating rifle of the very latest make, a weapon yet but little known on the border. In the packs were two morerifles of the same kind, two double-barreled, breech-loading shotguns, thousands of cartridges, several revolvers, two strong axes, medicines, extra blankets, and, in truth, everything needed by a little army of twoon the march. Boyd, a man of vast experience in the wilderness, hadselected the outfit and he was proud of its completeness. 

"Don't you think, Jim, " said young Clarke, "that you might take a littlesleep this afternoon? You've just said that we've nothing to dread inthe valley, and I can watch while you build yourself up. "

Boyd gave him a quick but keen glance. He saw that the lad's pride wasat stake, and that he was anxious to be trusted with an important task. Looking at his alert face, and knowing his active intellect, the hunterknew that he would learn swiftly the ways of the wilderness. 

"A good idea, " he said in tones seemingly careless. "I'll change my mindand take a nap. Wake me up if you see strange signs or think anything isgoing to happen. "

Without further word he spread his blanket on the leaves and in a minuteor two was off to slumberland. Will, full of pride, put his finebreech-loader over his shoulder and began his watch. The horses, havingeaten their fill, were lying down in the grass, and his own nuzzled hishand as he stroked their noses. 

He walked some distance among the trees, and he was impressed more andmore by the resemblance of the valley to a great park, a park hithertountrodden by man. Although he was not lonely or depressed now he feltvery remote from civilization. The cities of the East, so far as hismind was concerned, were now on the other side of the world. Theunknown, vast and interminable, had closed about him. 

Yet he felt a momentary exultation. Boyd and he would find a paththrough every peril. His walk brought him back to the edge of the brook, where for a little space thick bushes grew, and he heard a snarlinggrowl, followed by a rush that could be made only by a heavy body. Hestarted violently, the pulses beat hard in his temples and he promptlypresented his rifle. Then he laughed at himself. He caught a glimpse ofa long, yellowish body and he knew it was a mountain lion, much morealarmed than he, and fleeing with all speed to the hills. 

He must be steadier of nerve and he gave himself a stern rebuke. Fartherdown the valley the brook widened again into a deep pool, and in thewater, as clear as silver, he saw fine mountain trout, darting here andthere. If they stayed a day or two in the valley he would come and catchseveral of the big fellows, as they were well provided with fishingtackle, which Boyd said would be a great resource, saving muchammunition. 

He went farther, and then climbed the hill which enclosed the valley onthat side, obtaining from its crest a northern view of rolling plains, with the dim blue outline of the high mountains far beyond. He surmisedthat the group of hills in which they now lay was of limited area, andthat when they continued their journey they must take once more to theplains, where they would be exposed to the view of roving Sioux. Hisheart throbbed as he looked over that great open expanse, and realizedanew the danger. The pocket in the hills in which they lay was surely asafe and comfortable place, and one need be in no hurry to abandon it. 

When he went back to the camp Boyd was just awakening, and as he lookedat Will his eyes twinkled. 

"Well, what did you find?" he asked. "Anything besides tracks ofanimals?"

"I found an animal himself, " replied the lad. "I scared him up in thebushes at the brook's edge. It was a mountain lion and he ran away, justas I felt like doing at first. "

The hunter laughed with genuine pleasure. 

"I'm glad you kept down the feeling and didn't run, " he said. "You'llget over such tremors in time. Everybody feels 'em, no matter how brave, unless he has a lot of experience. Now, since you've been scoutingabout, what do you think we ought to do?"

"I looked from a hill and saw open plains, extending maybe forty orfifty miles. Red Cloud and his men may have gone that way and I'm infavor of giving 'em a good start. Suppose we stay here another night andday and let 'em reach the mountains. "

"Seems a good plan to me. "

"Besides, there's some fish in a pool farther down that I want tocatch. "

"That settles it. We stay. Everything else must stand aside when a realfisherman wants to show what he can do. "

Will took the fishing tackle from his pack, and returned in a short timewith three splendid trout. It was now nearly sunset and Boyd thought itsafe to build a fire after dark and cook the catch. 

"I think there's no doubt that Red Cloud and his warriors are now a fullday's journey ahead, " he said, "but, as a wandering Indian might comeinto the valley, we'll take no more chances than we can help. "

A low fire of dead sticks was lighted in a gulch, well screened bybushes, and the fish were broiled, proving very welcome, as they werethe first warm food Will and Boyd had tasted since their flight from thetroops. The hunter made coffee again, and they were well satisfied withtheir supper. 

"It's a good idea to help ourselves out with as much fish and game as wecan, " he said, "and it's likely that we can find plenty of it up here. The horses, too, have had all the grass they want and we'll tether 'emfor the night, though there's not one chance in a thousand that they'llwander from the valley. Animals have instinct, and if there's nopowerful enemy near they always stay where food and water are to be had. I tell you what, Will, if a man could only have all his own sensescoupled with those of a deer or a wolf, what a mighty scout and hunterhe could be. Suppose you could smell a trail like a wolf, and then thinkabout it like a man! Maybe men did have those powers a hundred thousandyears ago. "

"Maybe they did, Jim, but they didn't have rifles and all the modernweapons and tools that help us so much. "

"You're right, Will. You can't have everything, all at the same time, and just now you and me are not so bad off, lying here comfortable andeasy in our own particular valley, having just finished some fine troutthat would have cost us four or five dollars in a fine New Yorkrestaurant, but for which we paid nothing. "

"You don't have any fear that the troops will come after us and make usgo back?"

"You can clear your mind of that trouble and keep it cleared. We're inthe Indian country, and Captain Kenyon has orders to make no invasion. So he can't pursue. Missing us he'll just have to give us up as a badjob. "

"Then we'll have only the Indians to guard against, and your opinion, Jim, that they're far ahead, seems mighty good to me. Perhaps we oughtto stay three or four days here. "

The hunter laughed. 

"I see you're falling in love with the valley, " he said, "but maybeyou're right. It will depend on circumstances. To-morrow we'll get outthose big field glasses of yours, go to the highest hill, and examineall the country. "

"Suppose it should rain, Jim. Then we wouldn't think so much of our finevalley. "

"Right you are, Will. But lucky for us, it doesn't rain much up here atthis time of the year, and we can call ourselves safe on that score. Full night is at hand, and there isn't a cloud in the heavens. We'llboth sleep, and build up our nerves and strength. "

"Don't we need to keep a watch?"

"Not now, I think, at least not either of our two selves. That horse ofmine, that I ride, Selim, is a sentinel of the first class. He's beenwith me so much and I've trained him so long that he's sure to give analarm if anything alarming comes, though he'll pay no attention to smallgame, or even to a deer. "

Selim was at the end of a long lariat about fifty feet away, and havingeaten for a long time and having rested fully he had taken position asif he realized thoroughly his duties as watcher of the little camp. Hewas a powerful bay with brilliant, alert eyes that young Clarke sawshining through the dusk, and he walked slowly back and forth within therange allowed by his tether. 

"Didn't I tell you?" said Boyd, with delight. "Look at him now, takingup his duties as a man. That horse can do everything but talk, and forthat reason, while he does many wise things, he never says a foolishone. Doesn't he fill you chock full of confidence, Will?"

"He certainly does, Jim. I know he'll be a much better sentinel than Icould make of myself. I'll go to sleep, sure that we'll be wellprotected. "

Although the hunter found sleep soon, Will, who did not need it sobadly, lay awake long and he was interested in watching Selim, who wasjustifying his master's praise. The horse, for all the world like avigilant sentinel, walked back and forth, and whenever his head wasturned toward the little camp the lad saw the great eyes shining. 

"Good Selim!" he said to himself. "Good and watchful Selim!"

In all the immensity and loneliness of the wilderness he felt himselfdrawn to the animals, at least to those that were not beasts of prey. Itwas true not only of Selim but of the other horses that they could doeverything but talk, and they were the best friends of Boyd and himself. 

His trust in the sentinel now absolute, he followed Boyd into peacefuloblivion, and he did not come out of it until dawn. 

CHAPTER II

THE NARROW ESCAPE

When he awoke a sun of great brilliancy was shining, and over him archedthe high skies of the great west. The air was thin and cool, easy tobreathe and uplifting, and in the bracing morning he did not feel theloneliness and immensity of the wilderness. Boyd had already built alittle fire among the bushes, and was warming some strips of dried beefover the flames. 

"Here's your breakfast, Will, " he said. "Beef, a few crackers, andwater. Coffee would taste mighty good, but we can't afford to be takingit every morning, or we'd soon use up all we have. This is one of themornings we skip it. "

"I can stand it if you can, " said Will cheerfully, "and it seems to mewe ought to be saving our other stores, too. You'll have to kill a deeror a buffalo soon, Jim. "

"Not until we leave the valley. Now fall on, and when we finish the beefwe'll take another look at that map of yours. "

They ate quickly and when they were done Will produced from an insidepocket of his waistcoat, where he always carried it, the map which washis most precious possession. It was on parchment, with all the linesvery distinct, and the two bent over it and studied it, as they had doneso often before. 

It showed the Mississippi, flowing almost due south from Minnesota, andthe Missouri, which was in reality the upper Mississippi, thrusting itsmighty arm far out into the unknown wilderness of the Northwest. Itshowed its formation by the meeting of the Jefferson, the Madison andthe Gallatin, but these three rivers themselves were indicated by vagueand faint traces. Extensive dark spaces meant high mountains. 

"My father served in the northwest before the great Civil War, " saidWill, telling it for the fiftieth time, "and he was a man of inquiringmind. If he was in a country he always wished to know all about it thatwas to be known, particularly if it happened to be a wild region. He hadthe mind of a geographer and explorer, and the vast plains and hugemountains up here fascinated him. If there was a chance to make a greatjourney to treat with the Indians or to fight them he always took it. "

"And he'd been in California in '49, " said Boyd, saying, like Will, whathe had said fifty times before. "It was there I first met him, and afine, upstanding young officer he was. "

The lad sighed, and for a moment or two his sorrow was so deep that itgave him an actual thrill of physical pain. 

"That's so, Jim. I've often heard him speak of the first time he sawyou, " he resumed. "He was tempted to resign and hunt gold in Californiawith the crowd, and he did have some experience in the mines andworkings there, but he concluded, at last, to remain in the army, andwas finally sent into the Northwest with his command to deal with theIndians. "

"And it was on the longest of his journeys into the mountains that hefound it!"

"Yes. He noticed in a wild place among the ridges that the earth androck formations were like those of California where the richest goldfinds were made. He was alone at the time, though the rest of hiscommand was only a few miles away, but he picked among the rocks and sawenough to prove that it was a mother lode, a great gold seam that wouldmake many men millionaires. It was his intention to resign from thearmy, get permission from the Sioux to come in, organize a company, andwork what he meant to be the Clarke mine. But you know what happened, Jim. "

"Aye, Will, I do. By the time he got back to civilization the Civil Warbroke like a storm, and he went east to fight for his country. "

"He could do no less, and he never thought of doing anything else. Bearing in mind the risks of war, he drew this map which he carried onhis person and which when he was dying he sent by you to me. "

"Aye, Will, he died in my arms at the Wilderness before the BloodyAngle. It was a glorious death. He was one of the bravest men I eversaw. He gave me the map, told me to be sure to reach you when the warwas over, and then help you to find the great mine. "

Water came again into Will's eyes. Though the wounds of youth heal fast, the hurt made by the death of his heroic father had not yet healed. Thehunter respected his emotion and was silent while he waited. 

"If we find the great mother lode and take out the treasure, part of itis to be yours, of course, " said the boy. 

"You can pay me for my work and let it go at that. Your father found thelode and the map telling the way to it, drawn by him, is yours now. "

"But we are partners. I could never get through these mountains and pastthe Indian tribes without you. We're partners and there'll be plenty forall, if we ever get it. Say right now, Jim, that you share and sharealike with me, or I won't be easy in my mind. "

"Well, then, if you will have it that way. I suppose from all your bravefather, the Captain, said, there's so much of it we needn't troubleourselves about the shares if we ever get there. It would be better ifwe had another trusty friend or two. "

"Maybe we'll pick 'em up before we're through with this job, which isgoing to last a long time. I think we're still on the right trail, Jim. This line leads straight west by north from the Mississippi river farinto western Montana, where it strikes a narrow but deep mountainstream, which it crosses. Then it goes over a ridge, leads by a lakewhich must be several miles long, goes over another ridge, crossesanother stream, and then winding many ways, as if penetrating a maze, comes to a creek, with high mountains rising on either side of it. Butthe mine is there, Jim, and we've got to follow all these lines, if weever reach it. "

"We'll follow 'em, Will, don't you worry about that. Gold draws menanywhere. Through blizzards, over mountains, across deserts, right intothe face of the warlike Indian tribes, and the danger of death can'tbreak the spell. Haven't I seen 'em going to California, men, women andchildren pressing on in the face of every peril that any army everfaced, and it's not likely, Will, that you and me will turn back, whenwomen and children wouldn't. "

"No, Jim, we couldn't do that. We're in this hunt to stay, and I for onehave the best of reasons for risking everything to carry it to asuccessful end. "

"And I'm with you because the Northwest is my natural stamping ground, because I wouldn't mind being rich either, and because I like you, Will. You're a good and brave boy, and if you can have the advantage of myteaching and training for about fifty years you'll make a first rateman. "

"Thanks for the endorsement, " laughed Will, "and so we stick together'till everything is over. "

"That's it. "

The boy continued to look at the map. 

"We've got a long journey over plains, " he said, "but it seems to methat when we pass 'em we'll enter mountains without ending. All the westside of the map is covered with the black outlines that mean ridges andpeaks. "

"It's right, too. I've been in that region. There are mountains, mountains everywhere, and then more mountains, not the puny mountainsthey have east of the Missip, a mile, or at best, a mile and a halfhigh, but crests shooting up so far that they hit right against thestars, and dozens and dozens of 'em, with snow fields and glaciers, andice cold lakes here and there in the valleys. It's a grand country, awonderful country, Will, and there's no end to it. The old fur huntersknew about it, but they've always kept it as secret as they could, because they didn't want other people to learn about the beaver inthere. "

"But we're going to visit it, " exclaimed young Clarke with enthusiasm, "and we're going to find something the fur hunters have never found. Ifeel, Jim, that we're going to stand where my father stood and get outthe gold. "

"I've feelings of that kind, too, but we've got to prop up feeling witha power of work and patience and danger, and it's likely too, Will, thatit will be a long time before we reach the end of the line on that map. "

Young Clarke folded up the parchment again and put it back in the insidepocket of his waistcoat, the hunter watching him and remarking:

"Be sure it's in your pocket tight and fast, Will. We couldn't afford tolose it. Maybe it would be a good idea to make a copy of it. "

"I could draw every line on it from memory. "

"That being the case we don't exactly need a duplicate, and, as you're ayoung fellow, Will, and ought to work, you can take the horses down tothe brook and let 'em drink. "

The lad was willing enough to do the task and the horses drank eagerlyand long of the pure stream that had its source in melting snows. Allfour had been selected for size, power and endurance, and they were insplendid condition, the rich and abundant grass of the valley restoringpromptly the waste of travel. 

Boyd's great horse, Selim, rubbed his nose in the most friendly manneragainst Will's arm, and the lad returned his advances by stroking it. 

"I've heard the truth about you, " he said. "You can do everything buttalk, and you'll be a most valuable ally of ours on this expedition. "

The horse whinnied gently as if he understood and Will, leading the fourback to the rich grass, tethered them at the ends of their long lariats. 

"Now, suppose you get out your big glasses, " said the hunter, "and we'llgo to the top of the hill for a look. The day is well advanced, the skyis brilliant and in the thin, clear atmosphere of the great plateauwe'll be able to see a tremendous distance. "

Will was proud of his glasses, an unusually fine and powerful pair, andfrom the loftiest crest they obtained a splendid view over the rollingplain. The hunter at his request took the first look. Will watched himas he slowly moved the glasses from side to side, until they finallyrested on a point at the right edge of the plain. 

"Your gaze is fixed at last, " the boy said. "What do you see?"

"I wasn't sure at first, but I've made 'em out now. "

"Something living then?"

"Buffaloes. They're miles and miles away, but they've been lying downand rolling and scratching themselves until they make the wallows yousee all over the plains. It's not a big band, two or three hundred, perhaps. Well, they don't mean anything to us, except a possible supplyof provisions later on. No wonder the Indians hate to see the buffaloesdriven back, because the big beasts are breakfast, dinner and supper onthe hoof to them. "

"And maybe to us, too, Jim. I've an idea that we'll live a lot on thebuffalo. "

"More'n likely. Well, we could do worse. "

"What are you looking at now, Jim? I see that you've shifted yourobjective. "

"Yes, I've caught some moving black dots to the left of the herd. They're obscured a little by a swell, but they look to me like horsemen, Sioux probably. "

"If so then they must be hunters, taking advantage of the swell toattack the buffalo herd. "

"Good, sound reasoning. You're learning to think as a scout and hunter. Yes, they're Sioux, and they're aiming for the herd. Now they've thrownout flankers, and they're galloping their ponies to the attack. There'llbe plenty of good buffalo meat in some Sioux village before long. "

"That means little to us, because after the hunt the warriors will passon. What do you see elsewhere on the plain, Jim?"

"I can make out a trace of water. It's one of the little, shallow, sandyrivers, a long distance from here, but the presence of water is probablythe reason why game is grazing in the neighborhood. "

"You don't see any more Indians?"

"No, Will. To the west the horizon comes plumb in that direction are along way off, which agrees with your map. But in the north the glasseshave brought the ridges and peaks a sight nearer. They're all coveredwith forest, except the crests of some of the higher peaks, which arewhite with snow. I'm thinking, too, that in the woods at the bottom ofone of the slopes I can see a trace of smoke rising. Here you, Will, you've uncommon keen eyes of your own. Take the glasses and look! There, where the mountains seem to part and make a pass! Is that smoke or is itjust mist?"

Young Clarke looked a long time. He had already learned from Boyd not toadvance an opinion until he had something with which to buttress it, andhe kept his glasses glued upon the great cleft in the mountains, wherethe trees grew so thick and high. At last he saw a column of grayishvapor rising against the green leaves, and, following it with theglasses to its base, he thought he was able to trace the outlines oftepees. Another and longer look and, being quite sure, he said:

"There's an Indian village in the pass, Jim. "

"That's what I thought, but I wanted you to say so, too. Now my lastdoubt is taken away. They're mountain Sioux, of course. I had an ideathat we could go through that way and then curve to the west, but sincethe village is there, maybe it will be better to strike out straightacross the plains. "

"Perhaps those buffalo hunters will come in here to jerk their meat. They know of the valley, of course. Have you thought of that, Jim?"

"Yes, I have, and it troubles me. It seems to me that dangers we didn'texpect are gathering, and that we're about to be surrounded. Maybe we'dbetter put the packs on the horses, and be ready to start to-night. Whatdo you think?"

"You know what's best, Jim. "

"Not always. We're full partners, now, and in all councils of war, though there are but two of us, both must speak. "

"Then I'm for getting ready to leave to-night, as soon as it's dark. Isuppose it's just chance, but enemies are converging on us. It's a finevalley, one that I could stay in a long time, but we'd better leave it. "

"As the two who make up the council are agreed that settles it. When thefull dark comes we'll go. "

Boyd, who resumed the glasses, turned them back on the buffalo hunters, saw them chase the game toward the valley, and then bring down ahalf-dozen. 

"They're nearer now to us than they are to the mountains, " he said, "andthey're sure to bring the meat in here, where they can hang it on thetrees, or find plenty of firewood. If we had any doubts before, Will, we've got an order now to go and not be slow about our going. "

They watched the Indians a long time, and saw them cleaning and cuttingup the slain buffaloes. Then they retreated to the depths of the valley, put the packs on the horses, and made ready for flight at the firstcoming of dusk. Luckily the night gave promise of being dark, and, whenthe sun had set and its last afterglow was gone they mounted, and, eachfollowed by his packhorse, rode for the western edge of the rim. Therethey halted and took a last glance at a retreat in which their stay hadbeen so brief but so welcome. 

"A fine little valley, " said Boyd. "It must have been hunted out yearsago, but if it's left alone a few years longer the beaver will returnand build along that brook. Those pools will just suit 'em. If we don'tfind the gold we may turn to looking for beaver skins. There are worsetrades. "

"At least it provides a lot of fresh air, " said Will. 

"And you see heaps and heaps of splendid country, all kinds, mountains, rivers, lakes, valleys, plains. Fur hunters can't complain of the lackof scenery. "

"Which course will we take, Jim?"

"I think we'd better ride due west. That Indian village shuts us offfrom the mountains. It's true we may meet 'em on the plains, but likelywe can escape 'em, and then when we've gone far enough we'll turn northand seek the ranges, where the cover is good. Now, hark to that, willyou!"

From a point to the northward rose a long, quavering shout, shrill inits texture, and piercing the night like a call. A quiver ran along thelad's spine. 

"A Sioux made that cry!" he exclaimed. 

"Beyond a doubt, " replied Boyd, "but why he did so I can't tell. Wait. "

They sat, silent, on their horses, and in a minute or two the cry wasrepeated, but farther toward the east. Will could have mistaken the notefor the howl of a wolf, it contained so much animal quality, but sincethe nature of the first had been told to him he knew that the second wasa reply to it. 

"It's signals, " said Boyd with conviction. "They're talking to oneanother, though I don't know what they're saying. But it means thesooner we get out of the valley the better for this white army of two. "

"There's nothing to keep us from starting now. "

"That's true. Because, if they find us here, all knowledge of the minefor which we are looking is likely to perish with us. I don't supposethe Sioux have made any formal declaration of war, but the warning ofRed Cloud is enough. They wouldn't hesitate to put out of the way twowandering fellows like ourselves. "

As they talked they rode slowly toward the west, the sound of theirhorses' hoofs deadened on the turf, and both watching among the treesfor any hostile appearance. Young Clarke was rapidly learning the waysof the wilderness, from experience, and also because he had in Boyd ateacher not excelled anywhere in the West. The calls, the long, dyingcries, came again and again, showing the Sioux were steadily approachingthe valley, but the two were leaving it at an equal pace. 

Will clutched the reins in his left hand and held the splendid repeatingrifle across the saddle bow with the other. The pack horse, unled, butobedient to his training, followed close after. Boyd, just ahead of him, proceeded in the same manner, and now they began to descend the slopethat ended in the open plain. In ten more minutes they would leave thecover of the last tree. Before them rolled the bare country, swell onswell, touched but faintly by the moon, yet keen eyes such as those ofthe Sioux could trace the figures of horses and men on it for aconsiderable distance. 

Will felt little shivers as they were about to leave the final row oftrees. He could not help it, knowing that they were going to give upshelter for those open spaces which, dusky though they were, were yetrevealing. 

"It's likely, in any event, that we'll be followed, isn't it?" he said. "If the Sioux search the valley, and they will, they're sure to find ourtraces. Then they'll come over the rim of the hills on our tracks. "

"Well reasoned, Will, " said the hunter. "You'll learn to be a greatscout and trailer, if you live long enough. That's just what they'll do, and they'll hang on to our trail with a patience that a white man seldomshows, because time means little to the Indian. As I said before, whenwe're far out on the plains we must make an abrupt turn toward thenorth, and lose ourselves among the ranges. For a long time to come themountains will be our best friends. I love mountains anyway, Will. Theymean shelter in a wild country. They mean trees, for which the eyesoften ache. They mean grass on the slopes, and cool running water. Thegreat plains are fine, and they lift you up, but you can have too muchof 'em. "

They rode now into the open country and in its dusky moonlight Willcould not at first restrain the feeling that in reality it was as brightas day. A few hundred yards and both gazed back at the circle of hillsenclosing the valley, hills and forest alike looking like a great blackblur upon the face of the earth. But from the depths of that circlingisland came a long, piercing note, instinct with anger and menace. 

"Now that was plain talk, " said Boyd. "It said that they had found ourtrail, that they knew we were white, that they wanted our scalps, andthat they meant to follow us until they got 'em. "

"Which being the case, " said Will defiantly, "we have to say to them inreply, though our syllables are unuttered, that we're not afraid, thatthey may follow, but they will not take us, that our scalps are the onlyscalps we have and we like 'em, that we mean to keep 'em squarely on topof our heads, where they belong, and, numerous and powerful though theSioux nation may be, and brave and skillful though its warriors are, they won't be able to keep us from finding our mine. "

"That's the talk, Will, my boy. It sounds like Red Cloud, the greatOgalala, Mahpeyalute himself. Fling 'em your glove, as the knights didin the old time, but while you're flinging it we'll have to do somethingbesides talking. We must act. Trailers like the Sioux can follow us evenin the night over the plains, and the more ground we gain in thebeginning the better. "

He urged his horses into a long, easy gallop and Will promptly followedat the same gait. The night darkened somewhat, at which they rejoiced, and then lightened again, at which they were sad, but they continued thelong, swinging pace, which the horses could maintain for hours. 

"Try your glasses again, Will, " said the hunter. "They will cut throughthe dark a long way, and maybe they can tell if the Sioux are now in theplain. "

Young Clarke slowed his pace, and bending in the saddle took a longlook. 

"I see nothing, " he said. "Do you want to try 'em too, Jim?"

"No. Your eyes are of the best, and your news is good. It's likely thatwe've got a lead of seven or eight miles at least. Two or three milesmore and we'd better turn for the mountains. Our horses are a lot biggerthan those of the Sioux, but their ponies, though not much to look at, are made out of steel. They'd follow for days, and if we stuck to theplains they'd be sure to run us down at last. "

"And we'd have little chance against a big Sioux band?"

"That's the ugly truth, and it's bound to be the mountains for us. I seea line on the prairie, Will. What do your glasses tell us about it?"

Young Clarke turned his gaze to the front, and after a single glancesaid:

"Water. It's one of those shallow prairie streams, I suppose, a foot ofsand, and an inch of water on top. "

"If there's not too much alkali in it it'll be mighty welcome to thehorses. Ah, Selim smells it now!"

His great mount raised his head and neighed. Boyd smoothed his long, silky mane. 

"Yes, old friend, " he said, as if he were talking to a man, "I'm quitesure it won't have much alkali, you're going to have a nice, big drink, so are your friends, and then, ho! for the mountains!"

The stream was just what Will predicted it would be, a foot of sand andan inch of water, but it was only slightly brackish, and both horses andhorsemen drank freely from it, took a rest and then drank as freelyagain. Another half hour and the two remounted. 

"Now, Will, " said Boyd, "the ridges are our target, and we'll shoot asstraight at 'em as our horses can go, though we'll make the pace slowfor the present. Nothing to be gained by tiring out our mounts beforethe race begins. "

"And so you look for a real chase?"

"Surely. Those Sioux on their ponies will hang on like grim death andmighty glad I'll be when the trees on the first slopes reach out theirboughs to hide us. About midnight now, isn't it, Will?"

The lad was able to see the face of his watch and announced that it wasmidnight and a half hour more. 

"That's good, " said Boyd, "because the darkest part of the night is nowcoming, and maybe some clouds floating up from the south will help us. Yes, I think I notice a change already. Three stars that I counted alittle while ago have gone away. "

"And about five million are left. "

"Still, every little counts. Maybe in an hour or so two or three morewill go away. "

"You're certainly an optimist, Jim. You draw hope from very littlethings. "

"It pays. Hope not only makes you stronger, it also makes you happier. There, didn't I tell you? I said that two or three stars might go away, but it's far better than two or three. All the skirmishers have leftand now troops and battalions are departing, too. Maybe whole armieswill leave before long, and give us an entirely black sky. "

It grew visibly darker, although many of the stars remained twinkling intheir places, but they were much encouraged, nevertheless, and trustingin the aid of the night, still saved the strength of their horses. 

"It will make it a little harder for the Sioux to trail us, " said Boyd, "and if, by any chance they should get near enough for a shot, the oddsare about twenty to one they can't hit us. Suppose we stop here, givethe horses another short rest, and you search the blackness back therewith your glasses again. "

Will was able to discern nothing but the sombre crests of the swells, and Boyd, dismounting, put his ear to the ground. 

"I hear something moving, " he said at last, and then, after a shortpause, "it's the beat of hoofs. "

"Can they be so near as that?" asked Will in alarm. 

"At first I thought it was the Sioux, but now I'm sure it's runningbuffalo. I wonder why they're stampeding at this time of the night. Maybe a hunting party of Northern Cheyennes has wandered in here andknows nothing about the presence of the Sioux. "

"That won't help us, since the Sioux and Northern Cheyennes are allies. "

"No, it won't. If the Cheyennes meet the Sioux they'll join 'em in thepursuit of us. It's a new danger and I don't like it. "

Boyd remounted and they rode on slowly. Presently he stopped, and Will, of course, stopped too. 

"Listen, boy, " he said, "and you'll hear the thunder of the buffalo. It's a big herd and they're running our way. I'm as sure as I sit herein this saddle that they're being driven by hunters. "

Will heard a low, rolling sound like that of distant thunder. It wasapproaching rapidly, too, and it seemed to his heightened imaginationthat it was bearing straight down upon them. 

"If they are Cheyennes we may be in the middle of 'em soon, " he said. 

"If we sit still here, " said Boyd, "but that's just what we won't do. We'll gallop ahead until we come to a deep dip between the swells. "

"And then?"

"Dismount, keep low, and let the storm drive by. "

They did not have much time to spare, as the rumbling sound was growingfast beneath the tread of the flying herd, and they urged their horsesinto a gallop until they came to a dip, which they thought was deepenough to hide them. Here they dismounted and holding the lariats, watched as the thunder of the running herd increased, until they saw itsvan of lowered heads, short, curved horns and great, shaggy manes, andthen the dark mass stretching back out of sight. 

"There are tens of thousands of 'em, " said the hunter. "They'll be sometime in going by, and then, I think, we'll see the Indians hanging onthe rear. "

The multitude drove on for a period somewhat longer than Boyd hadpredicted, and then Will saw naked horsemen crouched low on ponies, somefiring with rifles and others with bows and arrows. 

"They're Cheyennes, as I thought, " said Boyd, "and they're enjoying amighty killing. There'll be huge feasts for days and days in theirlodges. They're so intent on it, too, that there isn't one chance in athousand they'll see us. "

"But I'm glad I see them, " said Will. "It's a wonderful sight. I neverthought I'd look upon its like, the chase of the buffalo herd under amidnight moon. It makes my blood leap. "

"And mine, too, though I've seen it before. This wild country with itsvast plains and its high mountains takes hold of you, Will. It grips youwith fetters of steel. Maybe, when you find the gold you won't want togo back to civilization. "

"If we find it, it will be easy enough to decide what we wish to do. Butthe whole herd is disappearing in the moonlight in the west, and I canbarely make out the last of the Indian hunters who are following 'em. Ican see, though, a lot of beasts running low. "

"The wolves. They're always hanging on the rear of a herd, hoping to cutout calves or buffaloes weak from old age. Now they're expecting to reapa little from the harvest made by the hunters. There, they've gone too, though for a long time you'll hear the herd thundering away to the west. But we don't mind the sound of a danger when the danger itself haspassed. We'll mount and start again on our particular little excursionto the mountains, where we hope the fresh, cool air will help twofellows like ourselves, in failing health, no strength, no appetite, noanything. "

The big hunter laughed aloud in pleasure. 

"That herd was a help to us, " he said. "It passed to the south of us, and so cut across our trail. If the Sioux are pursuing, as we think theyare, it'll take 'em a long time to find our traces again. We'll takeadvantage of it, as our horses are thoroughly rested, and make somespeed. "

They swung into an easy gallop, and went on without further talk for along time. When two or three hours had passed Will raised his glassesand gazed into the north. 

"I think I see there a blur which is not of the night itself, " heannounced. "It may be the loom of the mountains that we're so anxious toreach. "

"But a long way off yet, " said the hunter. "Day will come hours beforewe can strike the first slopes, and we may have the Sioux hanging on ourtrail. "

As a faint, gray light in the east told of the coming dawn, they came toanother of the shallow streams of the plains and both horses andhorsemen drank again. Will and Boyd also ate a little food. 

"Now turn your glasses to the south and tell me what you see, " said thehunter. 

Will gazed and then lowered the glasses, a look of alarm on his face. 

"I know from your eyes what you've seen without your telling me, " saidBoyd. "The Sioux are there. In some way they've picked up our trail andare coming. It's a mighty good thing that we've saved our horses. They're in splendid trim now for a long run, and we'll need every ounceof their speed and courage. "

He did not seek to disguise the full measure of the danger from Will, who, he knew, would summon his utmost courage to meet it. The lad lookedagain through the glasses, and was able now to see a full score of mencoming on their ponies. The dawn had just spread to the south andagainst its red and gold they were shown sharply, a long line of blackfigures on the crest of a swell. 

"Take a look, Jim, " said young Clarke, handing him the glasses. "You'llbe able to tell more about 'em than I can. "

Boyd studied the picture carefully--it was in reality a picture tohim--and after due deliberation, said:

"They are thirty-two, because I've counted 'em. They're comparativelyfresh, because their ponies are running straight and true. They'reSioux, as I know from the style of their war bonnets, and they're afterus, as I know from the way they're riding. "

"But look the other way, Jim, and see how much nearer the mountains havecome!"

"Aye, lad! They stand up like a fort, and if we reach 'em in time we maystave off our pursuers. They're coming fast, and they're spreading outin a long line now. That helps 'em, because it's impossible forfugitives to run exactly straight, and every time we deviate from thetrue course some part of their line gains on us. "

"I see a huge, rocky outcrop on the mountain side. Suppose we alwaysride for that. "

"Something to steer by, so to speak. A good idea. We won't push thehorses hard at first, because it will be a long time before they comewithin rifle shot of us. Then maybe we'll show 'em a spurt that'llcount. "

But it was hard for Will not to use the utmost speed at once, as everytime he looked back he saw that the Sioux were gaining, their figuresand those of their horses, horse and rider seemingly one, alwaysstanding out black and clear against the rosy dawn. But he knew thatBoyd was right, and he tried hard to calm the heavy beating of hispulses. 

The whole horizon was now lighted by a brilliant sun and the earth wasbathed in its beams. Flight and pursuit went on, unabated, and thehunter and the boy began to increase the speed of their horses, as theysaw that the Sioux were gaining. They had been riding straight as theycould toward the stony outcrop, but in spite of everything they curved alittle now and then, and some portion of the following line drew closer. But they were yet a full two miles away, and the mountains were drawingmuch nearer. Trees on the slopes detached themselves from the generalmass, and became separate and individual. Once Will thought he caught aflash of water from a mountain torrent, and it increased thedesirability of those slopes and ridges. How sheltered and protectingthey looked! Surely Boyd and he could evade the Sioux in there!

"We'll make it easily, " said Boyd, and then he added with suddenviolence. "No, we won't! Look, there on your right, Will!"

Four warriors on swift ponies suddenly emerged from a swell scarcely aquarter of a mile away, and uttered a shout of triumph. Perhaps theywere stray hunters drawn by the spectacle of the pursuit, but it wasobvious that, in any event, they meant to co-operate with the pursuers. 

"They're Sioux, too, " said Boyd. "Now, steady, Will. It's a new andpressing danger, of course, but it may help us, too. "

"How so?"

"I think I can give 'em a healthy lesson. We all learn by experience, and they'll take notice, if I make a good example. They're bearing downon our flank. You lead, Will, and keep straight for our rock. The fourwill soon be within range, as this repeating rifle of mine is a beauty, and it carries mighty far. The old muzzle loader is just a pistol by theside of it. Come on, my fine fellows! The nearer you are the better! Ilearned long ago to shoot from a running horse, and that's more thanmany Sioux can do. "

The four Sioux on the right, bent low, were urging their ponies forwardat their utmost speed. From the band behind came a tremendous yell, which, despite the distance, reached Boyd and young Clarke, and, apparently, they had full warrant in thus giving utterance to theirfeeling of triumph. The sudden appearance of the warriors coming downthe dip was like the closing of a trap and it seemed that all chance ofescape was cut off from the two who rode so desperately for themountains. 

The hunter shut his teeth tightly and smiled in ironic fashion. Wheneverhe was highly pleased he grew rather talkative, and now he had much tosay for a man whose life was about to turn on a hair. 

"If the four on the ponies off there knew the peril into which they wereriding they wouldn't ride so hard, " he said. "But the Sioux are not yetacquainted with the full merits of a long range repeating rifle, nor dothey understand how well I can shoot. I'm as good a marksman as there isin the West, if I do say it myself, and lest you may think me a boaster, Will, I'll soon prove it. "

He dropped the reins on the neck of Selim, who, though unguided, ran onstraight and true, and grasped the splendid rifle with both hands. Willceased to think of the band behind them and began to watch the hunter, who, though still smiling, had become one of the most dangerous of humanbeings. 

"Yes, my four friends, you're overhauling us fast, " murmured the hunter, "and I'm glad of it, because then I don't have to do so much waiting, and, when there's ugly work at hand, one likes to get it over. Ah, Ithink they're near enough now!"

The rifle sprang to his shoulder, a jet of flame leaped from the muzzle, and, with the sharp crack, the foremost Sioux rolled to the ground andlay still, his frightened pony galloping off at an angle. The hunterquickly pulled the trigger again and the second Sioux also was smittenby sudden death. The other two turned, but one of them was wounded bythe terrible marksman, and the pony of the fourth was slain, his riderhiding behind the body. A dismal wail came from the Sioux far back. Thehunter lowered his great weapon, and one hand resumed the bridle rein. 

[Illustration: The rifle sprang to his shoulder, a jet of flame leapedfrom the muzzle. ]

"A rifle like mine is worth more than its weight in gold, " he said. "It's worth its weight in diamonds, rubies, emeralds and all the otherprecious jewels at a time like this. I can say, too, that's about thebest shooting I ever did, and I think it'll save us. Even the bandbehind, thirty or so in number, won't want to ride full tilt into rifleslike ours. "

"The first slopes are not more than three or four miles away now, " saidyoung Clarke, "and no matter how hard they push they can't overtake usbefore we reach the trees. But Jim, how are we to ride through thosehigh mountains, and, if we abandon the horses, we might as well give upour quest. "

"I chose these horses myself, Will, " said Boyd, "and I knew what I wasabout. I trained Selim, and, of course, he's the best, but the othersare real prize packages, too. Why, they can walk up the side of a cliff. They can climb trees, and they can jump chasms fifty feet wide. "

"Come down to earth, Jim. Stay somewhere in the neighborhood of truth. "

"Well, maybe I do draw a rather long bow, but horses learn to bemountain climbers, and ours are the very best of that kind. They'll takeus up through the ridges, never fear. The Sioux will follow, for awhile, at least, but in the deep forest you see up there we'll shake 'emoff. "

"Hear 'em shouting now! What are they up to?"

"Making a last rush to overtake us, while we're yet in the plain. But itis too late, my gay scalp hunters!"

The mountains were now drawing near very fast, and with the heavyforest along their slopes they seemed to Will to come forward ofthemselves to welcome them. He became suddenly aware that his body achedfrom the long gallop, and that the dust raised by the beating hoofs wascaked thickly on his face. His lips were dry and burning, and he longedfor water. 

"In five more minutes we'll be on the first slope, " said Boyd, "and aswe'll soon be hidden in the forest I think I'll say farewell to ourpursuers. "

"I don't understand you, Jim. "

"I'm going to say only one word, and it'll be short and sharp. "

He turned suddenly in his saddle, raised the repeating rifle and firedonce at the band. 

He had elevated the sight for a very long shot, regarding it as a merechance, but the bullet struck a pony and a few moments of confusion inthe band followed. Now Boyd and young Clarke made their horses use thereserves of strength they had saved so prudently, and with a fine spurtsoon gained the shelter of the woods, in which they disappeared from thesight of the pursuing horde. 

They found themselves among oaks, aspens, pines, cedars, and birch, andthey rode on a turf that was thick, soft and springy. But Selim neighedhis approval and Boyd pulled down to a walk. A little farther on bothdismounted at his suggestion. 

"It'll limber us up and at the same time help the horses, " he said. "Knowing what kind of rifles we carry and how we can shoot, the Siouxwon't be in any hurry to ride into the forest directly after us. We'vea big advantage now in being able to see without being seen. As weneedn't hurry, suppose we stop and take another look with those glassesof yours, Will. I never thought they'd prove so useful when you insistedon bringing 'em. "

Will obeyed at once. 

"They're a mile or so away, " he said, "and they've stopped. They'regathered in a semi-circle around one man who seems to be a chief, and Isuppose he's talking to 'em. "

"Likely! Most likely. I can read their minds. They're a little bitbashful about riding on our trail, when we have the cover of the forest. Repeating rifles don't encourage you to get acquainted with those whodon't want to know you. I can tell you what they'll do. "

"What, Jim?"

"The band will split into about two equal parts. One will ride to theright and the other to the left. Then, knowing that we can't meet bothwith the rifles, they'll cautiously enter the mountains and try to pickup our trail. Am I right or am I wrong?"

"Right, O, true prophet! They've divided and already they're riding offin opposite directions. And what's the best thing for us to do?"

"We'll lead the horses up this valley. I see through leaves a littlemountain stream, and we'll drink there all the water we want. Then we'llpush on deeper and deeper into the mountains, and when we think we'reclear out of their reach we'll push on. "

They drank plentifully at the brook, and even took the time to bathetheir hands and faces. Then they mounted and rode up the slopes, thepack horses following. 

"Didn't I tell you they were first class mountain climbers?" said Boydwith pride. "Why, mules themselves couldn't beat 'em at it. "

When twilight came they were high on the slopes under the cover of theforest, pushing forward with unabated zeal. 

CHAPTER III

THE LITTLE GIANT

Boyd rode in front, Will was just behind, and then came the two heavilyladen pack horses, following their masters with a faith that nothingcould shake. The hunter seemed to have an instinct for choosing theright way, or else his eyes, like those of an owl, were able to piercethe dark. He avoided chasms and cliffs, chose the best places on theslopes, and wherever he wound he always led deeper and deeper into thevast maze of high mountains. 

Will looked back toward the plains, but he could see no trace of themnow, and he did not believe that the Sioux, however skilled they mightbe, could follow their trail up the ridges in the dark. Meanwhile thestars came out, and a half moon rode in a medium sky. The boy's eyes, grown used to the night, were now able to see quite clearly, and henoticed that the region into which they were riding was steadily growingwilder. Now and then they passed so close to the edge of chasms that heshivered a little, as he looked down into the dark wells. Then theypassed up ravines where the lofty cliffs, clothed in stunted pine andcedar, rose high above them, and far in the north he caught theoccasional glimpses of white crests on which the snow lay deep. 

Boyd became quite cheerful, and, for a while, hummed a little air underhis breath. When he ceased singing he said:

"I don't know where we're going, Will, but I do know that we're goingaway from the Sioux. They'll try to trail us tomorrow when the lightcomes, and they may be able to do it, but we'll be moving on again, and, however patient trailers may be, a trail that lengthens forever willwear out the most patient trailer of them all. "

"Isn't that a creek down there?" asked Will, pointing to a silver flashin the dusk. 

"So it is, and while these mountain streams usually have rough beds, scattered with boulders, we'll ride up it as far as we can. It may be agreat help in hiding our trail. "

They rode down the slope and urged the horses into the water, althoughthe good beasts showed reluctance, fearful of the bowlders and the roughfooting, but, when they were in, the two riders allowed them to pick theway, and thus they advanced slowly and with extreme caution a distanceof five full miles. They heard a roaring and approached a fine fall ofabout thirty feet, over which the creek tumbled, sending up much whitefoam. 

"This watery road is now blocked, that's quite sure, " said Boyd. "Butwe've been able to use it a much greater distance than I thought, and itmay throw off the Sioux entirely. "

They emerged from the water and the horses climbed a steep slope to thecrest of a ridge, where they stood panting. Boyd and young Clarkeslipped from the saddles and stood by. The half moon and clusters ofstars still made in the sky a partial light, enabling them to see thatthey stood upon a sort of broad shelf, sprinkled with large treeswithout undergrowth, but well covered with long grass. The only way ofapproach from the south was the rocky brook, along the bed of which theyhad come. What lay to the north they did not know, but the shelf seemedto narrow there. 

"A large part of the night is spent, " said Boyd, "and as it's notpossible for the Sioux to overtake us before dawn I vote we camp here, because we're pretty well worn out, and the horses are dead tired. Whatdoes the other half of the army say?"

"It says this place was just made for us, " replied Will, "and weshouldn't go forward another inch tonight. "

"Then we'll unsaddle, tether the horses and take to our blankets, though, if you say so, we will first draw a little on the commissariat. "

"No. I'm too tired to eat. I'd rather go to sleep. "

"The two halves of the army are in agreement. So will I. "

The horses fell to cropping the rich grass, but their riders, seekingthe softest place they could find, folded themselves in their blanketsand soon slumbered as soundly as if they were in the softest bedscivilization could furnish. 

Will awoke before dawn, and instantly remembered where he was. But whileall had been strife and strain and anxiety before he slept, he felt nowan immense peace, the great peace of the mountains. The horses havingeaten their fill were lying down. The murmurs of the swift brook belowcame up to his ears, and with it the sound of a faint breeze playing injust a whisper among the leaves. Far above him soared peaks and ridges, so many and high that they seemed to prop up the eternal blue. 

Will realized that he loved the mountains. Why shouldn't he? They hadgiven him refuge when he needed it most, saving him and Boyd fromdreadful torture and certain death. Somewhere in the heart of them laythe great treasure that he meant to find, and they possessed a majestythat appealed not merely to his sense of beauty, but to a spiritualfeeling that was in truth an uplift to the soul. 

He was awake scarcely a minute, but all the events of the last few dayspassed in a swift panorama before his mind--the warning of Red Cloud, the silent departure by night from the camp of the troops, the pursuitby the Sioux, and the escape into the high ranges. Rapidly as it passedit was almost as vivid as if it were happening again, and then he wasasleep once more. 

When he awoke the dawn was an hour old, and Boyd was kindling a low firedown by the edge of the stream. 

"We'll draw on the coffee once more this morning, " he said. "After allthat we've passed through we're entitled to two cups of it apiece. I'llmake bread and warm some of the dried beef, too. Suppose, while I'mdoing it you climb to the crest over there, and use those glasses ofyours for all they're worth. "

It was a stiff climb to the summit, but once there Will had a tremendousview in all directions. Far to the south he was able to catch throughthe powerful lenses the dim line of the plains, but on all other sideswere mountains, and yet more mountains. In the north they seemed veryhigh, but far to the west was a mighty rounded peak, robed at the top inwhite, towering over every other. The narrow valley and the ridges wereheavy with forest, but the glasses could find no sign of human life. 

He descended with his report, and found the coffee, the bread and themeat ready, and while he had been too tired to eat the night before hehad a tremendous appetite now. When breakfast was over they sat by thestream and considered the future. Boyd was quite sure the Sioux werestill following, and that they would eventually strike the trail, thoughthey might be two or three days in doing so. He was of the opinion thatthey should go farther into the high ranges. 

"And what becomes of our quest?" asked Will. 

"You know, lad, " responded the hunter, whimsically, "that the longestway round is sometimes the shortest way through, and those that are intoo great a hurry often fall over their own feet. If you are carefulabout your health and don't get shot you ought to live sixty or seventyyears yet, because you are surely a robust youngster, and so you'rericher in time than in anything else. I am, too, and for these reasonswe can afford to go into the very heart of the high mountains, wherewe'll be well hidden, and bide until the danger of the Sioux pursuit haspassed. "

"A long speech, Jim, but probably a true one. Do we start right away?"

"Aye, lad, the sooner the better. Both the horses and ourselves are fedand refreshed. We don't know what this shelf leads to, but we can soonfind out. "

They resaddled, but did not mount, letting the well-trained horsesfollow, and proceeded along the shelf, until they entered a narrow pass, where they were compelled to go in single file, the hunter leading theway. Far below him Will heard the creek roaring as it foamed forward inrapids, and he was glad that the horses were, what Boyd had declaredthem to be, trained mountain climbers, walking on with even step, although he felt an instinctive desire to keep as far as he could fromthe cliff's edge, and lean against the slope on the other side. ButBoyd, made familiar with such trails by his years of experience in themountains, whistled gaily. 

"Everything comes our way, " he said. "If we were at the head of a traillike this we could hold it against the entire Sioux nation, if we hadcartridges enough. "

"I hope it won't go on forever, " said Will. "It makes me feel a littledizzy. "

"It won't. It's opening out now. The level land is widening on eitherside of the creek and that means another valley not much farther on. "

But it was a good four miles before they emerged into a dip, coveringperhaps two square miles, covered heavily with forest and with abeautiful little blue lake at the corner. Will uttered a cry of pleasureat the sight of the level land, the great trees green with foliage, andthe gem of a lake. 

"We couldn't have found a finer place for a camp, " he said. "We're thechildren of luck. "

But the wise hunter shook his head. 

"When the morning's cold we hate to pull ourselves out of comfortablebeds, " he said, "and for mountaineers such as we've become I'll admitthat this valley looks like the Garden of Eden, but here we do notbide. "

"Why not?"

"Because it's too good for us to live in. The Sioux, of course, know ofit, and what draws us draws them, too. For a long time the finer a spotbecomes the more dangerous it is for us. No, we'll ride on past thishappy valley straight into the mountains. "

"But at least let me take a little swim in that blue lake. "

"Well, there's no harm in that, provided you're quick about it. When youcome out I'll take one myself. "

Will undressed in a couple of minutes and sprang into the water, whichhe found extremely cold, but he swam joyously for five minutes or so, when he emerged and was followed by Boyd. When they were in the saddleagain both felt that their strength had been renewed and Will waved onehand in farewell to the little blue lake. 

"Good-bye, Friend Lake, " he said. "You're not large, but you're verybeautiful, and some day I hope to come back and bathe in you again. "

"The great ranges of mountains which run all about over the western partof the continent are full of such pleasant valleys and cool littlelakes, " said the hunter. "Often the lakes are far up the slopes, manythousands of feet above the sea, and sometimes you don't see 'em untilyou break right through the trees and bushes and come square up againstthe water. If we keep on, as I intend we shall, it's likely that we'llsee a lot of 'em. "

The lad's eyes kindled. 

"That being so, " he said, "I don't mind turning aside a while from ourreal hunt, because then we'll be explorers. It will be glorious to findnew lakes and streams. "

"Yes, it'll make the waiting easier, provided, of course, that we don'thave rain and storms. Rain can turn a wilderness paradise in fifteenminutes into a regular place for the condemned. We've almost as much tofear now from the sky as we have from the Indians on the ground. Whenyou see a little cloud up there you can begin to worry. "

"But I don't see any, and so I refuse to worry yet. "

They reached the farther edge of the valley and began to climb a slope, which, easier at first, soon became rather stiff. But the horses oncemore justified the hunter's praise and pressed forward nobly. He andWill dismounted again, and they let Selim lead where he would. 

"All horses have wilderness sense, " said Boyd, "and Selim, having bothan educated sense and a wild sense, is sure to pick out the best way. "

His confidence was not misplaced, as the horse instinctively chose theeasiest path, and, before the twilight came, they reached the crest of alofty ridge, from which they saw a sea of mountains in all directions, ascene so majestic that it made Will draw a sharp breath. 

"I think we'd better go down the slope until it becomes too dark for usto see a way, " said Boyd, "because we're up so high now that the nightis sure to be biting cold here on the very top of the ridge. "

In an hour they found a glen sheltered well by high trees all about andwith a pool of icy cold water at the edge. It was a replica on a smallscale of the valley and lake they had left behind, and glad enough theywere to find it. They drank of the pool, and the horses followed themthere with eagerness. Then, eating only cold food, they made ready forthe night. 

"Get an extra pair of blankets from your pack, Will, " said Boyd. "Youdon't yet know how cold the night can be on these mountains, at any timeof the year. "

The hunter's advice was good, as Will the next morning, despite twoblankets beneath him and two above him, felt cold, and when he sprang uphe pounded his chest vigorously to make the circulation brisk. Boydlaughed. 

"I'm about as cold as you are, " he said, "and, in view of the winterinto which we've suddenly dropped, we'll have hot coffee and hot foodfor breakfast. I don't think we risk anything by building a fire here. What's the matter with our horses?"

They had tethered the horses in the night, and all four of them suddenlybegan to rear and stamp in terror. 

"There's a scout watching us!" exclaimed Will. 

"A scout?" said Boyd, startled. 

"Yes! See him standing on the big rock, far off there to the right. "

The hunter looked and then drew a breath of relief. 

"Old Ephraim!" he said. 

A gigantic grizzly bear was upreared on a great rocky outcrop aboutthree hundred yards away, and the opalescent light of the morningmagnified him in the boy's eyes, until he was the largest beast in theworld. Monstrous and sinister he stood there, unmoving, gazing at thestrange creatures in the little camp. He seemed to Will a symbol of thisvast and primeval new world into which he had come. Remembering hisglasses he took them and brought the great grizzly almost before hiseyes. 

"He appears to be showing anger and a certain curiosity because we'rehere, " he said. "I don't think he understands us, but he resents ourinvasion of his territory. "

"Well, we're not going to explain who we are. If he don't meddle with uswe won't meddle with him. "

The grizzly did not stay long, retreating from the rock, thendisappearing in the underbrush. Will had qualms now and then lest heshould break through the bushes and appear in their little glen, butBoyd knew him better. He was content to leave alone those who left himalone. 

The breakfast with its hot coffee and hot food was very grateful, andcontinuing the descent of the slope they passed through other narrowpasses and over other ridges, but all the while ascending gradually, theworld about them growing in majesty and beauty. Four days and a largepart of four nights they traveled thus after leaving the little valleywith the blue lake, and the bright air was growing steadily colder asthey rose. Boyd talked a little now of stopping, but he did not yet seea place that fulfilled all his ideas of a good and safe camp, though hesaid they would soon find it. 

"How far do you think we've come into the mountains?" asked Will. 

"About a hundred miles, more or less, " replied the hunter. 

"Seems to me more like a thousand, chiefly more. If the Sioux find ushere they'll have to be the finest mountain climbers and ravine crossersthe world has ever seen. Just what are you looking for, Jim?"

"Four things, wood, water, grass and shelter. We've got to have 'em, both for ourselves and the horses, and we've got to find 'em soon, because, d'you see, Will, we've been wonderfully favored by Providence. The rains and storms have held off longer than they usually do in thehigh mountains, but we can't expect 'em to hold off forever just for oursakes. Besides, the hoofs of the horses are getting sore, and it's timeto give 'em a long rest. "

They were now far up the high slopes, but not beyond the timber range. The air was thin and cold, and at night they always used two pairs ofblankets, spreading the under pair on thick beds of dry leaves. In themorning the pools would be frozen over, but toward noon the ice underthe slanting rays of the sun would melt. The march itself, and the airladen with odors of pine and spruce, and cedar and balsam, was healthfuland invigorating. Will felt his chest expand. He knew that his lungpower, already good, was increasing remarkably and that his muscles wereboth growing and hardening. 

Another day and crossing a ridge so sharp that they were barely able topull the horses over it, they came to a valley set close around by highmountains, a valley about three miles long and a mile wide, one-third ofits surface covered by a lake, usually silver in color, but varying withthe sky above it. Another third of the valley was open and heavy ingrass, the remainder being in forest with little undergrowth. 

"Here, " said Boyd, "we'll find the four things we need, wood, water, grass and shelter, and since it's practically impossible for theoriginal band of Sioux to trail us into this cleft, here we will stayuntil such time as we wish to resume our great hunt. What say you?"

"Seems to me, Jim, that we're coming home. This valley has been waitingfor us a great many years, but the true tenants have arrived at last. "

"That's the right spirit. Hark to Selim, now! He, too, approves. "

The great horse, probably moved by the sight of grass and water, raisedhis head and neighed. 

"If we had felt any doubts the horses would have settled it for us, "said Will. "I understand their language and they say in the most correctEnglish that here we are to bide and rest, as long as we wish. Thepresence of the lake indicates a running stream, an entrance and exit, so to speak. I think, Jim, it's about the most beautiful valley I eversaw. "

They descended the last slope, and came to the creek that drained thelake, a fine, clear, cold current, flowing swiftly over a rocky bottom. After letting the horses drink they forded it, and rode on into thevalley. Will noticed something white on the opposite slope, andexamining it through his glasses saw that it was a foaming cascade. 

"It's the stream that feeds the lake, " he said. "It rushes down from thehigher mountains, and here we have a beautiful waterfall. Nature hasneglected nothing in preparing our happy valley, providing not onlycomfort and security but scenic beauty as well. "

The hunter looked a moment or two at the waterfall, and the tremendousmountains about them with a careful eye. 

"What is it, Jim?" asked Will. 

"I'm looking for tracks. "

"What tracks? You said we wouldn't find any Sioux in here. "

"Not the footprints of the Sioux. "

"It's not in the range of the Crows, Blackfeet or Assiniboines. Surelyyou don't expect them. "

"I don't expect Crows, Blackfeet or Assiniboines. "

"Then what do you expect?"

"Wild animals. "

"Why bother about wild animals? Armed as we are we've nothing to fearfrom them. "

"Nothing to fear, but a lot to hope. I think we're likely to stay herequite a spell, and we'll need 'em in our business. Remember that for thepresent, Will, we're wild men, and we'll have to live as wild men havelived since the world began. We want their meat and their skins. "

"The meat I understand, because I'd like to bite into a juicy piece ofit now, but we're not fur hunters. "

"No, but we need the skins of big animals, and we need 'em right away. This weather can't last forever. We're bound to have a storm sometimesoon. We must first make a wickiup. It's quite simple. The Sioux alwaysdo it. A Sioux warrior never sleeps in the open if he can help it, andas they've lived this sort of life for more hundreds of years thananybody knows they ought to know something about it. "

"But I don't see that cloud you told me several days ago to watch for. "

"It will come. It's bound to come. Now here's the lake ahead of us. Isn't it a beauty? I told you we'd find a lot of these fine little lakesall along the slopes of the ridges, but this seems to be the gem of themall. See how the water breaks into waves and looks like melted silver!And the banks sloping and firm, covered with thick green turf, run rightdown to the water's edge, like a gentleman's park. "

"It's all that you claim for it, " said Will, making a wide, sweepinggesture, "and, bright new lake, I christen thee Lake Boyd!"

"The lake accepts the name, " said the hunter with a pleased smile, andthen he added, also making a wide, sweeping gesture:

"Green and sheltered valley, I christen thee Clarke Valley. "

"I, too, accept the compliment, " said Will. 

"The far side of the valley is much the steeper, " said the hunter, "andI think it would be a good idea for us to build the wickiup over there. It would be sheltered thoroughly on one side at least by the loftycliffs. "

"Going back a moment to the search you were making a little while ago, have you noticed the footprints of any wild animals?"

"Aye, Will, my lad, so I have. I've seen tracks of elk, buffalo andbear, and of many smaller beasts. "

"Then, that burden off your mind, we might as well locate the site ofour house. "

"Correct. I think I see it now in an open space under the shelter of thecliff. "

They had ridden across the valley, and both marked a slight elevationunder the shadow of the cliff, a glen forty or fifty yards across, protected by thick forest both to east and west, and by thin forest onthe south, from which point they were approaching. 

"It's the building site that's been reserved for us five hundred years, maybe, " said the hunter. "The mountain and the trees will shelter usfrom most of the big winds, and if any of the trees should blow downtheir falling bodies would not reach us here in the center of the openspace. There is grass everywhere for the horses, and water, both lakeand running, for all of us. "

They unsaddled the riding horses, took the packs off the others andturned them loose. All four neighed gratefully, and set to work on thegrass. 

"They've done a tremendous lot of mountain climbing, and they've carriedheavy burdens, " said Boyd, "and they're entitled to a long rest, longenough to heal up their sore feet and fill out their sides again. Now, Will, you'll make a great hunter some day, but suppose, for the present, you guard the packs while I look for an elk and maybe a bear. Two ofthem would furnish more meat than we could use in a long time, but weneed their skins. "

"I'm content to wait, " said Will, who was saddle-tired. 

He sat down on the thick, soft grass by the side of the packs, and hisphysical system, keyed up so long, suffered a collapse, complete but notunpleasant. Every nerve relaxed and he sank back against his pack, content to be idle as long as Boyd was away. But while his body was weakthen, his mind was content. Clarke Valley, which had been named afterhim, was surely wonderful. It was green and fresh everywhere and BoydLake was molten silver. Not far away the cataract showed white againstthe mountainside, and its roar came in a pleasant murmur to his ears. 

He heard a distant shot, but it did not disturb him. He knew it wasBoyd, shooting something, probably the elk he wished. After a while heheard another report, and he put that down as the bear. His surmise wascorrect in both instances. 

Boyd, with his help, skinned both the bear and the elk, and they hunggreat quantities of the flesh of both in the trees to dry. Boydcarefully scraped the skins with his hunting knife, and they, too, werehung out to dry. While they were hanging there Will also shot a bear, and his hairy covering was added to the others. 

A few days later Boyd built the wickiup, called by the Sioux tipiowinja. Taking one of the sharp axes he quickly cut a number of slender, greenpoles, the larger ends of which he sharpened well and thrust deep intothe ground, until he had made with them a complete circle. The smallerends were bent toward a common center and fastened tightly with withesof skin. The space between was thatched with brush, and the whole wascovered with the skins of elk and bear, which Boyd stitched togetherclosely and firmly. Then they cut out a small doorway, which they couldenter by stooping. The floor was of poles, made smooth and soft with acovering of dead leaves. 

It was rude and primitive, but Will saw at once that in need it wouldprotect both their stores and themselves. 

"I learned that from the Sioux long ago, " said Boyd, not without someadmiration of his handiwork. "It's close and hot, and after we've putthe stores in we'll have to tuck ourselves away in the last space left. But it will feel mighty good in a storm. "

The second night after the wickiup was finished his words came true. Agreat storm gathered in the southwest, the first that Will had seen inthe high mountains, and it was a tremendous and terrifying manifestationof nature. 

The mountains fairly shook with the explosions of thunder, and the playof lightning was dazzling on the ridges. When thunder and lightningsubsided somewhat, the hunter and the lad crept into the wickiup andlistened to the roaring of the rain as it came. Will, curled against theside upon his pack, heard the fierce wind moaning as if the godsthemselves were in pain, and the rain beating in gust after gust. Thestout poles bent a little before both wind and rain, but theirelasticity merely added to their power of resistance, as the wickiup, sosimple in its structure and yet so serviceable, stood fast, and Boyd hadput on its skin covering so well that not a single drop of waterentered. 

In civilization he might have found the wickiup too close to besupportable, but in that raging wilderness, raging then at least, it wassnug beyond compare. He had a thought or two for the horses, but he knewthey would find shelter in the forest. Boyd, who was curled on the otherside of the wickiup, was already asleep, but the lad's sense of safetyand shelter was so great that he lay awake, and listened to theshrieking of the elements, separated from him only by poles and abearskin. The power of contrast was so great that he had never feltmore comfortable in his life, and after listening awhile he, too, fellasleep, sleeping soundly until day, when the storm had passed, leavingthe air crisper and fresher, and the earth washed afresh and clean. 

They found the horses already grazing, and their bear and elk steaks, which they had fastened securely, safe on the boughs. The valley itself, so keen and penetrating was the odor of balsam and pine, seemed redolentwith perfume, and the lake itself had taken on a new and brighter tintof silver. 

"Boyd Lake and Clarke Valley are putting on their best in our honor, "said Will. 

Then they ate a huge breakfast, mostly of elk and bear meat, andafterward considered the situation. Will had the natural impatience ofyouth, but Boyd was all for staying on a couple of weeks at least. Theymight not find another such secure place, one that furnished its ownfood, and nothing would be lost while much could be gained by waiting. It was easy enough to persuade the lad, who was, on the whole, ratherglad to be convinced, and then they turned their thoughts toward theimprovement of a camp which had some of the elements of permanency. 

"We could, of course, build a good, strong cabin, " said Boyd, "and withour stout axes it would not take long to do it, but I don't think we'llneed the protection of logs. The wickiup ought to serve. We may not haveanother storm while we're here, but showers are pretty sure to come. "

To provide against contingencies they strengthened the wickiup withanother layer of poles, and Boyd spread over the leaves on the floor theskin of a huge grizzly bear that he killed on one of the slopes. Theyfelt now that it was secure against any blizzard that might sweepthrough the mountains, and that within its shelter they could keep warmand dry in the very worst of times. But they did not sleep in it againfor a full week, no rain falling at night during that period. Insteadthey spread their blankets under the trees. 

"It's odd, and I don't pretend to account for it, " said Boyd, "but it'sonly progressive white men who understand the value of fresh air. As Itold you, the Sioux never sleep outside, when they can help it. Neitherdo the other Indians. In the day they live outdoors, but at night theylike to seal themselves up in a box, so to speak. "

"Rushing from extreme to extreme. "

"Maybe, but as for me, I want no better bed than the soft boughs ofbalsam, with blankets and the unlimited blue sky, provided, of course, that it isn't raining or hailing or sleeting or snowing. It's powerfulhealthy. Since we've come into Clarke Valley I can see, Will, thatyou've grown about two inches in height and that you're at least sixinches bigger around the chest. "

"You're a pretty big exaggerator!" laughed Will, "but I certainly dofeel bigger and stronger than I was when I arrived here. If the Siouxwill only let us bide in peace awhile I think I may keep on growing. Tell me more about the Sioux, Jim. They're a tremendous league, and Isuppose you know as much about 'em as any white man in this part of theworld. "

"I've been in their country long enough to learn a lot, and there's alot to learn. The Sioux are to the West what the Iroquois were to theEast, that is, so far as their power is concerned, though their range ofterritory is far larger than that of the Iroquois ever was. They roamover an extent of mountain and plain, hundreds and hundreds of mileseither way. I've heard that they can put thirty thousand warriors in thefield, though I don't know whether it's true or not, but I do know thatthey are more numerous and warlike than any other Indian nation in theWest, and that they have leaders who are really big men, men who thinkas well as fight. There's Mahpeyalute, whom you saw and whom we call RedCloud, and Tatanka Yotanka, whom we call Sitting Bull, and Gray Wolf andWar Eagle and lots of others. 

"Besides, the Sioux, or, in their own language, the Dakotas, are a greatnation made up of smaller nations, all of the same warlike stock. Thereis the tribe of the Mendewakaton, which means Spirit Lake Village, thenyou have the Wahpekute or Leaf Shooters; the Wahpeton, the Leaf Village;the Sisseton, the Swamp Village; the Yankton, the End Village, theYanktonnais, the Upper End Village, and the Teton, the Prairie Village. The Teton tribe, which is very formidable, is subdivided into theOgalala, the Brule, and the Hunkpapa. Red Cloud, as I've told youbefore, is an Ogalala. And that's a long enough lesson for you for oneday. Now, like a good boy, go catch some fish. "

Will had discovered very early that Lake Boyd, which was quite deep, contained fine lake trout and also other fish almost as good to thetaste. As their packs included strong fishing tackle it was notdifficult to obtain all the fish they wanted, and the task generallyfell to the lad. Now, at Boyd's suggestion, he fulfilled it once morewith the usual success. 

Game of all kinds, large and small, was abundant, the valley beingfairly overrun with it. Boyd said that it had come in through the narrowpasses, and its numbers indicated that no hunters had been there in along time. Will even found a small herd of about a dozen buffaloesgrazing at the south end of the valley, but the next day theydisappeared, evidently alarmed by the invasion of human beings. But thedeer continued numerous and there were both bears and mountain lionsalong the slopes. 

Will, who had a certain turn for solitude, being of a thoughtful, serious nature, ceased to find the waiting in the valley irksome. Hebegan to think less of the treasure for which he had come so far andthrough such dangers. They _had_ found a happy valley, and he did notcare how long they stayed in it, all nature being so propitious. He hadnever before breathed an air so fine, and always it was redolent withthe odor of pine and balsam. He began to feel that Boyd had notexaggerated much when he talked about his increase in height and chestexpansion. 

Both he and the hunter bathed every morning in Lake Boyd. At first Willcould not endure its cold water more than five minutes, but at the endof ten days he was able to splash and swim in it as long as he liked. 

Their days were not all passed in idleness, as they replenished theirstores by jerking the meat of both bear and deer. At the end of twoweeks the hunter began to talk of departure, and he and Will walkedtoward the western end of the valley, where the creek issued in a narrowpass, the only road by which they could leave. 

"It's likely to be a mighty rough path, " said Boyd, "but our horses arestill mountain climbers and we'll be sure to make it. "

They went a little nearer and listened to the music of the singingwaters, as the creek rushed through the cleft. It was a fine, soothingnote, but presently another rose above it, clear and melodious. 

It was a whistle, and it had such a penetrating quality that Will, atfirst, thought it was a bird. Then he knew it sprang from the throat ofa man, hidden by the bushes and coming up the pass. Nearer and nearer itcame and mellower and mellower it grew. He had never before heard anyonewhistle so beautifully. It was like a song, but it was evident thatsomeone was entering their happy valley, and in that wilderness whocould come but an enemy? Nearer and nearer the whistler drew and themusical note of the whistling and its echoes filled all the pass. 

"Wouldn't it be better for us to draw back a little where we can remainhidden among the brakes?" said Will. 

"Yes, do it, " replied the hunter, "just for precaution against anypossible mistake, but I don't think we really need to do so. In all theworld there's not another such whistler! It's bound to be Giant Tom, Giant Tom his very self, and none other!"

"Giant Tom! Giant Tom! Whom do you mean?" exclaimed Will. 

"Just wait a minute and you'll see. "

The whistler was now very near, though hidden from sight by the bushes, and he was trilling forth old airs of home that made the pulses in thelad's throat beat hard. 

"It's Giant Tom. There's no other such in the world, " repeated Boyd moreto himself than to Will. "In another minute you'll see him. You can hearhim now brushing past the bushes. Ah, there he is! God bless him!"

The figure of an extraordinary man now came into view. He was not morethan five feet tall, nor was he particularly broad for his height. Hewas just the opposite of a giant in size, but there was something abouthim that suggested the power of a giant. He had a wonderfully quick andlight step, and it was Will's first impression that he was made ofsteel, instead of flesh and blood. His face, shaven smoothly, toldlittle of his age. He was dressed in weather-beaten brown, rifle onshoulder, and two mules, loaded with the usual packs and miner's tools, followed him in single file and with sure step. 

Will's heart warmed at once to the little man who continued to whistleforth a volume of clear song, and whose face was perhaps the happiest hehad ever seen. Boyd stepped suddenly from the shielding brushwood andextended his hand. 

"Tom Bent, " he said, "put 'er there!"

"Thar she is, " said Giant Tom, placing his palm squarely in Boyd's. 

"My young friend, Mr. William Clarke, " said the hunter, nodding at thelad, "and this is Mr. Thomas Bent, better known to me and others asGiant Tom. "

"Glad to meet you, William, " said the little man, and ever afterward hecalled the boy William. "Anybody that I find with Jim, here, has got on'im the stamp an' seal o' high approval. I don't ask your name, whar youcome from or why you're here, or whar you're goin', but I take you fur afrien' o' Jim's, an' so just 'bout all right. Now put 'er thar. "

He grinned a wide grin and extended a wide palm, into which Will put histo have it enclosed at once in a grasp so mighty that he was convincedhis first impression about the man being made of steel was correct. Heuttered an exclamation and Giant Tom dropped his hand at once. 

"I never do that to a feller more than once, " he said, "an' it's alwaysthe first time I meet him. Even then I don't do it 'less I'm sure he'sall right, an' I'm goin' to like 'im. It's jest my way o' puttin' astamp on 'im to show that he's passed Tom Bent's ordeal, an' is good furthe best the world has to offer. Now, William, you're one o' us. "

He smiled so engagingly that Will was compelled to laugh, and he felt, too, that he had a new and powerful friend. 

"That's right, laugh, " said Giant Tom. "You take it the way a fellerorter, an' you an' me are goin' to be mighty good pards. An' that bein'settled I want to know from you, Jim Boyd, what are you doin' in myvalley. "

"Your valley, Giant! Why, you never saw it before, " said the hunter. 

"What's that got to do with it? I wuz comin' here an' any place that I'mgoin' to come to out here in the wilderness is mine, o' course. "

"Coming here, I suppose, to hunt for gold! And you've been hunting forit for fifteen years, you've trod along thousands and thousands of milesand never found a speck of it yet. "

The little man laughed joyously. 

"That's true, " he said. "I've worked years an' years an' I never yet hada particle o' luck. But a dry spell, no matter how long, is always brokesome time or other by a rain, an' when my luck does come, it's goin' tobust all over my face. Gold will just rain on me. I'll stand in itknee-deep an' then shoulder deep, an' then right up to my mouth. "

"You haven't changed a bit, " said Boyd, grinning also. "You're the sameGiant Tom, a real giant in strength and courage, that I've met off andon through the years. It's been a long time since I first saw you. "

"It was in Californy in '49. I was only fourteen then, but I went outwith my uncle in the first rush. Seventeen years I've hunted the yellowstuff, in the streams, in the mountains, all up an' down the coast, inthe British territories, an' way back in the Rockies, but I've yet tosee its color. Uncle Pete found some, and when he died he left whatmoney he had to me. 'Jest you take it an' keep on huntin', Tom, my boy, 'he said. 'Now an' then I think I've seen traces o' impatience in you. When you'd been lookin' only six or seven years, an' found nothin', Iheard you speak in a tone of disapp'intment, once. Don't you do itag'in. That ain't the way things are won. It takes sperrit an' patienceto be victor'us. Hang on to the job you've set fur yourse'f, an' thirtyor forty years from now you'll be shore to reap a full reward, though itmight come sooner. ' An' here I am, fresh, strong, only a little pastthirty, and I kin afford to hunt an' wait for my pay 'bout thirty yearsmore. I've never forgot what Uncle Pete told me just afore he died. Amighty smart man was Uncle Pete, an' he had my future in mind. Don't youthink so, young William?"

"Of course, " replied Will, looking at him in wonder and admiration. "Idon't think a man of your cheerful and patient temperament couldpossibly fail. "

"And maybe his reward will come much sooner than he thinks, " said thehunter, glancing at the lad. 

Will understood what Boyd meant, and he was much taken with the idea. The Little Giant seemed to be sent by Providence, but he said nothing, waiting until such time as the hunter thought fit to broach the subject. 

"How long have you been here?" asked the Little Giant, looking at thevalley with approving eyes. 

"Quite a little while, " replied Boyd. "It belonged to us two until a fewminutes ago, but now it belongs to us three. We've been needing a thirdman badly, and while I didn't know it, you must have been in my mindall the time. "

"An' what do you happen to need me fur, Jim Boyd?"

"We'll let that wait awhile, at least, until we introduce you to ourhome. "

"All right. Patience is my strong suit. Do you mean to say you've got ahome here?"

"Certainly. "

"Then I'll be your guest until you take me into the pardnership you'retalkin' 'bout. Do you know that you two are the first faces o' humanbein's that I've seen in two months, an' it gives me a kind o' pleasureto look at you, Jim Boyd, an' young William. "

"Come on then to our camp. "

He whistled to his two mules, strong, patient animals, and then hewhistled on his own account the gayest and most extraordinary variationthat Will had ever heard, a medley of airs, clear, pure and birdlike, that would have made the feet of any young man dance to the music. Itexpressed cheerfulness, hope and the sheer joy of living. 

"You could go on the stage and earn fine pay with that whistling ofyours, " said Will, when he finished. 

"Others have told me so, too, " said the Little Giant, "but I'll never doit. Do you think I'd forget what Uncle Pete said to me on his dyin' bed, an' get out o' patience? What's a matter o' twenty or thirty years? I'llkeep on lookin' an' in the end I'll find plenty o' gold as a matter o'course. Then I won't have to whistle fur a livin'. I'll hire others towhistle fur me. "

"He's got another accomplishment, Will, one that he never brags about, "said the hunter. 

"What is it?"

"I told you once that I was as good a rifle shot as there was in theWest, over a range of a million and a half square miles of mountain andplain, but I forgot, for a moment, about one exception. That exceptionis Giant Tom, here. He has one of the fine repeating rifles like ours, and whether with that or a muzzle loader he's quicker and surer than anyother. "

The face of Giant Tom turned red through his tan. 

"See here, Jim Boyd, I'm a modest man, I'm no boaster, don't be tellingwild tales about me to young William. I don't know him yet so well as Ido you, an' I vally his good opinion. "

"What I say is true every word of it. If his bullet would only carrythat far he'd pick off a deer at five miles every time, and you needn'tdeny it, Giant Tom. "

"Well, mebbe thar is some truth in what you say. When the Lord sawed meoff a foot, so I'd hev to look up in the faces o' men whenever I talkedto 'em, He looked at me an' He felt sorry fur the little feller He'dcreated. I'll have to make it up to him somehow, He said to Hisself, an'to he'p me along He give me muscles o' steel, not your cast steel, butyour wrought steel that never breaks, then He put a mockin' bird in mythroat, an' give me eyes like an eagle's an' nerves o' the steadiest. Last, He give me patience, the knowin' how to wait years an' years furwhat I want, an' lookin' back to it now I think He more than made up furthe foot He sawed off. Leastways I ain't seen yet the man I want tochange with, not even with you, Jim Boyd, tall as you think you are, norwith you, young William, for all your red cheeks an' your youth an' yourheart full o' hope, though it ain't any fuller than mine. "

"Long but mighty interesting, " said Boyd. "Now, you can see our wickiup, over there in the open. We use it only when it rains. We'll help youtake the packs off your mules and they can go grazing for themselveswith our horses. You are not saying much about it, but I imagine thatyou and the mules, too, are pretty nearly worn out. "

"Them's good mules, mighty good mules, but them an' me, I don't mindtellin' it to you, Jim Boyd, won't fight ag'inst restin' an' eatin'awhile. "

"I'll light the fire and warm food for you, " said Will. "It's a pleasurefor me to do it. Sit down on the log and before you know it I'll haveready for you the finest lake trout into which you ever put your teeth. "

"Young William, I accept your invite. "

Will quickly had his fire going, and he served not only trout, but bearsteaks and hot coffee to the Little Giant, who ate with a tremendousappetite. 

"I've got provisions of my own in my packs, " he said, "but sometimes theother feller's feed tastes a heap better than your own, an' this thatyou're offerin' me is, I take it, the cream o' the mountains, youngWilliam. A couple more o' them trout, if you don't mind, four or fivemore pounds o' that bear meat, an' a gallon o' coffee, if you've got itto spare. With them I think I kin make out. How are my mules gettin' on, Jim?"

"First rate. They've already introduced themselves to the horses, whichhave given their names, pedigrees and the stories of their lives. Themules also have furnished their histories, and, everybody beingsatisfied with everybody else's social station and past, they're nowgrazing together in perfect friendship, all six of 'em, just beyond thatbelt of woodland. And that being the case, I'll now give you the historyof Will and myself, and I'll tell you about the biggest thing that weexpect from the future. "

"Go ahead, " said the Little Giant, settling himself into a comfortableposition. 

CHAPTER IV

THE FLIGHT

Boyd had no mean powers as a narrator. He did not speak at first oftheir own immediate search, but alluded to the great belief that goldwas scattered all through the West, although it seldom had a trace ortrail leading to it. Then he spoke of Clarke's father, and what he haddiscovered, returning soon afterward to the civil war, in which he hadfallen. 

The Little Giant's eyes brightened with the flame of pursuit as thehunter talked. He who had sought gold for so many years without findinga particle of it was seeing it now, in pockets, and in almost solidledges, beyond anything he had ever dreamed. But when Boyd told of theofficer's death on the battlefield he sighed deeply and his faceclouded. 

"That's always the way, " he said. "Jest when you've got it, it slipsthrough your fingers, though I will say to you, young William, that it'snot the lost gold only I'm mournin' 'bout. I'm sorry, too, for the deathof your brave father. "

"But, knowing the uncertainties of war, he took thought for the future, "said Boyd. "He drew a map showing where his great mine is, and it's nowin the possession of his son, Will, who sits before you. "

The shadow left the face of the Little Giant, and his eyes glistened asWill produced the precious map, spreading it before him. After examiningit carefully, he said:

"Ef you fight off many thousand Sioux, run through fifty or a hundredmountain blizzards, starve a dozen times, freeze twenty times an' stickto it three or four years you'll git that thar gold. "

Then the Little Giant sighed, and his face clouded again--it had perhapsbeen years since his face had clouded twice in one day. 

"You fellers are in great luck. I wish you well. "

"We wish ourselves well, " said Boyd, watching him closely. 

A sudden thought seemed to occur to the Little Giant and his facebrightened greatly. 

"Do you two fellers want a hired man?" he asked. 

"What kind of a hired man?" said Boyd. 

"A likely feller, not very tall, but strong an' with a willin' heart, handy with spade an' shovel, understandin' hosses an' mules, an' able towhistle fur you gay an' lively tunes in the evenin', when you're alltired out from the day's work in the richest mine in the world. "

"No, we don't want any hired man. "

"Not even the kind I'm tellin' you 'bout?"

"Not even that, nor any other. "

"An' both o' you hev got your minds plum' made up 'bout it?"

"Plumb made up. "

The Little Giant's face fell for the third time in one day, an absoluterecord for him. 

"I reckon thar ain't no more to say, " he said. 

Boyd was still watching him closely, but now his look was one ofsympathy. 

"We don't want any hired man, " he said. "We've no use for hired men, butwe do want something. "

"What's that, Jim Boyd?"

"We want a partner. "

"Why, each of you has got one. You hev young William and young Williamhez you. "

"Well, young William and me have talked about this some, not much, butwe came straight to the point. For such a big hunt as ours, throughdangers piled on dangers, we need a third man, one that's got a strongheart and a cheerful soul, one that can shoot straighter than anybodyelse in the world, one whose picture, if I could take it, would be theexact picture of you, Tom Bent. "

"But I ain't done nothin' to come in as a pardner. "

"Neither did I, but Will took me in as a guide, hunter and fighting man. Don't you understand, Giant, that to get the Clarke gold we'll have topay the price? We'll have to fight and fight, and we'll have to risk ourlives a thousand times apiece. Why, in a case like this, you're worth acool hundred thousand dollars. "

"Then I come in fur a tenth--ef we git it. "

"You come in for the same share as the rest, share and share alike, butI will say this to you, Little Giant, that we expect you to do the mosttremendous fighting the world has ever seen, we expect you to wipe outwhole bands of Sioux and Blackfeet by yourself while Will and me standby and rest, and, after it's all over, we expect you to sit down andwhistle an hour or two, until you soothe us to sleep. "

"Then, on them conditions I come in as a full pardner, " said Giant Tom, and he grinned with pleasure, the most amazing grin that Will had everseen. It spread slowly across his face, until the great crack seemed toreach almost to each ear, revealing a splendid set of powerful whiteteeth, without a flaw. Above the chasm two large blue eyes glistened andglowed with delight. It was all so infectious, so contagious that bothWill and Boyd grinned in return. They were not only securing for aperilous quest a man who was beyond compare, but they were also givingthe most exquisite mental pleasure to a likable human being. 

"It shorely does look, " said the Little Giant, "ez ef my luck wuz goin'to hev a turn. At any rate, I'll be with you boys, in the best companyI've had fur years. "

"You and the mules rest a day, " said Boyd, "and then we'll be off. We'llkeep to the mountains for a while, and then we'll curve back to theplains, where we'll take up the line laid down on the map, and where thegoing is easier. Maybe we can dodge the Sioux. "

The Little Giant made his bed under one of the trees, and he slept verysoundly that night, eating prodigiously in the morning. The three werediscussing the advisability of leaving at once or of waiting until thedusk for departure, when Will, happening to look toward the east, sawwhat he took at first to be a tiny cloud in the clear blue sky. Hecarried his glasses over his shoulders, and he raised them at once. Thehunter and the Little Giant had noticed his act. 

"What is it, Will?" asked Boyd anxiously. 

"Smoke! A big puff of it!"

"And it came from the top of that mountain to the east of the valley. "

"It rose straight and fast, as if it had been sent up by some humanagency. "

"And so it was. It's a signal!"

"Indians!"

"Yes, Will. "

"What does it mean?"

"It means 'Attention, watch!' They've got a code almost as complete asthat of our armies when they use the signal flags. Look at that othercrest off to the north. Maybe an answer will come from it. "

"There _is_ an answer. I can see it rising now from the very place youindicate, Jim. What does the answer signify?"

"I can see it now with the naked eye. It merely says to the first, 'I'veseen you, I'm waiting. Go ahead. ' Look back to the other crest. "

"Two smokes are now going up there. "

"They say 'Come. ' It's two bands wanting to meet. Now, the other place. "

"Three smokes there. "

"Three means, 'We come. '"

"Now back to the other. "

"Four smokes. "

"Which says in good, plain English, 'We are following the enemy. ' Thatsettles it. They've found out, some way or other, that we're here, andthe two bands mean to meet and capture or destroy us. They neversuspected that we could read their writing against the sky. We don'twait until tonight. We leave as soon as we can get our packs on ourhorses and mules. "

"I'd like to make a suggestion first, " said the Little Giant with somediffidence. 

"What is it?" asked Boyd. 

"Suppose we stay an' have a crack at 'em before we go, jest kinder totemper their zeal a little. I'd like to show young William that I kinreally shoot, an' sorter live up to the braggin' you've been doin'. "

"No, you ferocious little man-killer. We can't think of it. We'd have ahundred Sioux warriors on our heels in no time. Now hustle, you two!Pack faster than you ever packed before, and we'll start inside of twohours. Do you see any more smokes, Will?"

"No, the sky is now without a blemish. "

"Which means they've talked enough and now they're traveling straighttoward our valley. It's lucky they've got such rough country to crossbefore they reach us. "

Inside the two hours they were headed for the western end of the valley, the Little Giant riding one of his mules, the other following. Thewickiup was abandoned, but they brought much of the jerked meat withthem, thinking wisely of their commissariat. 

It was with genuine regret that Will looked back from his saddle uponClarke Valley and Boyd Lake, shimmering and beautiful now in theopalescent sunshine. They had found peace and plenty there. It was agood place in which to live, if wild men would let one alone, and, loving solitude at times, he could have stayed there several weekslonger in perfect content. He caught the last gleam of the lake as theyentered the pass. It had the deep sheen of melted silver, as the watersmoved before the slow wind, and he sighed a little when a curve of thecliff cut it wholly from view. 

"Never mind, young William, " said the Little Giant, "you'll see otherlakes and other valleys as fine, an' this wouldn't look so beautiful, after all, tomorrow, filled with ragin' Sioux huntin' our ha'r rightwhar it grows, squar' on top o' our heads. "

Young Clarke laughed and threw off his melancholy. 

"You're right, " he said briskly. "The lake wouldn't look very beautifulif a half dozen Sioux were shooting at me. You came through this pass, now tell us what kind of a place it is. "

"We ride along by the creek, an' sometimes the ledge is jest wide enoughfur the horses an' mules. We go on that way four or five miles, providedwe don't fall down the cliff into the creek an' bust ourselves apart. Then, ag'in, purvided we're still livin', we come out into a valley, narrow but steep, the water rushin' down it in rapids like somethin'mad. Then we keep on down the valley with our hosses lookin' ez ef theywuz walkin' on their heads, an' in four or five miles more, purvided, o'course, once more that we ain't been busted apart by falls, we come outinto some woods. These woods are cut by gulleys an' ravines an' theyhave stony outcrops, but they'll look good by the side o' what you hevpassed through. "

"Encouraging, Giant!" laughed Will. "But hard as all this will be for usto pass over, it will be just as hard for the Sioux, our pursuers. "

"Young William, " said the Little Giant approvingly, "I like to hear youtalk that way. It shows that you hev all the makin's o' them opty-mists, the bunch o' people to which I belong. I never heard that word tillthree or four years ago, when I wuz listenin' to a preacher in a minin'camp, an' it kinder appealed to me. So I reckoned I would try to live upto it an' make o' myself a real opty-mist. I been workin' hard at itever sence, an' I think I'm qualifyin'. "

"You're right at the head of the class, that's where you are, Giant, "said Boyd heartily. "You've already earned a thousand dollars out of themine that we're going to find, you with your whistling and cheerfulnessbracing us up so that we're ready to meet anything. "

"What's the use o' bein' an opty-mist ef you don't optymize?" asked theLittle Giant, coining a word for himself. "Now, ain't this a nice, narrow pass? You kin see the water in the creek down thar, 'bout twohundred feet below, a-rushin' an' a-roarin' over the stones, an' thenyou look up an' see the cliff risin' five or six hundred feet over yourhead, an' here you are betwixt an' between, on a shelf less'n three feetbroad, jest givin' room enough fur the horses an' mules an' ourselves, all so trim an' cosy, everythin' fittin' close an' tight in its place. "

"It's a lot too close and tight for me, Giant!" exclaimed Will. "I've aterrible fear that I'll go tumbling off the path and into the creek twohundred feet below. "

"Oh, no, you won't, young William. The people who fall off cliffs aremighty few compared with them that git skeered 'bout it. Ef you feela-tall dizzy, jest ketch holt o' the tail o' that rear mule o' mine. Hewon't kick, an' he won't mind it, a-tall, a-tall. Instead o' that it'llgive him a kind o' home-like feelin', bein' ez I've hung on to his tailmyself so many times when we wuz goin' along paths not more'n threeinches wide in the mountain side. You won't bother or upset him. Thebiggest cannon that wuz ever forged couldn't blast him out o' the path. "

Thus encouraged, young Clarke seized the tail of the mule, which ploddedunconcernedly on, and for the rest of the distance along the dizzyingheights he felt secure. Nevertheless his relief was great when theyemerged into the rough valley of which the Little Giant had spoken, andyet more when, still pressing on, they came to the rocky and hillyforest. Here they were all exhausted, animals and human beings alike, and they stopped a long time in the shade of the trees. 

At that point there was no sign of the valley from which they had fled, unless one could infer its existence from the creek that flowed by. Looking back, Will saw nothing but a mass of forest and mountain, andthen looking back a second time he saw rings of smoke rising from pointswhich he knew must be in their valley. He examined and counted themthrough his glasses and described them to the hunter and the LittleGiant. 

"The Sioux have come down and invaded our pleasant home, " said Boyd. "There's no doubt about it, and I can make a good guess that they're madclean through, because they found us gone. They may be signaling now toanother band to come up, and then they'll give chase. You've got toknow, Will, that nothing will make the Sioux pursue like the prospect ofscalps, white scalps. A Sioux warrior would be perfectly willing to goon a month's trail if he found a white scalp at the end of it. "

"They'll naturally think that we'll turn off toward the south so as tohit the plains ez soon ez we kin, " said the Little Giant. 

"And for that reason, you think we should turn to the north instead, andgo deeper into the mountains?" said Boyd. 

"'Pears sound reasonin' to me. "

"Then we'll do it. "

"But we don't go fur, leastways not today. It wouldn't be more'n two orthree hours till night anyhow, an' see them clouds in thar to the south, all thickenin' up. We're going to hev rain on the mountains, an' I thinkwe'd better make another wickiup, ez one o' them terrible sleets maycome on. "

Boyd and Will agreed with him and a mile farther they found a place thatthey considered suitable, an opening in which they would not be exposedto any tree blown down by a blizzard, but with a heavy growth of shortpines near by, among which the horses and mules might find shelter. Then the three worked with amazing speed, and by the time the full darkhad come the wickiup was done, the skins that they had brought with thembeing stretched tightly over the poles. Then, munching their cold food, they crawled in and coiled themselves about the walls, wrapped deep intheir blankets. Contrary to the Indian custom, they left the low dooropen for air, and just when Will felt himself well disposed for thenight he heard the first patter of the sleet. 

It was almost pitch dark in the wickiup, but, through the opening, hecould see the hail beating upon the earth in streams of white. The oldfeeling of comfort and security in face of the wildest that thewilderness had to offer returned to him. When they reached Clarke Valleyand built their wickiup he had one powerful friend, but now when theSioux were once more in pursuit, he had two. The Little Giant had madeupon him an ineffaceable impression of courage, skill and loyalty thatwould stand any test. 

"The hail's goin' to drive all through the night, " Giant Tom called outin the darkness. 

"Right you are, " said the hunter, "and the Sioux won't think of tryingthat pass on such a night. They're back in the valley, in wickiups oftheir own. "

"Might it not stop them entirely?" asked Will. 

"No, young William, it won't, " said the Little Giant. "They'll comethrough the pass tomorrow, knowin' thar's only one way by which we kingo, an' then try to pick up our trail when the sleet melts. But tonight, at least, nobody's goin' to find us. "

They slept late the next morning, and when they crawled out of thewickiup they found the sleet packed about an inch deep on the ground. The horses and mules, protected by the pines, had not suffered much, and, in order that their trail might be hidden by the melting sleet, they packed and departed before breakfast, choosing a northwesterlydirection. They picked the best ground, but it was all rough. Nevertheless the three were cheerful, and the Little Giant whistled likea nightingale. 

"Ef I remember right, " he said, "we'll soon be descendin', droppin' downfast so to speak, an' then the weather will grow a heap warmer. Thesun's out now, though, an' by noon anyway all the sleet will be gone, which will help us a lot. "

They had been walking most of the time, allowing their animals tofollow, which both horses and mules did, not only through long trainingbut because they had become used to the companionship of men. The threemight have abandoned them, escaping pursuit in the almost inaccessiblemazes of the mountains, but no such thought entered their minds. Thehorses and mules not only carried their supplies, chief among whichbeing the ammunition, but also the tools with which to work the mine, and then, in Will's mind at least, they and more of them would be neededto bring back to civilization the tons of gold. 

They were now in a fairly level, though narrow, valley, and all three ofthem were riding. Once more they saw far behind them smoke signalsrising, and Boyd felt sure that the Sioux somehow had blundered uponthe trail anew. Then he and the Little Giant spoke together earnestly. 

"The longest way 'roun' is sometimes the shortest way through, " saidGiant Tom. "It's no plains for us, not fur many days to come. I'mthinkin' that what we've got to do is to keep on goin' deeper an' deeperinto the mountains, an' higher an' higher, too, plum' up among themglaciers, whar the Sioux won't keer to foller. Then, when we winter awhile thar we kin turn back toward the plains an' our search. "

"Looks like good reasoning to me, " said Boyd. "As I told the boy here, once, we're richer in time than anything else. We must make for theheights. What say you, Will?"

"I'm learning patience, " replied the lad. "It's better to wait than tospill all the beans at once. Let's head straight for the glaciers. "

Will felt that there was something terrible about the Sioux pursuit. Hewas beginning to realize to the full the power of Indian tenacity, andhe was anxious to shake off the warriors, no matter how high they had togo. He knew nothing of the region about them, but he had heard thatmountains in many portions of the West rose to a height of nearly threemiles. He could well believe it, as he looked north and south totremendous peaks with white domes, standing like vast, silent sentinelsin the sky. They were majestic to him, but not terrifying, because theyheld out the promise of safety. 

"If the worst came to the worst, could we live up there on one of thoseslopes, a while?" he asked. 

"Do you mean by that could we find game enough?" said Boyd. 

"Game and shelter both. "

"We could. Like as not the mountain deer are plentiful. And there's akind of buffalo called the wood bison, even bigger than the regularbuffalo of the plains, not often found south of Canada, but to be metwith now and then in our country. We might run across one of them, andhe'd supply meat enough to feed an army. Besides, there are bears anddeer and smaller game. Oh, we'd make out, wouldn't we, Tom?"

"We shorely would, " replied the Little Giant, "but between you an' mean' the gate post, Jim, I think I see somethin' movin' on the slopeacrost thar to the right. Young William, take your glasses an' studythat spot whar the bushes are so thick. "

"I can just barely make out the figures of men among the bushes, "announced Will, after a good look. 

"Then they're Indians, " said Boyd with emphasis. "You wouldn't findwhite men lurking here in the undergrowth. It's a fresh band, huntersmaybe, but dangerous just the same. We'd better push on for all we'reworth. "

They urged forward the horses and mules, seeking cover in the deepforest along the slope, but without success, as a faint yell soon toldthem. At the suggestion of Boyd, they stopped and examined the ground. The way was steadily growing steeper and more difficult, and thewarriors, who were on foot could make greater speed than the fugitives. 

"Lend me your glasses a minute, young William, " said the Little Giant. 

But he did not turn the lenses upon the Indians. Instead, he lookedupward. 

"Thar's a narrow pass not fur ahead, " he said. "I think we'd better drawinto it an' make a stand. The pass is deep, an' they can't assail us oneither flank. It will have to be a straight-away attack. "

"That's lucky, mighty lucky, " said Boyd with heartfelt thankfulness. "Will, you push on with the animals, and maybe if you look back you'llsee that what I told you about Giant Tom's sharpshooting is true. "

Will hurried the horses and mules ahead, following a shallow dip thatwas the outlet of the deep pass they were seeking. Behind them he heardagain the yells of the Indian warriors, hopeful now of an unexpectedtriumph. He saw their figures emerging from cover and he judged thatthey were at least twenty in number. He saw also that the Little Gianthad stopped and was looking at the pursuers with a speculative eye, while his repeating rifle lay easily in the hollow of his arm. Then heurged the animals on and presently he looked back a second time. 

He was just in time to see the breech of the rifle leap to the LittleGiant's shoulder. "Leap" was the only word to describe it, his actionwas so swift and so little time did he waste in taking aim. It allpassed in an instant, as he pulled the trigger, and the foremost Indianfar down the slope threw up his arms, falling backward without a cry. Inanother instant he pulled the trigger again and another Indian fellbeside the first. The whole band stopped, uttered a tremendous cry ofrage, and then darted into the undergrowth for cover. 

"Two, " said Boyd. "Didn't I tell you, Will, that he was a wonder withthe rifle?"

"I had to do it. I call you both to witness that I had to do it, " saidthe Little Giant in a melancholy voice. "I'm a hunter o' gold an' notproperly a killer o' men, even o' savage men. An' yet I find no gold, but I do kill. Sometimes I'm sorry that I happened to be born jest anatcherly good shot. I reckon we'd better whoop up our speed ez much ezwe kin now, 'cause after that lesson they'll hang back a while aforefollerin'. "

"That's good generalship, " said Boyd. 

Will was already urging forward the animals, which, frightened by theshots, were making speed of their own accord toward the pass. The hunterand the Little Giant followed at a more leisurely gait, with theirrifles ready to beat off pursuit. Some shots were fired from the bushes, but they fell short, and the two laughed in disdain. 

"They'll have to do a lot better than that, won't they, Giant?" said thehunter. 

"A powerful sight better, but they'll hope to slip up on us in the dark. It hurts my feelin's to hev to shoot any more of 'em, or to shootanybody, but I'm afeard I'll hev to do it, Jim Boyd, afore we gitthrough with this here piece o' business. "

"In that case, Giant, just let your feelings go and shoot your best. "

Will still led on, and, though his heart beat as hard as ever, it wasmore from the exertion of climbing than from apprehension. He had seenthe two wonderful shots of the Little Giant, he knew what a wonderfulmarksman Boyd was also, and he felt since they were within the shelterof the pass, their three rifles might keep off any number of Sioux. 

The shallow gully up which they were travelling now narrowed rapidly, and soon they were deep in the looming shadow of the pass, which seemedto end blindly farther on. But for the present it was a Heaven-sentrefuge. At one point, where it widened somewhat, the horses and mulescould stand, and there was even a little grass for them. A rill of waterfrom the high rocks was a protection against what they had to fear mostof all, thirst, and the three human beings in turn drank freely from it, letting the animals follow. 

Boyd deftly tethered the horses and mules to bushes that grew at thefoot of the cliff in the wide space, and then he joined the other two, who, lying almost flat, were watching at the entrance to the pass. Therocks there also gave them fine protection, and they felt they hadreached a fort which would test all the ingenuity, patience and courageof the Sioux. 

Will drew back behind a stony upthrust, sat up and used his glasses, searching everywhere among the rocks and bushes down the pass. 

"What do you see, Young William?" asked the Little Giant. 

"Nothing yet, Tom, except the bushes, the stones and the slopes of themountains far across the valley. "

"Nor you won't see nothin' fur some time. Took to cover, they hev. An' Idon't blame 'em, either. We wouldn't be anxious ourselves to walk upag'inst the mouths o' rifles that don't miss, an' Indians, bein' smartpeople, don't risk their lives when thar's nothin' to be gained. "

"Then how are they going to get at us?"

"Not straight-away, but by means o' tricks. "

"What tricks?"

"I don't know. Ef they wuz so plain ez all that they wouldn't be tricks. We'll hev to be patient. "

All three of them drew back into the mouth of the pass, where they foundabundant shelter behind the stony outcrops, while the Sioux, who layhidden in the undergrowth farther down the slope, would be compelled toadvance over open ground, if they made a rush. Young Clarke's confidencegrew. That wonderful sharpshooting feat of the Little Giant was still inhis mind. In such a position and with such marksmen as Boyd and Bent, they could not be overwhelmed. 

"Take them glasses o' yourn, young William, " said the Little Giant, "an'see ef you can pick out any o' the Sioux down the slope. "

Will was able to trace three or four warriors lying down among the shortcedars, apparently waiting with illimitable patience for any good ideathat might suggest itself. The others, though out of sight, werecertainly near and he was wondering what plan might occur to them. 

"Do you think it likely that they know the pass?" he asked Boyd. 

"Hardly, " replied the hunter. "They are mountain Sioux, but on the wholethey prefer the plains. "

"Maybe they think then that they can wait, or at least hold us until weare overcome by thirst!"

"No, the little stream of water breaks a way down the slope somewhere, and when they find it they'll know that it comes from the pass. I thinkthey'll attack, but just how and when is more'n I can say. Now, Will, will you go back where the animals are and cook us a good supper, including coffee? When you're besieged it's best to keep yourself wellfed and strong. I saw plenty of dead wood there, tumbled from the cliffsabove. "

Young Clarke, knowing that he was not needed now at the mouth of thepass, was more than glad to undertake the task, since waiting was hardwork. 

He found the horses and mules lying down, and they regarded him withlarge, contemplative eyes as he lighted the fire and began to cooksupper. The animals were on the best of terms, constituting a happyfamily, and the eyes with which they regarded Will seemed to him to bethe eyes of wisdom. 

"Shall we get safely out of this?" he asked, addressing himself to theanimal circle. 

Either it was fact, or his imagination was uncommonly lively, as he sawsix large heads nod slowly and with dignity, but with emphasis. 

"All of us?"

The six heads again moved slowly and with dignity. 

"And with you, our faithful four-footed friends, and with the packs thatare so needful to us?"

The six heads nodded a little faster, but with the same dignity. Willwas just putting the coffee on to boil when he asked the last questionand received the last answer, and he stopped for a moment to stare atthe six animals, which were still regarding him with their large, contemplative eyes. Could he refuse to believe what he thought he saw?If fancy were not fact it often became fact a little later. Those werecertainly honest beasts and he knew by experience that they weretruthful, too, because he had never yet caught them in a lie. Animalsdid not know how to lie, wherein they were different from human beings, and while human beings were not prophets, at least in modern times, animals, for all he knew, might be, and he certainly intended to believethat the six, for the present, enjoyed the prophetic afflatus. 

"I accept the omens as you give them, " he said aloud. "From this momentI dismiss from my mind all doubt concerning the present affair. "

Then he found himself believing his own words. The omens continued to befavorable. The coffee boiled with uncommon readiness and the strips ofvenison that he fried over the coals gave forth an aroma of unparalleledrichness. Filling two large tin cups with the brown fluid he carriedthem to the watchers at the mouth of the pass, who drained them, each ata single draught. 

"Best you ever made, Will, " said Boyd. 

"Ez good ez anybody ever made, young William, " said the Little Giant. 

"Now I'll bring you strips of venison and crackers, " said Will, muchpleased, "and after you've eaten them you can have another cup of coffeeapiece. "

His little task, his success at it, and the praise of his comradescheered him wonderfully. When he had taken them the second cups ofcoffee and had also served himself, he put out the coals, picked up hisrifle and rejoined the others. The first faint breath of the twilightwas appearing over the mountains. The great ridges and peaks weregrowing dim and afar the wind of night was moaning. 

"It'll be dark soon, " said the Little Giant, "an' then we'll hev towatch with all our eyes an' all our ears. Onless the Sioux attack underkiver o' the night they won't attack at all. "

"They'll come. Don't you worry about that, Tom, " said Boyd. "The Siouxare as brave fighters as any that tread the earth, and they want ourscalps bad, particularly yours. If I was an Indian and loved scalps asthey do, I'd never rest until I got yours. The hair is so thick and itstands up so much, I'd give it a place of honor in my tepee, andwhenever my warrior friends came in for a sociable evening's talk I'dtell 'em how I defeated you in battle and took your scalp, which is theking scalp. "

"It's a comply-ment you make me to call my scalp the king scalp, but noIndian will ever take it. Do you see something stirring down thar 'mongthe little cedars? Young William, them glasses o' yourn a minute ortwo. "

He made a careful study with the glasses, and, when he handed them back, he announced:

"They're movin' 'mong the cedars. I made out at least a half dozen thar. Ez soon ez it's good an' dark they're goin' to try to creep up on us. Well, let 'em. We kin see pretty nigh ez good in the dark ez in thelight, can't we, Jim Boyd?"

"I reckon we can see good enough, Giant, to draw a bead on anything thatcomes creeping, creeping after our hair. "

Again Will felt pride that he was associated with two such formidablechampions of the wild, but he did not let pride keep him from selectinga good high stony outcrop behind which he lay with his rifle ready andhis revolver loose in his belt. Now and then, however, he held his riflein only one hand and used the glasses so valuable to him, and which hewas beginning to prize so highly. 

Much time passed, however, and it passed slowly. Young Clarke realizedthat the other name for the Sioux was patience, but it was hard on hisnerves, nevertheless. He wanted to talk, he longed to ask questions ofthe two borderers, but his will kept him from doing so. He was resolvednot to appear nervous or garrulous at such a time. 

The night deepened. The twilight had passed long since. Many of thestars did not come out and heavy waves of dusk rolled up the valley. Theslopes of the opposite mountain became invisible, nor did Will see thedwarf cedars in which his glasses told him a portion of the Sioux bandhad lain hidden. 

The time was so long that his muscles felt stiff and sore, and hestretched arms and legs vigorously to restore the circulation. Moreoverthe elevation was so great that it was growing quite cold in the pass, and he became eager for the warriors to attack if they were going toattack at all. But he remembered the saying that patience was onlyanother name for Sioux and steeled his heart to endure. 

The three were lying close together, all behind rocky upthrusts, andafter a space that seemed a thousand years or so to Will the LittleGiant edged toward him and whispered:

"Young William, you wouldn't mind lendin' me them glasses o' yourn oncemore?"

"As often as you like, Giant. "

"Hand 'em over, then. Even ef it's night they've got a way o' cuttin'through the dark, an' I feel it's 'bout time now fur the Sioux to becomin'. They like to jump on an unsuspectin' foe 'bout midnight. "

He took an unusually long look and handed the glasses back to Will. Thenhe whispered to both the lad and the hunter:

"I could make 'em out snakin' theirselves up the pass nigh flat on therock. "

"They hope to get so near in the dark that they can spring up and rushus. "

"I reckon that's jest 'bout thar game, but them glasses o' youngWilliam's hev done give them away already. The Sioux hev fixedeverythin' mighty careful, an' jest one thing that chance hez give us, young William's glasses, is goin' to upset 'em. Take a look, Jim. "

"I can see 'em, so many dark spots moving, always moving up the passand making no noise at all. Now, Will, you look, and after that we'llmake ready with the rifles. "

Will through the glasses saw them quite plainly now, more than a scoreof dark figures, advancing slowly but quite steadily. He threw theglasses over his shoulder and took up his rifle with both hands. 

"Not yet, young William, " said the Little Giant. "We don't want to wasteany bullets, and so we'll wait until Jim gives the word. Ev'ry armyneeds a leader. Thar ain't but three in this army, but it hez to hev aleader jest the same and Jim Boyd is the man. "

Will waited motionless, but he could not keep his heart from beatinghard, as the Sioux, ruthless and bold, came forward silently to theattack. He did not have the infinite wilderness experience of the oldertwo which had hardened them to every form of danger, and his imaginationwas alive and leaping. The dusky forms which he could now faintly seewith the naked eye were increased by fancy threefold and four, and hiseager finger slipped to the trigger of his rifle. He was sure they oughtto fire now. The Sioux were certainly near enough! If they came anycloser before meeting the bullets of the defense they would have a goodchance to spring up and make a victorious rush. But the word to fire didnot come. He glanced at their leader, and Boyd was still calmlywatching. 

The three lay very close together, and Will heard the hunter whisper tothe Little Giant:

"How much nearer do you think I ought to let 'em come, Tom?"

"'Bout ten feet more, I reckon, Jim. Then though it's night, thar wouldbe no chance fur a feller to miss, onless he shet his eyes, an' we wantall our bullets to hit. Indians, even the bravest, don't like to rushriflemen that are ez good ez a batt'ry. Ef we strike 'em mighty hard thefirst time they'll fall back on tricks an' waitin'. "

"Good sound reasoning, Tom. You hear, Will. Be sure you don't miss. "

"I won't, " replied the lad. Nevertheless those ten minutes, every one ofthem, had a way of spinning themselves out in such an extraordinarymanner that his nerves began to jump again, and it required a greateffort of the will to keep them quiet. The black shadows wereapproaching. They had passed over a stretch of rough ground that he hadmarked four or five minutes before, and the outlines of the figures weregrowing more distinct. He chose one on the extreme right for his aim. Hecould not yet see his features, of course, but he was quite certain thatthey were ugly and that the man was a warrior wicked beyond belief. Before he could fire upon anyone from ambush it was necessary for him tobelieve the man at whom he aimed to be utterly depraved, and thesituation created at once such a belief in his mind. 

He kept his eye steadily upon the ugly and wicked warrior, and as hewatched for his chance and awaited the word from Boyd all scruples aboutfiring disappeared from his mind. It was that warrior's life or his, andthe law of self-preservation controlled. Nearer and yet nearer they cameand the time had grown interminable when the hunter suddenly said in alow voice:

"Fire!"

Young Clarke pulled the trigger with a sure aim. He saw the hideouswarrior draw himself into a bunch that sprang convulsively upward, butwhich, when it fell, lay back, outspread and quiet. Then he fired at asecond figure, but he was not sure that he hit. The hunter and theLittle Giant were already sending in their third and fourth bullets, with deadly aim, Will was sure, and the Sioux, after one mighty yell, wrenched from them by rage, surprise and fear, were fleeing down thepass under the fierce hail from the repeating rifles. 

In a half minute all the shadows, save those outlined darkly on theground, were gone, and there was complete and utter silence, while thelight smoke from the rifles drifted about aimlessly, there being nowind. The three did not speak, but slipping in fresh cartridgescontinued to gaze down the pass. Then Will heard a wild, shrill screambehind him that made him leap a foot from the ground, and that set allhis nerves trembling. The next moment he was laughing at himself. One ofthe horses had neighed in terror at the firing, and there are few thingsmore terrifying than the terrified shriek of a horse. 

"Maybe you'd better go back and see 'em, Will, " said Boyd. "They mayneed quieting. I've noticed that you've a gentle hand with horses, andthat they like you. "

"And mules too, " said the Little Giant. "Mine hev already taken a fancyfor young William. But mules are much abused critters. You treat 'emwell an' they'll treat you well, which is true of all tame animals. "

Young Clarke suspected that they were sending him back to steady his ownnerves as well as those of the animals after such a fierce encounter, but if so he was glad they had the thought. He was willing enough to go. 

"Nothing will happen while you're gone, " said Boyd cheerfully. "TheSioux, of course, would try to rush us again if they knew you were away, but they won't know it. "

Will crawled until he came to a curve of the cliff that would hide himfrom any hidden Indian marksman, and then he rose to his feet, glad thathe was able to stand upright. He found the horses and mules walkingabout uneasily at the ends of their lariats, but a few consoling strokesfrom him upon their manes quieted all of them, and, if they foundcomfort in his presence, he also found comfort in theirs. 

Then he kneeled and drank at the rill, as if he had been parching in adesert for days. 

CHAPTER V

THE WHITE DOME

The tide of cool water restored Will's nerves. After drinking he bathedhis face in it, and then poured it over his neck. Good as he knew waterto be he had never known that it could be so very good. It was in truththe wine of life. He shook out his thick hair, wet from the rill, andsaid triumphantly and aloud to the animals:

"We beat 'em back, Jim Boyd, the Little Giant and me, and we can do itagain. We beat back a whole band of the Sioux nation, and we defy 'em tocome on again. And you predicted it, all six of you! And you predictthat we'll do it a second time, don't you?"

He was in a state of great spiritual exaltation, seeing things thatothers might not have seen, and he distinctly saw the six wise heads ofthe brutes, dumb but knowing so much, nod in affirmation. 

"I accept the omen!" he said, some old scrap of Latin translation cominginto his mind, "and await the future with absolute confidence!"

The horses and mules, stirred at first by the shots, and then notcaring, perhaps, to rest, began to graze. All sign of alarm was gonefrom them and Will's heart resumed its normal beat. He listenedattentively, but no sound came from the pass where his comrades, thosedeadly sharpshooters, watched. Far overhead the cliffs towered, and overthem a sky darkly blue. He looked at it a little while, and then wentback to the pass. 

He had left his glasses with them, and they had not been able todiscover anything suspicious. 

"They won't come again into the mouth of the pass, " said Boyd withconfidence. "That rush cost 'em too much. They'll spend a long timethinking up some sort of trick, and that being the case you go now, Giant, and have a drink at the stream, and pour water over your head andface as Will has done. "

"So I will, Jim. I'm noticing that young William has a lot o' sense, an'after I've 'tended to myself fine I'll come back, an' you kin do ez muchfur yourself. A good bathin' o' your face won't hurt your beauty, Jim. "

He was gone a half hour, not hurrying back, because he felt there was noneed to do so. Meanwhile Will lay behind his rock and watched the duskypass. Wisps of vapor and thin clouds were floating across the heavens, hiding some of the stars, and the light was not as good as it had beenearlier in the night, but constant use and habit enable one to seethrough the shadows, and he also had the glasses to fall back upon. Buteven with their aid he could discern nothing save the stony steep. 

"They won't come again, not that way, as I told you before, " said Boyd, when young Clarke put down his glasses after the tenth searching look. "When they made the rush they expected to have a warrior or two hit, butthey didn't know the greatest marksman in all the world, the LittleGiant, was here waiting for 'em, and if I do say it myself, I'm as goodwith the rifle as anybody in the west, except Tom, and you're 'way abovethe average too, Will. No, they've had enough of charging, but I wish toheaven I knew what wicked trick they're thinking out now. "

The Little Giant returned, bathed, refreshed and joyous. 

"Your turn now, Jim, " he said, "an' you soak your head an' face good inthe water. Don't dodge it because you think thar ain't plenty o' water, 'cause thar is. It keeps on a-runnin' an' a-runnin', an' it never runsout. Stay ez long ez you want to, 'cause young William an' me kin holdthe pass ag'inst all the confederated tribes o' the Sioux nation, an'the Crows an' the Cheyennes an' the Blackfeet throwed in. "

Boyd departed and presently he too returned, strengthened anew for anytask. 

"Now, Will, " he said, "you being the youngest, and it's only becauseyou're the youngest, you'd better go back there where the horses andmules are. They've got over their fright and are taking their restagain. They appear to like you, to look upon you as a kind of comrade, and I think it's about time you took a bit of rest with them. "

"But don't hev a nightmare an' kick one o' my mules, " said the LittleGiant, "'cause the best tempered mule in the world is likely to kickback ag'in. "

Will smiled. He knew their raillery was meant to cheer him up, becauseof his inexperience, and their desperate situation. He recognized, too, that it would be better for him to sleep if he could, as they were morethan sufficient to guard the pass. 

"All right, " he said. "I obey orders. "

"Good night to you, " said the hunter. 

"Good night, " said the Little Giant, "an' remember not to kick one o' mymules in your sleep. "

"I won't, " replied Will, cheerfully, as he went around the curve of thewall. 

He found the horses and mules at rest, and everything very quiet andpeaceful in the alcove. The rill murmured a little in its stony bed, and, far overhead, he heard the wind sighing among the trees on themountain. He chose a place close to the wall, spread two blankets there, on which he expected to lie, and prepared to cover himself with twomore. He realized now that he was tired to the bone, but it was not anervous weariness and sleep would cure it almost at once. 

He was arranging the two blankets that were to cover him, when he hearda rumbling noise far over his head. At first he thought it was distantthunder echoing along the ridges, but the wisps of cloud were too lightand thin to indicate any storm. He saw the horses and mules rise inalarm, and then not one but several of them gave out shrill and terribleneighs of terror, a volume of frightened sound that made young Clarke'sheart stand still for a moment. 

The sound which was not that of thunder, but of something rolling andcrashing, increased with terrific rapidity, stopped abruptly for amoment or two and then a huge dark object shooting down in front of hiseyes, struck the ground with mighty impact. It seemed to him that theearth trembled. He sprang back several feet and all the horses andmules, rearing in alarm, crouched against the cliff. 

A great bowlder lay partly buried. It had rolled from the edge of thecliff high above, and he divined at once that the Sioux had made itroll. They had climbed the stony mountains enclosing the defile, andwere opening a bombardment, necessarily at random, but neverthelessterrible in its nature. While he hesitated, not knowing what to do, asecond bowlder thundered, bounded and crashed into the chasm. But itstruck much farther away. 

The Little Giant came running at the sound, leaving Boyd on guard at themouth of the pass, and as he arrived a third rock struck, though, likethe second, at a distance, and he knew without any words from Will, whatthe Sioux were now trying to do. As he looked up, a fourth crashed down, and it fell very near. 

"So that's thar trick?" exclaimed the Little Giant. "Simple ez youplease, but ez dang'rous ez a batt'ry o' cannon. Look out, youngWilliam, thar's another. "

It struck so close to Will that he felt the shock and ran back to theshelter of the overhanging cliff, where, driven by instinct, the horsesand mules were already crowding. Nor did the Little Giant, brave as hewas, hesitate to follow him. 

"When you're shot at out o' the sky, " he said, "the best thing to do isto go into hidin'. One ain't wholly under cover here, but it ud be along chance ef any o' them rocks got us. "

"What about Jim, watching at the mouth of the pass?"

"He won't stir until he hears from me. He'll set thar, unmoved, with hisrifle ready, waitin' fur the Sioux jest ez ef he expected them to come. I'll slip back an' tell him to keep on waitin', also what's goin' on inhere. "

"Skip fast then! Look out! That barely missed you! They're sending therocks down in showers now. "

The Little Giant, as agile as a greyhound, vanished around the curve, and Will instinctively crowded himself closely and more closely againstthe stone wall while the dangerous bombardment went on. The animals, their instinct still guiding them, were doing the same, and Boyd's braveSelim, which was next to him, reached out his head and nuzzled Will'shand, as if he found strength and protection in the presence of thehuman being, who knew so much more about some things than he or hiscomrades did. Will responded at once. 

"I don't think they can get us here, Selim, old boy, " he said. "Theprojection of the wall is slight, but it sends every rock out toward thecenter. Now, if you and your comrades will only be intelligent you'llkeep safe. "

He arranged them in a row along the wall, where none would interferewith the protection of another, and standing with Selim's nose in hishand, watched the great rocks strike. Luckily at that particular pointthe bottom of the defile was soft earth and they sank into it, butfarther up they fell with a crash on a stony floor, and when they didnot split to pieces they bounded and rebounded like ricochetting cannonballs. 

The Little Giant returned presently, but as yet no damage had been done, although the bombardment was going on as furiously as ever. 

"They'll keep it up awhile, " he said, as he huddled against the wall bythe side of Will. "I knowed they would be up to some trick, but I didn'tthink 'bout them bowlders that lay thick on the mounting. They hev got'nuff ammunition o' that kind to last a year, but arter a while thararms will grow tired, an' then they'll grow tired too, o' not knowin'whether they hit or not. It wears out the best man in the world to keepon workin' forever an' forever without knowin' whether he'saccomplishin' anything or not. All we've got to do is to hug the wallan' set tight. "

"Wouldn't it be well, Giant, when the bombardment lets up, to gathertogether our own little army and take to flight up the pass?"

"An' whar would we fetch up?"

"It's not likely to be a box canyon. I've read that they abound more inthe southern mountains, and are not met with very often here. And evenif the pass itself didn't take us out we might find a cross canyon or aslope that we could climb. "

"Sounds good, young William. We'll git the hosses an' mules ready, packson 'em, and bridles in thar mouths, an' ez soon ez the arms an' sperritso' the Sioux git tired, I'll hot foot after Jim, an' then we'll gallopup the pass. "

The Little Giant's psychology was correct. In a half hour thebombardment began to decrease in violence, and in ten more minutes itceased entirely. Then, according to plan, he ran to the mouth of thepass and returned with the hunter, who had promptly accepted their plan. Coaxing forth the reluctant animals, which were still in fear, they setoff up the great defile, passing among the bowlders, some of great size, which had been tumbled down in search of their heads. 

"Thar's one consolation, " said the Little Giant, philosophically, "efany o' them big rocks had hit our heads we wouldn't hev been troubledwith wounds. My skull's hard, but it would hev been shattered like aneggshell. "

"They may begin again, " said Boyd, "but by then we ought to be faraway. "

It was a venture largely at random, but the three were agreed that itmust be made. The Sioux undoubtedly would resume the bombardment lateron, and they might also receive reinforcements sufficient to resume theattack at the mouth of the pass, or at least to keep up there a distantfire that would prove troublesome. Every motive prompted to fartherflight, and they pushed on as fast as they could, although the bottom ofthe defile became rough, sown with bowlders and dangerous to thefugitives. 

They made no attempt to ride, but led the horses and mules at the endsof their lariats, all the animals becoming exceedingly wary at the badfooting. 

"It's a blind canyon after all!" suddenly exclaimed the Little Giant indeep disgust. "The stream comes down that mountain wall thar, droppin'from ledge to ledge, an' here we are headed off. "

"Then there's nothing to do, " said the hunter, "but choose a good placeamong the rocks and fight for our lives when they come. "

Will looked up at the steep and lofty slopes on either side. The one onthe right seemed less steep and lofty than the other, and upon it hung ashort growth of pine and cedar, characteristic of the region. Hisspirit, which danger had made bold and venturesome, seized upon an idea. 

"Why not go up the slope on the right?" he asked. 

"It's like the side of a house, only many times as high, " said Boyd inamazement. 

"But it isn't, " said the lad. "It merely looks so in the dark. We canclimb it. "

"Of course we could, but we'd have to abandon the horses and mules andall our packs and stores, and then where would we be?"

"But we won't have to leave 'em. They can climb too. You know how youboasted of our horses, and the Giant's horses are mules which can goanywhere. "

"I believe the boy's right, " said the Little Giant. "By our pullin' onthe lariats an' thar takin' advantage o' ev'ry footgrip, they might doit. Leastways we kin try it. "

"It's a desperate chance, " said the hunter, "but I think with you, Tom, that it's worth trying. Now, boys, make fast the packs to the laststrap, and up we go. "

"Bein' as my hosses are mules, " said the Little Giant, "I'll lead theway, an' you foller, each feller pullin' on two lariats. "

He started up the slope, whistling gayly but low to his mules, and, after some hesitation, they attacked the ascent, Tom still whistling tothem in his most cheerful and engaging manner. There was a sound ofscrambling feet, and small stones rolled down, but not the mules, whichdisappeared from sight among the cedars. 

"Thunderation! I wouldn't have thought it!" exclaimed the hunter, "but Ibelieve you're right, Will! The mules are climbing the wall. Now, we'llsee if the horses can do it!"

"Let me start with 'em!"

"All right! But pull hard on the lariat, whenever you feel one of 'emslipping. "

Will attacked the steep wall with vigor, but he had to pull very hardindeed on the lariats before he could make the horses try it. Finallythey made the effort, and, though slipping and sliding at times, theycrept up the slope. Behind him he heard Boyd, coming with the last twoand speaking in encouraging tones to Selim. 

The lariats were a great help, and if Will had not hung on to them sohard his horses would have fallen. But he was right in his judgment thatthe face of the wall was not so steep as it looked. Moreover there werelittle shelves and gullies, and the tough clumps of cedar were awonderful aid. The horses justified their reputation as climbers, and, although Will's heart was in his mouth more than once, and his hands andwrists were cut and bleeding by the pull on the lariats, they did notfall. Always he heard in front of him the low and cheerful whistling ofthe Little Giant, to his mules, which, sure-footed, went on almostwithout a slip. 

At last they drew out upon the crest of the slope and the three humanbeings and the six animals stood there trembling violently fromexertion, the perspiration pouring from them. 

"My legs are shaking under me, " said the hunter. "I'd never havebelieved that it could have been done, and I know it couldn't, but herewe are, anyhow. "

"It wuz young William who thought of it, and who dared to speak of it, "said the Little Giant, "an' so it's his win. "

"Right you are, Giant, " said the hunter heartily. "When I looked at thatcliff it stood up straight as a wall to me. It was like most otherthings, it wasn't as hard when you attacked it as you thought it was, but I still don't see how we ever got the animals up, and if I didn'tsee 'em standing here I wouldn't believe it. "

Will, holding to a cedar, looked into the gulf from which they hadclimbed. As more of the stars had gone away he could not now see thebottom. The great defile had all the aspects of a vast and bottomlessabyss, and he felt that their emergence from it was a marvel, a miraclein which they had been assisted by some greater power. He was assailedby a weakness and, trembling, he drew back from the ledge. But neitherthe hunter nor the Little Giant had seen his momentary collapse and hewas glad, pardonable though it was. 

"The ground back o' the cliff seems to be pretty well covered withforest, " said the Little Giant, "an' I reckon we'd better stay here aspell 'til everybody, men an' animals, git rested up a bit. "

"You never spoke truer words, Tom Bent, " said Boyd. "I can make out afairly level stretch of ground just ahead, and I'll lead the way to it. "

They crouched there. "Crouch" is the only word that describes it, as thehorses and mules themselves sank down through weariness, and theirmasters, too, were glad enough to lie on the earth and wait for theirstrength to come back. Will's senses, despite his exhaustion, werenevertheless acute. He heard a heavy, lumbering form shuffling through athicket, and he knew that it was an alarmed bear moving from thevicinity of the intruders. He heard also the light tread of smallanimals. 

"I judge from these sounds, " said Boyd, "that we must be on a sort ofplateau of some extent. If it was just a knife edge ridge between twochasms you wouldn't find so many animals here. Maybe we'd better lay byuntil day, or until it's light enough to see. In the dark we mighttumble into some place a thousand feet deep. "

"What about the Sioux who were on the heights throwing down the rocks?"asked Will. "Mightn't they come along the cliff and find us here?"

"No. The way may be so cut by dips and ravines that it's all butimpassable. The chances are a thousand to one in favor of it, as this isone of the roughest countries in the world. "

"A thousand to one is good enough for me, " said Will, stretching himselfluxuriously on the ground. Presently he saw Boyd and Bent wrappingthemselves in the blankets and he promptly imitated them, as a cold windwas beginning to blow down from the northwest, a wind that cut, and, atsuch a time, a lack of protection from the weather might be fatal. 

The warmth from the blankets pervaded his frame, and with the heat camethe restoration of his nerves. There was also a buoyancy caused by theescape from the Sioux, and, for the time being at least, he felt acertain freedom from care. His comrades and the animals did not stir, and, while not thinking of sleep, he fell asleep just the same. 

He was awakened by a long, fierce shout, much like the howl of hungrywolves, and full of rage and disappointment. He sat up on his blankets, and was amazed to hear the two men laughing softly. 

"It's them thar Sioux, Will, " said the Little Giant. "They've found outat last that thar was no outlet at the end o' the pass, an' they've comeup it to the end, jest to run ag'inst a blank wall, an' to find thatwe've plum' vanished, flew away, hosses an' mules an' all. "

"But won't they find our trail up the cliff?"

"No, they won't dream o' sech a thing, but in case they do dream o' itwe'll all three creep to the edge an' set thar with our repeatin'rifles. A fine time they'd hev climbin' up thar in the face o' threesharpshooters armed with sech weapons ez ours. "

Will saw at once that their position was well nigh impregnable, at leastagainst foes in the defile, and he crept with the others to the edge, not forgetting his invaluable glasses. A lot of the stars had come backand with the aid of the powerful lenses, he was able to penetrate thedepths of the pass, seeing there at least a score of Sioux in a group, apparently taking counsel with one another. He could not discern theirfaces, and, of course, their words were inaudible at the distance, buttheir gestures expressed perplexity. Their savage minds might wellbelieve that witchcraft had been at work, and he hoped that they hadsome such idea. The climbing of the cliff by the animals was anachievement bordering so closely upon the impossible that even if theysaw traces of the hoofs on the lower slopes they would think the spiritsof the air had come down to help the fugitives. 

"What are they doing, young William?" asked the Little Giant. 

"Nothing that I can see except to talk as if puzzled. "

"I almost wish they would strike our trail and start up the cliff. Wecould pick off every one of 'em before they reached the top. "

"I'd rather they went back. "

"That's what they're likely to do, young William. Even if they saw ourtrail going up the cliff, they won't follow it. They've had a taste ofour marksmanship, an' they know it would be certain death. It looks tome ez if they wuz goin' to drift back down the trail. "

"You judge right, Tom. There they go. I wish I could read the expressionon their faces. They must be wild with rage. They're moving a littlefaster now, and the sooner they disappear from my sight the better. "

He handed the glasses to the Little Giant, who, after taking a look, passed them to Boyd. The hunter had the last glimpse of them as theyturned a curve and were hidden by the rocky wall. 

"That settles 'em, for the time, anyway, " he said, "and now I think we'dbetter see what kind of a country we've come into. You stay here withthe animals, Will, they like you and it's easy for you to keep 'emquiet, while Giant and me scout about and see the lay of the land. "

Will promptly accepted his part of the task. The horses and mules, alarmed perhaps by such a wild and lonely situation, and tremulous, too, from memories of that frightful climb up the cliff, crowded close abouthim, while he stroked their noses and manes, and felt himself theirprotector. 

The hunter and the Little Giant vanished without noise, and Will waiteda full hour before either returned. But he was not lonesome. The horsesand mules rubbed their noses against him, and in the dark and thewilderness they made evident their feeling that he was the one who wouldguard them. 

The noise of a light footstep sounded and the hunter, who had gonesouth, stood before him. 

"It's good news I bring, " said Boyd. "We're cut off to the south by acliff that no one can climb, and it seems to run away toward the westfor countless miles. The Sioux can't reach us from that direction. Ah, here is Tom! What has he to say?"

"What I hev to say is always important, " replied the Little Giant, "butthis time its importance is speshul. A couple o' miles to the north agreat transverse pass runs out o' the main one, an' cuts off toward thewest. It's deep an' steep an' I reckon it bars the way thar. "

"That being the case, we're on a peninsula, " said Boyd, "and thispeninsula rises in the west toward very high mountains. I can see awhite dome off in that direction. "

"All these facts now bein' diskivered, " said the Little Giant, "I thinkwe've shook off them Sioux fur good, though thar ain't no tellin' whenwe'll run afoul another bunch. But we'll take the good things the momenthez give us, an' look fur what we need, wood, water an' grass. "

"Wood we have all about us, " said Will. "Water is bound to be plentifulin these forested mountains, and we may strike grass by daylight. "

They began an advance, making it very cautious, owing to the extremelyrough nature of the country, and all their caution was needed, as theyhad to cross several ravines, and the ground was so broken that amisstep at any time might have proved serious. In this manner they madeseveral miles and the general trend of the ground was a rapid ascent. Toward dawn they came to a brook flowing very fast, and they found itswaters almost as cold as ice. Will judged it to be a glacial streamissuing from the great white dome, now plainly visible, though farahead. 

A short distance beyond the stream they found an open space with grassfor the animals, and very glad, too, they were to reach it, as they wereshaken by their immense exertions and the hard trail in the dark. 

"This valley jest had to be here, " said the Little Giant, "'cause wecouldn't hev stood goin' on any more. The hosses an' mules theirselvesare too tired to eat, but they will begin croppin' afore long. "

"And it's so cold up here I think we'd better light a fire and have warmfood, " said Boyd. "We can smother the smoke, and anyway it will pay usto run the risk. "

It was a task soon done, and long before breakfast was finished thehorses and mules were peacefully grazing. Will then took his rifle andexamined the country himself in some detail, going as far as the greatprecipice on the south. It was not a gulch or ravine, but the grounddropped down suddenly three or four hundred feet. Beyond that the forestextended as before. 

The view to the west was magnificent and majestic beyond description. Up, up rose the slope, cliff on cliff and the imperial white domebeyond! That way, too, apparently, they had to go, as they were cut offby the precipices on all other sides, and at the moment Will felt noparticular sorrow because of it. The gold had taken a second place inhis mind, and with these two wise and brave comrades of his he wouldpenetrate the great mysteries of the west. The southward turn into theplains, following the diagram of the map, could wait. 

When he returned to the camp he found the animals still grazing and hiscomrades sitting by the fire, which had now burned down to a bed ofcoals. 

"I don't see anything for us to do except to go straight on toward thegreat snow mountain, " he said. 

"That's about the same conclusion that Tom and I have come to, " saidBoyd. "We're likely to get up pretty high, where it's winter all theyear 'round, but it's better than running into the hands of the Sioux, or any of the mountain tribes. I vote, though, that this army of threespend the rest of the day here, and since storms gather at any time onthese uplands, we'd better build another wickiup. "

"An' make brush shelters for the animals, too, " said the Little Giant. 

The wickiup was built and they arranged crude, but neverthelessexcellent, protection for the horses, a precaution that was soonjustified, as it began to rain the following night, and they hadalternating rain, snow and sleet for two days and two nights. Theanimals were able to dig enough grass from under the snow forsustenance, but most of the time they spent in the shelter devised forthem. When the fair weather returned and the snow melted, they left thesecond wickiup, resuming the ascent of the mighty slopes. They were allrestored by their rest, and despite the elevation and the wildness theywere able to find plenty of forage for the animals. 

"We've got to be mighty partic'ler with them hosses an' mules, " said theLittle Giant, "'cause even ef we should reach the mine without 'em we'rebound to hev 'em to pack out the gold fur us. I expect we'll hev toketch an' train 'bout twenty wild hosses, too, ez we'll need 'em fur allthe gold that I'm countin' on findin'. Didn't you say thar was thatmuch, young William?"

"I didn't give the exact amount, " replied the lad, "nor do I supposeanyone can tell from surface indications how much gold there is in amine, but from the word my father brought we'll need the twenty wildhorses and more. "

"O' course we will. I knowed it afore you said it. I've hunted goldfifteen to twenty years without findin' a speck, an' so it stands toreason that when I do find it I'll find a mountain of it. "

Although the slope rose steadily, the ground, for the present, was notmuch cut up, and they were able to ride in comfort. Much of the countrywas beautiful and parklike. While far below there were endless brownplains, here were great forests, without much undergrowth, and cold, clear streams, running down from the vast snowy dome that always loomedahead, and that never seemed to come any nearer. 

"How high would you say that peak wuz, young William?" asked the LittleGiant. "You're an eddicated lad, an' I reckon you know 'bout thesethings. "

"You give me too much credit, " laughed Will in reply. "One has to haveinstruments with which to calculate the height of mountains, and Icouldn't do it even if I had the instruments, but I should say from whatI've heard about the country and the tales of explorers that the peakwe're looking at is about 14, 000 feet high. "

"I've seen it once before, though from the south, " said Boyd, "and I'vealso met an exploring geographer kind of fellow who had seen it and whotold me it rose close on to three miles above the sea. Different Indiantribes have different names for it, but I don't remember any of 'em. "

"I think I'll call it the White Dome, " said Will, examining it for thehundredth time through his glasses. "From here it looks like a roundmountain, though it may have another shape, of course, on the otherthree sides. It's a fine mountain and as it's the first time I ever sawit I'm going to call it my peak. The forest is heavy and green clear upto the snow line, and beyond that I think I see a vast glacier. "

Two days later they made another stop in a sheltered valley throughwhich ran a mountain torrent. The hunter and the Little Giant shot twomule deer and a mountain sheep, and they considered the addition totheir larder very welcome, as they had been making large inroads ontheir stores. The weather, too, had grown so cold that they kept a fireburning both day and night. Far over their heads they heard a bitterwind of the mountains blowing, and when Will climbed out of the valleyand turned his glasses toward the White Dome he could not see the peak, it was wrapped around so thoroughly by mists and vapors and fallingsnow. 

They built the fire large and high on the second night, and as they sataround it they held a serious consultation. They feared incessant stormsand blizzards if they rose to still higher levels, and attempted to passaround on the lofty slopes of the peak. It would, perhaps, be wiser tofollow the torrent, and enter the plains below, braving the dangers ofthe Sioux. 

"What good will the gold be to us if we're all froze to death underfifty feet o' snow?" asked the Little Giant. 

"None at all, " replied the hunter, "and it wouldn't be any good to us, either, if we was to slip down a precipice a thousand feet and fall onthe rocks below. "

Will shivered. 

"I believe I'd rather be frozen to death in Tom's way, " he said. 

"Then I vote that in the morning, if the wind dies, we turn down thegorge and hunt the plains. What say you, Will?"

"It seems the wise thing to do. "

"And you, Giant?"

"Me votin' last, the vote is unany-mous, an' I reckon ef we wuz to putit to the four hosses an' two mules they'd vote jest ez we're votin'. Tomorrow mornin', bright an' early, we start on our farewell journeyfrom the mountings. "

They had saved and tanned the skins of three black bears they had slain, and with big needles and pack thread they had turned them into crudeovercoats with the hair inside. Now when they put them on they foundthem serviceable but heavy. At any rate, wrapped in furs they ceased toshiver, though the wind of the mountains was still exceedingly bitter. 

Fortunately the gorge down which the stream flowed was wide, and, thedescent not being too rapid, they were able to follow it a long time, though the pace was very slow. At points where the gorge narrowed, theytook to the water, and were compelled to lead the animals with greatcare, lest they slip on the bowlders that were thick in the bed of thestream. 

When night came they were far down the mountain and there had been noaccident, but they were wet to the waist, and as quickly as they couldthey kindled a big and roaring fire in the lee of a cliff, carelesswhether or not it was seen by enemies. Then they roasted themselvesbefore it, until every thread of clothing they wore was dry, ate heavilyof their food and drank two or three cups of coffee apiece. 

Only then did Will feel warmed thoroughly. The older men found a fairlylevel place with sparse grass for the horses, and then they put outtheir fire. They told the lad there was no need to keep a watch, and, wrapped in his bear overcoat and blankets, he slept in the shadow of thecliff. But the hunter had seen a trace which he believed to be a humanfootprint. When the Little Giant knelt in the dusk and looked at it hewas of the same opinion. 

"It's too faint, Jim, " he said, "fur us to tell whether it wuz made by awhite man or a red man. "

"We don't care to meet either. If it's a white man it may be an outlaw, horse thief or murderer, and that's not the kind of people we want tojoin us on this gold hunt. If it's Indians, they're enemies, no matterto what tribe they belong. "

"An' then, whichever it is, our repeatin' rifles are our best friends. "

CHAPTER VI

THE OUTLAW

When Will awoke the next morning he did not open his eyes at once. Theair was very cold, but he felt so snug in his bearskin and blankets thathe had an immense temptation to turn on his other side and sleep alittle more. Then, hearing the hum of voices he opened his eyes wide andsat up, seeing, to his great surprise, that the little party in the campnow numbered four instead of three. 

He stared at the addition, who proved to be a man about thirty, tall andwell built, with dark hair and dark eyes. He, too, carried a finerepeating rifle, but his dress was incongruous and striking. He wore afelt hat, broad of brim, with a heavy gilt cord around the crown. Ajacket of dark red velvet with broad brass buttons enclosed his strongshoulders and body, but his costume was finished off with trousers, leggings and moccasins of tanned deerskin. Will saw the butt of a pistoland the hilt of a knife peeping from under the velvet jacket. 

A strange costume, he thought, and, when he looked at the man moreclosely, his face also looked strange. It was that of a civilized humanbeing, of a man who had come from the old, settled eastern regions, andyet it was not. The eyes, set rather close together, now and then showedgreen in the early dawn. Will judged that he was one who had becomehabituated to the wilderness, and, as he sat in a graceful attitude on agreat stone, he certainly showed no signs that his surroundingsoppressed him. 

"Mr. Martin Felton, Will, " said the hunter. "Mr. Felton, this is Mr. William Clarke, who is traveling with us. "

Will stood up, the last trace of sleep gone from his eyes, and gazed atFelton. Perhaps this was a new comrade, turning their band to four, andstrengthening it greatly. But when he glanced at the hunter and theLittle Giant he did not see any great warmth of welcome in their eyes. 

"Traveling, young sir!" said Felton in a lightly ironic tone. "You seemto prefer paths of peril. I would not say that this is exactly a saferegion for tourists. "

Now Will was quite sure he would be no addition to their party. He likedneither his tone nor his manner. 

"It's true there is plenty of danger, " he replied. "But, as I take it, there is no more for me than there is for you. "

"The lad has put it very well, Mr. Felton, " said the hunter. "Howevermuch we may be seeing the sights in these regions, our risks are nogreater than yours are. "

Felton, seeming not to notice him, continued, looking directly at Will:

"You're right to ask the question, but I can say in answer that yourdangers are greater than mine. I have no trouble with the Sioux. I don'tthink any Indian warrior within a thousand miles of us wants my scalp. "

"It was our information that they had declared war upon all white peoplewho entered this country. How does it happen that you're immune?"

Felton smiled, and, in the lad's opinion, it was not a pleasant smile. 

"I've been among the Sioux when they were not at war with us, " hereplied. "I've done them some good deeds. I've set a broken bone or twofor them--I've a little surgical skill--and Mahpeyalute, whom we callRed Cloud, has assured me that no harm will ever be done to me. For thatreason I'm wandering among these mountains and on the plains. I noticedon one of your horses picks, shovels and other mining implements, and Ithought you might combine gold hunting with sight seeing. I'm somethingof a gold hunter myself and it occurred to me that we could combineforces. I've heard vaguely about a huge gold lead much farther west, andwe four might make a strong party, able to reach it despite the Indiantroubles. "

The lad's heart beat the note of alarm and of hostility. Was it possiblethat this man knew anything of his father's great mine? He had toexchange only a few sentences with him to understand that he was notwanted as a fourth partner in the venture. 

"Mr. Bent looks for gold casually, " he replied, "but our main object ishunting and exploration. I doubt whether we'd want to take on anythingelse, though we thank you for your offer, Mr. Felton. "

Felton did not seem at all disconcerted. He made upon Will theimpression of persistency and of great strength, although the strengthmight be for evil. 

"And so you don't think four are better than three, " he said. 

"That was not what I implied, " replied Will. "What I meant to say wasthat our party was made up. Isn't that the way you feel about it, Mr. Boyd?"

"My feelings to a T, " replied the hunter. 

"And yours, Mr. Bent?"

"You express my state o' mind to perfection, young William. Mr. Feltonis the finest gentleman we hev met in the mountings since we met thatband o' Sioux, but when a band is made up it's made up. "

"Very well, gentlemen, " said Felton, no anger showing in his tone. "Iwill not force myself upon anybody, but I'm no egotist, even if I do sayyou're the losers. My knowledge of the region and my friendship with theSioux would be of great advantage to you, would be of so much advantage, in fact, that it would make me worth more than a fourth share in all thegold we might find. But, as I said, I will not stay where I'm notwanted. Good day!"

He strode away among the bushes, and for some distance they saw himdescending the side of the mountain, to disappear at last in a forest ofash. Then the hunter and the Little Giant looked at each othersignificantly. 

"We saw a footprint of his last night, Will, " said Boyd, "but he camehimself this morning, just at dawn. We can't quite make him out. Whydoes he talk of a great mine for which we're looking? Do you think yourfather ever mentioned it to anyone else?"

"Not that I ever heard. It must be only a guess, based on the sight ofthe Little Giant's tools. Did you ever see or hear of this man before?"

"No, but I know he's no friend of ours. There are renegades anddesperadoes in these mountains, who make friends with the Indians, and Ijudge he's one of that kind. I'm mighty sorry we've run across him. Hemay have a band of his own somewhere, or he may go straight to the Siouxwith news of us. "

"He suspects us of a great gold hunt, so great that we are ready to riskanything for it. He showed it. "

"So he did, and in my opinion the band, that he almost certainly has, will undertake to follow us. "

"I didn't like him the first minute I saw him, " said the Little Giant. "The reason why I cannot tell, but I do not like thee, Mr. Felton. Haven't I heard a rhyme like that somewhere, young William?"

"Almost like it, Giant, and just like you, the first moment I laid eyeson him, I disliked him. I think he's a danger, a big danger, and so doboth of you. I can tell it by the way you act. Now, what do you think weought to do?"

"We're not to go down into the plains, that's sure, " replied Boyd, "because then we'd run into Felton and his gang and maybe a band ofSioux also. There's only one thing open to us. "

"Go back up the mountain?"

"That and nothing else. Felton will expect us to come on down, but we'llfool him by going the other way. There's always hiding in rough countryand under the cover of great forests. In my opinion, we've both Indiansand white men now to fight. We must meet their cunning united, and thenearer we get to Will's White Dome the safer we'll be. "

"An' it's not so bad, after all!" exclaimed the Little Giant. "We'll goback and climb and climb till neither reds nor whites kin foller us. "

"We'll have to go well above the snow line, and camp there awhile, " saidBoyd. "And if we were snowed in for a few weeks it wouldn't hurt, provided we find a well protected hollow. Then we'd be sure to shake offall pursuit. "

"Come on, then, " said Will, with enthusiasm. "It's the White Dome thatoffers us safety. "

"The White Dome it is!" said the Little Giant, with energy. 

They put back the packs and saddles and turned once more into the depthsof the mountains, riding whenever it was possible, but when the way grewsteep, leading the animals at the ends of the lariats. Will was ratherglad, for many reasons, that they had abandoned the journey into theplains, as the gold mine, for the present at least, seemed scarcely areality, and the vast peaks and ridges were far more interesting thanthe brown swells below, besides being safer. Moreover, the great WhiteDome loomed before him continually, and he had a certain pride in thethought that they would pass over its towering shoulder. 

"I've been thinkin' mighty hard, " said the Little Giant. 

"Does it make your head ache much?" asked the hunter. 

"Not in this case. It hurts sometimes, when I try to think forward, butnot when I try to think back an' remember things. Then I've gotsomethin' to go on. I'm tryin' to rec'lect whether I ever met a fellerwho wuz ez unpleasant to my feelin's ez that thar Felton. "

"I know I never did, " said Will, with emphasis. 

"Me neither, " said the hunter. "I don't like men who wear velvet jacketswith big brass buttons on 'em. Now I think the way is going to be prettysteep for a long distance, and I guess we'll have to walk. Lucky thesehorses and mules of ours are having so much experience in climbingmountains. They go up 'em like goats now. "

Despite the skill of men and beasts as climbers they could not ascend atany great rate, although Will noticed that both his comrades were eagerto get on. He fancied that the image of Felton was in their minds, justas it was in his, and the farther they advanced the more sinister becamethe memory of the velvet-coated intruder. 

They passed out upon a great projecting, bald rock, where they pausedfor many long breaths, and Will, through his glasses, was able to seethe brown plains far below, sweeping away in swell on swell until theydied under a dim horizon. But the distance was so great that he couldmake out nothing on their surface. 

Night found them on a ridge, where there was enough grass for thehorses, and trees still grew, though much dwarfed and stunted. They keptclose in the lee of the trees and did not build any fire, although itwas very cold, so cold that the bearskin coats again formed a welcomeaddition to the blankets. Boyd said it would be best for them to keepwatch, although little danger was anticipated. Still, they could not betoo cautious, and Will, who insisted on mounting guard in his turn, waspermitted to do so. The Little Giant kept the first watch and Will thesecond, beginning about midnight. Giant Tom, who awakened him for it, went almost instantly to sleep himself, and the lad was left alone. 

He lay upon a rather wide shelf, with his two comrades only a few feetaway, while the horses and mules were back of them, having withdrawn asmuch as they could into the stubbly pines and cedars in order to protectthemselves from the cold wind. Will heard one of them stir now and then, or draw a deep breath like a sigh, but it merely formed an under note inthe steady whistling of the wind, which at that height seemed to have anedge of ice, making him shiver in all his wrappings. Nevertheless, hewatched as well as one might under such circumstances, feeling himselfbut a mote on the side of a great mountain in all the immensity of thewilderness. 

Surely the hunter was right when he said there was little danger. He didnot know from what point in so much blackness and loneliness coulddanger be apprehended, but he believed, nevertheless, that danger wasnear. The whistling of the bitter wind seemed to him sinister andthreatening, and yet a wind was only a wind. It must be circumstancesgoing before that had given it that threat. He knew the mind could be soprepared by events that it became a sensitive plate, receiving upon itssurface impressions that were, in reality, warnings. 

Stronger and shriller grew the wind, and stronger and shriller was itswarning. He had been lying upon his side with his rifle thrust forward, and now he sat up. Some unknown sense within him had taken cognizance ofa threatening note. Listening intently he heard only the wind, but thewind itself seemed always to bear a menace on its front. 

He rose to his knees, and used all his powers of eye and ear. Theanimals did not stir, and the hunter and the Little Giant slept in deeppeace. Yet Will's own pulses were beating hard. He began to denouncehimself as one who took alarm because of the darkness and desolation, but it did not make his pulses grow quiet. 

Still keeping his rifle ready for instant use, he crawled noiselesslytoward the edge of the ledge, which was not more than twenty feet away. Half the distance, and he stopped suddenly, because his ears haddistinctly brought to him a light sound, as if a pebble had fallen. Willwas not a son of the wilderness by birth, but he was fast becoming oneof its adopted children, making its ways second nature, and, when thelight note of the falling pebble was registered upon his ear, heflattened himself upon the ground, thrusting forward a little the muzzleof his rifle. It is doubtful if the keen eyes of a trailing Indian couldhave seen him there in the dark as he waited patiently until such timeas a second pebble might fall. 

The second sound did not come, but the sensitive plate that was his mindregistered an impression. Something new and strange appeared upon itssurface, and he felt that it was a hostile figure. At last it detacheditself from the general dusk, darker and almost formless, and resolveditself into a head, that is a part of a head, from the eyes up. Theeyes, set a little near together, were staring intently at the camp, trying to separate it into details, and Will, unseen himself, was ableto recognize the eyes and forehead of Felton. He could also trace theglittering gold band around the crown of the wide-brimmed hat thatsurmounted the head, and, if he had felt any doubts before, the yellowcord would have convinced him that it was the sinister intruder of themorning. 

He saw one hand steal up over the ledge. The other, holding a revolver, followed in an instant, and then the lad, knowing in his heart thattreacherous and black murder was intended, threw up his own rifle andpulled the trigger. He fired practically at random, doubting that thebullet would hit, but there was the sound of an oath, of scraping feetand a thud, while the gorges and ravines of the mountain sent back thecrack of the rifle in many echoes. 

The hunter and the Little Giant were awake in a flash, but they did notspring to their feet. They were far too alert and experienced to exposethemselves in such a manner, but they crawled forward, fully armed, andlay beside Will. 

"What was it?" whispered Boyd. 

"It was the man of the morning, Felton. He was about to pull himself upon the cliff. He had a pistol in one hand and he meant to murder us. "

"I didn't see him, but I haven't the slightest doubt you are right. Andof course he had men as black-hearted as himself with him. He wouldn'thave dared such a thing alone. Don't you see it that way, Giant?"

"Thar's no other way to see it, Jim. Felton is the leader of a band, aheap wuss than the Sioux, but young William, here, has been smart 'noughto block his game. "

"That is, it's blocked for the time. He's down there with his band, waiting for another chance at us. Now, Will, you slip back and see thatthe horses and mules are secure, that they can't break their lariats, when they get scared at the shooting that's going to happen mighty soon. Keep down on your hands and knees. Don't give 'em a chance to send abullet at you in the dark. "

The lad obeyed orders and found the animals now fairly quiet. They hadstamped and reared somewhat at the sound of his shot, but their alarmhad soon subsided. He went among them, stroking their noses and manes, showing all the power over animals that the hunter and the Little Gianthad soon detected in him, and they signified their gladness at hispresence. While he stroked them he whispered to them gently, speakingwords of courage in their ears, but at the same time, he did not neglectto see that the lariats were fastened securely. 

Then, confident that the animals would not fall into a panic no matterwhat happened, he went back and found that Boyd and Bent were creepingtoward the edge of the cliff. Lying almost flat, he joined them, and thehunter explained their plan of battle. 

"I take it that they're all on foot, " he said, "and even so they cancome only by the path we followed. It's too steep everywhere else forthem to make a rush upon men armed as we are. "

"An' we, hid here on the ledge, may get a chance to pick 'em off, " saidthe Little Giant. "Look, the night's beginnin' to favor us. More starsare comin' out, an' it's lighter all along the mountain. Lend me themglasses o' yourn, young William. "

Will passed them to him, and the man, who was now at the edge of theledge, made a very minute examination of the slopes. Then he handed theglasses back to the lad, and pushed his rifle a little farther forward. Will, in the increasing light, caught a glimpse of his face, and he wasstartled by its look of deadly hate. 

"You've seen one of them?" he said. 

"Yes, " replied the Little Giant. "He's a-layin' among the rocks on theother side o' that deep ravine, too fur away fur any ordinary bullet, but ef thar's one thing I'm proud of it's my rifle shootin'. I hate todo it, but they've come here to murder us an' we've got to teach 'emit's dang'rous business. "

Will, putting the glasses to his own eyes, was able to pick out the manwhom the Little Giant had seen. It was not Felton, but a fellow indeerskins who crouched in fancied security in a sort of shallow alcoveof the cliff. Will regarded him as one already dead, and his opinion wasonly a moment or two before fact, as the Little Giant pulled the triggerof his great repeating rifle, the mountain burst into many echoes, andthe brigand, rolling from his alcove, fell like a stone into the depthsof the chasm. Will, listening in awe, heard his body strike far below. Then came a terrible silence, in which his heart beat heavily. 

"It was a great shot, Giant, " whispered Boyd, at length, "but you makeno other kind. It wasn't Felton, was it?"

"No. "

"I didn't think it would be. After Will gave the alarm I knew he'd keepwell out of sight. His kind when they're leaders always do. You've given'em a hint, Giant, that they can't pass this way, the kind of hint thatmeans most with brigands. "

"But two hints will be better than one, Jim, " said Tom. "I'm thinkin'they're still down thar 'mong the rocks, hopin' to pick us off when weain't watchin'. But we'll be watchin' all the time. In an hour mebbewe'll get a chance to tell 'em a second time they can't pass, an' then Ithink we'd better light out afore day. "

"So do I. Will, take your glasses and keep searching among the rocks. "

The lad, who saw that he could now serve best as the eyes of the littlearmy of three, picked out every crag and hollow with the glasses, but hedid not find any human beings. A half hour later several shots werefired from distant points by concealed marksmen, and Will heard thebullets chipping on the stones, although none of them struck near. Evidently the rifles had been discharged almost at random. Meanwhile, the number of stars in the heavens increased and new peaks and ridgesswam into the light. 

Will began another minute examination with the glasses, and he finallybecame convinced that he saw a human figure outstretched on a smallshelf. As he looked longer the details became more clear. It wasundoubtedly a man seeking a shot at them. He called the attention of theLittle Giant, who took the glasses himself, gazed a while and thenresumed his rifle. Will saw that look of menace come over his face againand he also regarded the man on the shelf as already dead. 

The Little Giant pulled the trigger and Will, watching through theglasses, saw the outlaw quiver convulsively and then lie quite still. The shelf had become his grave. The lad shivered a little. His lot trulywas cast among wild and terrible scenes. 

"I'm thinking the double hint will be enough, " said Boyd. "If Felton isthe man I took him to be when I saw him in the morning, he won't care torisk his skin too much. Nor can any leader of desperadoes keep onbringing up his men against shooting like yours, Giant. And I want tosay again, Tom, that you're certainly the greatest marksman in theworld. You're so great that there's no occasion to be modest about it. It's evident to anybody that you're the best on all this round globe. "

The Little Giant said nothing, but in the dim light Will saw his faceflush with gratification. 

"The stars are still gathering, " said the lad, "and every minute thereis more light on the mountains. Suppose we take advantage of Tom'sdouble hint and make at once for the higher ridges. "

"We can do so, " said Boyd. "It's not so dark now that we can't see theway, and if they still have any notion of besieging us we may be hoursahead before they discover our absence. Will, you talk a little to theanimals and loose the lariats, while Giant and I watch here. Then we'lljoin you and make the start. "

Will was among the horses and mules in an instant, stroking them, whispering to them, and soothing them. He was also half through with thetask of replacing the packs when Boyd and Bent came. The rest done, theystarted up the steep natural trail, fortunately hidden at that pointfrom any watchers below. Boyd led, picking the way, Will was among theanimals and the Little Giant, with the rifle that never missed, coveredthe rear. 

Higher and higher they went, and, when day broke, they were once more inthe scrub pines and cedars, with a cold wind blowing and nipping attheir ears and noses. But Boyd, who went far back on the trail, coulddiscover no sign of Felton's band, and they concluded to make camp. 

"We've all been tried enough for one night, " said Boyd. "Men, horsesand mules alike need fresh breath and new nerves. "

But before they could find a suitable place it began to rain, not asweeping storm, but the cold, penetrating drizzle of great heights. Nowtheir bearskin coats protected them in part, but the animals shivered, and the way became so slippery that they had to advance on those heightswith exceeding caution and slowness. The rain soon turned to snow, andthen back to rain again, but the happy temperament of the Little Giantwas able to extract consolation from it. 

"Snow and rain together will hide what trace of a trail we may leave, "he said. "Ef this keeps up, Felton and his gang will never be able tofind us again. "

Despite the great dangers of the advance they pushed on upward untilthey came to a region that Will believed must be above the clouds. Atleast, it was free there from both rain and snow, and below him he sawsuch vast areas of mists and vapors that the top of the ridge seemed toswim in the air. It was now about noon, and, at last, finding a nearlylevel place, they sank down upon it, exhausted. 

Nevertheless, the Little Giant was cheerful. 

"I'm clean furgittin' all 'bout that gold, " he said, "my time now bein'devoted mostly to foot races, tryin' to beat out Indians, outlaws an'all sorts o' desprit characters, in which I hev been successful so fur. My real trade jest now is that o' runner an' mounting climber, an' Iexpect to git a gold medal fur the same. "

He began to whistle in the most wonderful, birdlike fashion, a clear, sweet volume of sound, one popular air of the time following another, every one delivered in such perfect fashion that Will forgot the wet andthe cold in the pleasure of listening. 

"Now, " said Boyd, "there's nothing for it but to start a fire, eventhough it may show where we are. But we have an advantage in being abovethe clouds and mists. Then, if the outlaws come we can see 'em coming, though I think our trail is wholly lost to 'em. "

Skilled as the two men were in building fires, they had a hard task now, as the wood, besides being scarce, was thoroughly soaked with wet, butthey persisted, using flint and steel in order to save their matches. Just when a little blaze began to show signs of living and growing, Will, in his search for fallen and dead wood, turned into a narrow waythat led among lofty rocks. It was wet and slippery and he followed it afull hundred yards, but seeing that it was going to end in a deep recessor cavern he turned back. He had just started the other way when heheard a fierce growling sound behind him and the beat of heavy feet. Whirling about he saw an enormous beast charging down upon him. It wouldscarcely be correct to say that he saw, instead he had a blurred visionof a huge, shaggy form, red eyes, a vast red mouth, armed with teeth ofamazing length and thickness, and claws of glistening steel, huge andformidable. Everything was magnified, exaggerated and infinitelyterrible. 

The lad knew that it was a grizzly bear, roused from its lair, andcharging directly upon him. He shouted an alarm, fired once, twice andthrice with the repeating rifle, but the bear came on as fiercely asever. He felt, or imagined he felt, its hot breath upon him, and leapingaside he scrambled up the rocks for dear life. The bear ran on, andsettling himself in place he fired at it twice more. The hunter and theLittle Giant, who appeared at the head of the pass, also gave it twobullets apiece, and then the monster toppled over not far from theirfire, and after panting a little, lay still. 

The Little Giant surveyed the great beast with wonder. 

"The biggest I ever saw, " he said, "an' it took nine bullets to bringhim down, provided you hit him ev'ry time you fired, young William. Efthis is what you're goin' to bring on us whenever you leave the camp I'low you'd better stick close to the fire. "

"He came out of a cavern at the end of the little ravine, " said the lad. "Of course, when I went visiting up that way I didn't know he had a homethere. "

"It 'pears that he did have a home thar, an' that he was at home, too. Now, I 'low you'd better talk a little to your friends, the hosses andmules. They're pow-ful stirred up over the stranger you've brought 'mongus. Hear 'em neighin' an' chargin'. "

Will went among the animals, but it took him a long time to soothe them. To them the grizzly bear smell was so strong and it was so stronglysuffused with danger that they still panted and moved uneasily after heleft them. 

"Now, what are you goin' to do with him?" asked the Little Giant, looking at the huge form. "We ain't b'ar huntin' on this trip, but it'pears a shame to leave a skin like that fur the wolves to t'ar topieces. We may need it later. "

"We don't have to leave it, " said Boyd. "A big bearskin weighs a lot, but one of the horses will be able to carry it. "

He and the Little Giant, using their strong hunting knives, took off thegreat skin with amazing dexterity, and then hung it on a stout bough todry. As they turned away from their task and left the body of the bear, they heard the rush of feet and long, slinking forms appeared in thenarrow pass where the denuded body of the monster lay. 

"The mountain wolves, " said the Little Giant. "It's not likely thatthey've had such a feast in a long time. I'd like to send a bullet among'em, but it's no use. Besides, they're actin' 'cordin' to their lights. The Lord made 'em eaters o' other creeturs, an' eat they must to live. "

Will heard the fierce snarling and growling as the wolves fought forplaces at the body of the bear, and, although he knew as the LittleGiant had said, that they were only obeying the call of nature, he couldnot repress a shudder at the eagerness and ferocity in their voices. Once, he climbed a high rock and looked down at them. They were mountainwolves of the largest and most dangerous kind, some reaching a length ofseven feet. He watched them with a sort of fascinated awe, and longafter he left the rock he still heard the growling. When it ceased hewent back to his perch again and saw only the great skeleton of thebear, picked clean, and the last wolf gone. 

That afternoon the two men took down the vast skin of the grizzly andscraped it with their hunting knives, working on it a long time, andalso admiring the length and luxuriance of the hair. 

"It shows that this big fellow lived high upon the mountains wherethere's lots of cold, " said Boyd. "Why, this is really fur, not hair. Maybe he never saw a human being before, and being king of all his rangehe couldn't have dreamed that he would have been killed by somethingflying through the air, and that his body would find a scattered gravein the stomachs of wolves. "

"Ef the worst comes to the worst, an' it grows too awful cold, " said theLittle Giant, "this will make a splendid sleeping robe, big enough furall three of us at the same time. "

They kept their fire going all day and all night, and they alsomaintained a continuous watch, the three taking turns. More snow felland then melted, and they were glad that it was so, as they felt thatthe trail was now hidden completely. They also kept down the blaze fromtheir fire, a great bed of coals now having formed, and, as they were ina bowl, the glow from it could not be seen more than ten or fifteenyards away. 

At dawn they set out again under cloudy skies with a raw, cold windalways blowing, and advanced slowly, owing to the steep and dangerousnature of the way. Once more they replenished their larder with mountainsheep and mule deer, and packed upon the horses all they could carry. The hunter and the Little Giant agreed now that the sky was ominous, andthey had more to fear from it than from pursuit by either Indians orFelton's outlaws. 

"I tell you, Jim, an' you too, young William, " said the Little Giant, "that we'd better do what would have been done by the big grizzly that'snow runnin' in the stomachs o' mounting wolves. "

"What's that?" asked Will. 

"Hole up! When you can't do anythin' else hole up an' wait 'til theskies clear. "

"That would be simple, " said Boyd, "if only we three human beings had tohole up, but while we might drive the horses and mules into a caveshelter they'd have nothing to eat. "

"What you want to do, Jim Boyd, is to cultivate hope. I won't say you'rea grouchy man, 'cause you ain't, but mighty few men are hopeful enough. Now, I want you to hope that we'll not only find a cave shelter for thebeasts, but water an' grass fur 'em. "

"Well, I hope it. "

"That bein' the case, I want to tell you that I've been ahead a little, an' the ground begins to slope off fast. I think we'll soon strike acanyon or valley a few miles deep, more or less. That canyon or valleywill hev water in it, an' bein' so sheltered it's bound to hev grass, too. What more could you ask? Thar we'll stay till times grow better. "

"You've arranged it all mighty well in your mind. "

"An' that bein' the case, let's go on, an' see ef I hevn't arranged itright. "

The Little Giant soon proved that he had read the mountain signs aright, as they came to a great descent, the steep walls enclosing a valley ofvast depth. Far down Will was able to see the glimmer of a little lakeand the green of grass. 

"It's our home for a spell, " said Boyd. "You were right, Giant. You'rethe only prophet I've ever known. "

"You'd do a heap better, Jim Boyd, ef you'd pay more attention. I toldyou awhile ago to cheer up an' you cheered, then I told you we'd find anice home-like valley, an' here it is, a couple o' thousan' feet deep, an' with water an' grass, ez young William's glasses tell us, an' withcave shelter, too, ez my feelin's ez a prophet tell me. "

The hunter laughed, and the Little Giant burst into a flood of cheerful, whistling song. In his optimistic mind all affairs were already arrangedto the satisfaction of everybody. Nevertheless, it took them a long timeto find a way by which the horses could descend, and it required theirutmost skill to prevent falls. When they finally stood upon the floor ofthe valley, animals and human beings alike were weak from nervousstrain, and the Little Giant, wiping his perspiring brow, said:

"We're here, but lookin' back I kin hardly see how we ever got here. "

"But being here, " said Boyd, "we'll now scout around and find the finehouse that you as a prophet have promised to us. "

The three, agreeing, began at once the task. 

CHAPTER VII

THE BEAVER HUNTER

It was perhaps fortunate for the explorers and fur hunters that thegreat mountains of northwestern America abounded in swift, clear streamsand little lakes, many of the lakes being set at a great height in tinyvalleys, enclosed by forests and lofty cliffs. There was no dying ofthirst, and about the water they always found the beaver. Wood, too, wassure to be plentiful and, in the fierce cold of the northwestern wintersthey needed much of it. If the valleys were not visited for a longperiod, and often the Indians themselves did not come to them in years, elk and other game, large and small, made a home there. 

It was into one of these most striking nooks that the three had nowcome. They had been in a valley of the same type before, but this wasfar deeper and far bolder. There were several acres of good grass, onwhich the horses and mules might find forage, even under the snow, andthe lake, two or three acres in extent, was sure to contain fish goodfor eating. 

But the two men examined with the most care the rocky, western cliff, weathered and honeycombed by the storms of a thousand centuries. Asthey had expected, they found great cave-like openings at its base, andafter much hunting they decided upon one running back about fifty feet, with a width half as great, and a roof varying from seven to twenty feetin height. The floor, fairly level, sloped rather sharply toward thedoorway, which would protect them against floods from melting snows. Theinterior could be fitted up in a considerable degree of comfort with thematerial from their packs and furs they might take. 

They found about fifty yards away another, though shallower, cavernwhich Will, with his gift for dealing with animals, could induce thehorses and mules to use in bad weather. He proved his competency for thetask a few hours after their arrival by leading them into it, tollingthem on with wisps of fresh grass. 

"That settles it so far as they are concerned, " said Boyd, "and we hadto think of them first. If we're snowed in here it's of the lastimportance to us to save our animals. "

"An' we're goin' to be snowed in, I think, " said the Little Giant, looking at the sombre heavens. "How high up did you say we wuz here, young William, ten miles above the level o' the sea?"

"Not ten miles, but we're certainly high, high enough for it to bewinter here any time it feels like it. Now I'm going to rake and scrapeas many old dead leaves as I can find into the new stone stable. Thefloor is pretty rough in places, and we don't want any of our beasts tobreak a leg there. "

"All right, you set to work on it, " said Boyd, "and Giant and me willlabor on our own house. "

Will toiled all the day on the new stable, and he enjoyed the homelywork. Sometimes he filled in the deeper places in the floor with chunksof dead wood and then heaped the leaves on top. When it was finished itwas all in such condition that the animals could occupy it withoutdanger, and he also set up a thick hedge of boughs about the entrance, allowing only four or five feet for the doorway. Even if the snow shouldbe driving hard in that direction the animals would yet be protected. Then he led them inside and barred them there for the night. 

He was so much absorbed in his own task that he paid small heed to thatof the men, but he was enthusiastic when he took a little rest. They hadunpacked everything, and had put all the extra weapons and ammunition onshelves in the stone. They had made three wooden stools and they hadsmoothed a good place for cooking near the entrance, whence the smokecould pass out. They had also cut great quantities of firewood whichthey had stored along the sides of the cavern. 

About nightfall the hunter shot an elk on the northern slope, and allthree worked far into the night at the task of cleaning and cutting upthe body, resolving to save every edible part for needs which might belong. All of it was stored in the cavern or on the boughs of trees, andleaving the horses to graze at their leisure on the grassy acres theylay down on their blankets in the cavern and slept the sleep of thelittle death, that is the sleep of exhaustion, without a dream or awaking moment. 

Will did not awake until the sun of dawn was shining in the cavern, although it was at its best a somewhat obscure sun, and the dawn itselfwas full of chill. When he went outside he found that heavy clouds werefloating above the mountains and masses of vapor hung low over thevalley, almost hiding the forest, which was thickest at the northern endand the lake which cuddled against the western side. 

"I look for a mighty storm, maybe a great snow, " said Boyd. "All thesigns are here, but it may hang about for several days before coming, and the more time is left before it hits the better for us. It was bigluck for us to find so deep a valley just when we did. Now, Will, suppose you take the beasts out to pasture and by the time you get backGiant and me will have breakfast ready. "

Will found the horses and mules quite comfortable in the new stable andthey welcomed him with neighs and whinnies and other sounds, the best ofwhich their vocal cords were capable. The friendship that he hadestablished with them was wonderful. As the Little Giant truly said, hecould have been a brilliant success as an animal trainer. Perhaps theydivined the great sympathy and kindness he felt for them, or he had away of showing it given to only a few mortals. Whatever it may havebeen, they began to rub their noses against him, the big horse, Selim, finally thrusting his head under his arm, while the mules proudlymarched on either side of him as he led the way down to the pasture. 

"Ain't it wonderful, " said the Little Giant, who saw them from the mouthof the cavern where he and Boyd were cooking, "the way the boy has withanimals? My mules like me, but I know they'd leave me any minute at awhistle from young William, an' follow him wherever he went. "

"Same way with that horse of mine, Selim. He'd throw me over right awayfor Will. He's a good lad, with a clean soul and a pure heart, and maybethe animals, having gifts that we don't have, to make up for gifts thatwe have and they haven't, can look straight into 'em. Do you think, Giant, that Felton could have had a line on our mine?"

"What's your drift, Jim?"

"Could he have been out here somewhere when the Captain, Will's father, found it, and have got some hint about its discovery? Maybe he guessesthat Will's got a map, and that's what he's after. He wouldn't havefollowed us at such terrible risks, unless he had a mighty big motive. "

"That's good reasonin', Jim, an' I think thar's somethin' in yournotion. Ef it's so, Felton will hang on to the chase o' us ez long ezhe's livin', an' fur the present, with Sioux on one side o' us an'outlaws on the other, I'm mighty glad we're hid away here in so deep acut in the mountings. "

"So am I, Giant. I think that coffee is boiling now. Call the lad. "

"Young William! Young William!" cried the Little Giant. "Don't you dareto keep breakfus' waitin' the fust mornin' we've moved into our newhome. "

After breakfast Will and Bent worked on the cavern, while Boyd wenthunting on the slopes. They cut many poles and made a palisade at theentrance to the great hollow, leaving a doorway only about two feetwide, over which they could hang the big bearskin in case heavy wind, rain or snow came. Then they packed the whole floor of the cavern withdry leaves, making a kind of matting, over which they intended to spreadfurs or skins as they obtained them. 

"Caves are cold when left to theirselves, " said the Little Giant, "an'it's lucky thar's a good nateral place fur our fire jest beside thedoor. We'll have lots o' meat in here, too, 'cause Jim's a fine hunteran' the valley is full o' game. Thar must be a lot o' grizzly bearsroun' in these mountings, too, Young William. Wouldn't it be funny ef wewent out some day an' come back to find our new house occupied by awhole family o' fightin' grizzlies, every one o' them with iron claws, ten inches long?"

"No, it wouldn't be funny, Giant, it would be tragic. "

"Ef you jest knew it, Young William, we're mighty well off. Many atrappin' outfit hez been froze in in the mountings, in quarters not halfso good ez ours. "

Boyd shot another elk and smaller deer, and on the next day secured moregame, which they cured, concluding now that they had enough to last themindefinitely. Will and the Little Giant, meanwhile, had been working onthe house, and Boyd, his hunting over, joined them. The cured skins ofthe animals were put over the leaf thatch of the floor as they hadplanned, and as they procured them they intended to hang more on thewalls, for the sake of dryness and warmth. 

Although the clouds threatened continuously the storm still held off. They expected every morning to wake up and find the snow drifting, butthe sun always showed, although dim and obscured by vapors. Will stillled the horses and mules down to the grass every morning, and, everynight, led them back to the new stone stable. The valley began to wearthe aspect of home, of a home by no means uncomfortable, but on thesixth night there Will was awakened by something cold and wet strikingupon his face. He went to the door, looked out and saw that the snowthey had been expecting so long had come at last. It was thick, drivinghard, and for the first time he hung in place the great bearskin, securing it tightly with the fastenings they had arranged and then wentback to sleep. 

He was the first to awake the next morning, and pushing aside thebearskin, he looked out to see snow still falling and apparently a goodsix inches in depth already. 

"Wake up, Jim, and you, too, Giant!" he called. "Here's our storm atlast, and lucky it is that we're holed up so well. "

Boyd joined him. The snow was so dense that they could not see acrossthe valley, but it was not driving now, merely floating down lazily andpersistently. 

"That means it will come for a long time, " said Boyd. "Snow clouds arelike men. If they begin to pour out their energy in vast quantitiesthey're soon exhausted, but if they work in deliberate fashion they domuch more. I take it that this snow won't stop today, nor maybe tonight, nor the next day either. "

"We can stand it, " said Will. "We're well housed up and we're safe frominvasion. If you and Tom will get breakfast I'll feed the horses andmules. "

They had employed a large part of the time cutting the thick grass withtheir hunting knives, and it was now stored in the stable in aconsiderable quantity, out of the reach of the longest neck among thehorses and mules. They were responsive as usual when he came among them, and nuzzled him, because they liked him and because they knew he was theprovider of food, that is, he was in effect a god to them. 

Will talked to the animals and gave to every one his portion of hay, watching them with pleasure as they ate it, and returned thanks in theirown way. When he made his way back through the snow, breakfast was readyand, although they were sparing with the coffee and bread, every onecould have all the meat he wished. 

"Now, there'll be nothing for us to do but sit around the house, " saidBoyd, the breakfast over. 

"Which means that I kin put in a lot o' my spare time readin', " said theLittle Giant. "Young William, bring me my Shakespeare! What, you say Ifurgot to put it in my pack! Well, then bring me my copy o' theDeclaration o' Independence. I always like them words in it, 'Give melib'ty or give me death!' '_Sic semper tyrannis!_'"

"'Give me liberty or give me death' is not in the Declaration ofIndependence, Giant. Those words were used by Patrick Henry in anaddress. "

"Well, they ought to hev been thar, an' ef Patrick Henry hadn't been sofresh an' used 'em first they would a-been. But you can't go back on'_sic semper tyrannis!_'"

"They couldn't possibly be in the declaration, Giant, because they'reLatin. "

"I reckon the signers o' the Declaration wuz good enough to write Latinan' talk it, too, ef they wanted to. "

"They were used eighteen or nineteen hundred years ago by a Roman. "

"I guess that's one advantage o' livin' early. You kin git the fustchance at what's best. Anyway, they did say a lot o' rousin' things inthe Declaration, though I don't remember exactly what they wuz. But Isee I won't hev no chance to git on with my lit'ry pursuits, so I thinkI'll jest do chores about the house inside. "

He went to work in the best of spirits. Will had seldom seen a happierman. He fixed shelves in the stone, arranged the materials from theirpacks, and all the time he whistled airs, until the cavern seemed to befilled with the singing of nightingales, mocking birds and skylarks. Will and Boyd began to help him, though Will stopped at times to lookout. 

On every occasion he reported that the snow was still drifting down in asteady, thick, white stream, and that he could not see more than thirtyor forty yards from the door. About eleven o'clock in the morning, whenhe pulled the bearskin aside for perhaps the sixth time, he heard asound which at first he took to be the distant moan of the wind througha gorge. But he had not heard it on his previous visits, although thewind had been blowing all the morning, and he stood there a littlewhile, listening. As he did not hear it again just yet, he thought hisfancy had deceived him, but in a minute or so the sound came once more. It was a weird note, carrying far, but he seemed to detect a humanquality in it. And yet what human being could be out there in that lonemountain valley in the wild snow storm? It seemed impossible, but whenhe heard it a third time the human quality seemed stronger. He beckonedto the hunter and Little Giant. 

"Come here, " he said, "and tell me if my imagination is playing trickswith me. It seems to me that I've heard a human voice in the storm. "

The two came to the doorway and, standing beside him, listened. Oncemore Will discerned that note and he turned an inquiring face to them. 

"There!" he exclaimed. "Did you hear it? It sounded to me like a man'svoice!"

Neither Boyd nor Bent replied until the call came once more and thenBoyd said:

"It's not your imagination, Will. It's a man out there in the snow, andhe's shouting for help. Why he should expect anybody to come to his aidin a place like this is more'n I can understand. "

"He's drawin' nearer, " said the Little Giant. "I kin make out the word'hello' said over an' over ag'in. Maybe Felton's band has wandered on along chase into our valley, an' it's some o' them lost from the othersin the storm, callin' to em. "

"Like as not, " said the hunter. "The snow has covered up most of thetraces and trails we've left, and anyway they couldn't rush this cavernin the face of our rifles. "

"It's no member of Felton's gang, " said Will, with great emphasis. 

"How do you know that?" asked Boyd in surprise. 

"I can scarcely tell. Instinct, I suppose. It doesn't sound like thevoice of an outlaw, though I don't know how I know that, either. Hark, he's coming much nearer! I've an idea the man's alone. "

"In the storm, " said the Little Giant, "he's likely to pass by thecavern, same ez ef it wuzn't here. "

"But we mustn't let him do that, " exclaimed Will. "I tell you it's afriend coming! a man we want! Besides, it's no Indian! It's a whiteman's voice, and we couldn't let him wander around and perish in awilderness storm!"

The hunter and the Little Giant glanced at each other. 

"A feller that kin talk with hosses an' mules, an' hev the toughest muleeat out o' his hand the fust time he ever saw him may be able to tellmore about a voice in the wilderness than we kin, " said the LittleGiant. 

"I don't believe you're wrong, " said the hunter with equal conviction. 

Will threw aside the bearskin and dashed out. The two men followed, their rifles under their fur coats, where they were protected from thestorm. The voice could now be heard very plainly calling, and Boyd andBent were quite sure also that it was not one of Felton's band. Ittruly sounded like the voice of an honest man crying aloud in thewilderness. 

Will still led the way and, as he approached, he gave a long, clearshout, to which the owner of the voice replied instantly, not a hundredyards away. Then the three pressed forward and they saw the figure of aman, exaggerated and gigantic in the falling snow. Behind him stoodthree horses, loaded heavily but drooping and apparently almost frozen. He gave a cry of joy when the three drew near, and said:

"I called upon the Lord when all seemed lost, but I did not call invain. "

He was tall, clothed wholly in deerskin, and with a fur cap upon hishead. His figure was one of great strength, but it was bent somewhat nowwith weariness. The Little Giant uttered an exclamation. 

"By all that's wonderful, it's Steve Brady!" he said. "Steve Brady, theseeker after the lost beaver horde!"

The man extended a hand, clothed in a deerskin gauntlet. 

"And it's you, Tom Bent, the Little Giant, " he said. "I surely did notdream that when you and I met again it would be in such a place as this. Providence moves in a mysterious way its wonders to perform, and it's agood thing for us it does, or I'd have frozen or starved to death inthis valley. That quotation may not be strictly correct, but I meanwell. "

The Little Giant seized his hand and shook it violently. It was evidentthat the stranger was one whom he admired and liked. 

"Ef we'd knowed it wuz you callin', Steve Brady, " he said, "we'd hevcome sooner. But hev you found that huge beaver colony you say issomewhar in the northwestern mountings, the biggest colony the world hezever knowed?"

"I have not, Tom Bent. 'Search and ye shall find' says the Book, and Ihave searched years and years, but I have never found. If I had found, you would not see me here in this valley, a frozen man with three frozenhorses, and I ask you, Tom Bent, if you have ever yet discovered aparticle of the gold for which you've been looking all the years sinceyou were a boy. "

"Not a speck, Steve, not a speck of it. If I had I wouldn't be here. I'dbe in old St. Looey, the grandest city in the world, stoppin' in thefinest room at the Planters' House, an' tilted back in a rockin' chairpickin' my teeth with a gold tooth pick, after hevin' et a dinner thatcost a hull five dollars. But you come into our house, Steve, an' warmup an' eat hot food, while Young William, here, takes your hosses to thestable, an' quite a good hoss boy is young William, too. "

"House! Fire! Food! Stable! What do you mean?"

"Jest what I say. These are my friends, Thomas Boyd and William Clarke, young William. Boys, this is Stephen Brady, who has been a fur hunterall his life but who hasn't been findin' much o' late. Come on, Steve. "

Will took the three horses and led them to the stable, into which hepushed them without much trouble, and where they received a fairwelcome. He also threw them a quantity of the hay, and then he ran backto the house, where Boyd and Bent were rapidly fanning the coals into ablaze and were warming food. Brady's outer garments were steaming beforethe fire, and he was sitting on a stone outcrop, a look of solemnsatisfaction on his face. 

"It is truly a habitation in the wilderness, " he said, "and friends thebest and bravest in the world. It is more, far more, than I, a lone furhunter, had a right to expect. Truly it is more than any humble mortalsuch as I had a right to hope for. But as the sun stood still overGibeon, and as the moon stood still over the vale of Ajalon at thecommand of Joshua, so the wilderness and the storm opened at the commandof the Lord, and disclosed to me those who would save me. "

There was nothing of the unctuously pious about his tone and manner, instead it was sternly enthusiastic, full of courage and devotion. Hemade to Will a mental picture of one of Cromwell's Ironsides, or of theearly New England Puritans, and his Biblical language and allusionsheightened the impression. The lad felt instinctively that he was astrong man, great in the strength of body, mind and spirit. 

"Take another slice o' the elk steak, Steve, " said the hospitable LittleGiant, who was broiling them over coals. "You've et only six, an' a mano' your build an' hunger ought to eat at least twelve. We've got plentyof it, you won't exhaust the supply, never fear. An' take another cup o'coffee; it will warm your insides right down to your toes. I'm mightyglad to see you, an' young William's mighty glad to see you. "

"You couldn't have been as glad to see me as I was to see you, " saidBrady with a solemn smile. "Truly it seems that one may be saved whenapparently his last hour has come, if he will only hope and persist. Itmay be that you will yet find your gold, Thomas Bent, that you, JamesBoyd and William Clarke, will find whatever you seek, though I know notwhat it is, nor ask to know, and that I, too, will find some day thegreat beaver colony of which I have dreamed, a colony ten times as largeas any other ever seen even in these mountains. "

Boyd and Bent exchanged glances, but said nothing. It was evident thatthey had the same thought and Will's quick and active mind leaped uptoo. In their great quest they needed at least another man, a manhonest, brave and resourceful, and such a man in the emergency wasbeyond price. But for the present they said nothing. 

"Thar's one thing I'd like fur you to explain to me, Steve, " said theLittle Giant, who was enjoying the hospitality he gave, "why wuz youcallin' so much through the storm? Wuz it jest a faint hope, one chancein a million that trappers might be here in the valley?"

"No, Thomas, it was not a hope. A sign was vouchsafed to me. When I knewthe storm was coming I started for this valley, which I visited once, years ago, and, although the snow caught me before I could reach it, Imanaged, owing to my former knowledge, to get down the slope withoutlosing any of my horses. Then in the valley I saw saplings cut freshlyby the axe, cut so recently in truth that I knew the wielders of thesteel must still be here, and in all likelihood were white men. Strongin that faith I called aloud and you answered, but I did not dream thatone whom I knew long ago, and one, moreover, whom I knew to be honestand true, was here. It is a lesson to us that hope should never bewholly lost. "

All were silent for a little space, feeling deeply the truth of theman's words and manner, and then, when Brady finished his last elk steakand his last cup of coffee, Boyd said:

"I think, Mr. Brady, that you've had a terrible time and that you needsleep. You can roll in dry blankets in the corner there, and we'llarrange your packs for you. Will reports that your animals have madefriends with ours, as you and we have surely made friends, and there'snothing left for you now but to take a big sleep. "

"That I'll surely do, " said Brady, smiling a solemn smile, "but firstpromise me one thing. "

"What is that?"

"Don't call me Mr. Brady. It doesn't sound right coming from men of myown age. To you I'm Steve, just as I am to our friend Thomas. "

"All right, Steve, but into the blankets with you. Even a fur hunter cancatch pneumonia, if he's just bent on doing it. "

Brady rolled himself in the blankets and soon slept. The hunter, theLittle Giant and Will drew to the other side of the cavern, and before aword was spoken every one of the three was conscious of what was in theminds of the others. Will was the first to speak. 

"He's the man, " he said. 

"We shorely need him, " said the Little Giant. 

"I don't think we could do better, " said Boyd. 

"It's luck, big luck, that we found him or he found us, " continued theLittle Giant. "When these solemn, prayin' men are real, they're real allover. He's as brave as a lion, he'll hang on like a grizzly bear, an'he's as honest as they ever make 'em. He's a fightin' man from start tofinish. From what you say thar must be more'n a million in that mine, an' in huntin' fur it an' keepin' it after we find it, Steve Brady iswuth at least a quarter o' a million to us. "

"All of that, " said the hunter. "But the mine really belongs to Will, here, and it's for him to bring in a new partner. "

"It belongs to us all now, " said the lad, "though I'll admit I was theoriginal owner. I think Mr. Brady will just round out our band. I'm foroffering him a full partnership. "

"Then you do the talkin', " said the Little Giant. "It's right that itshould come from you. "

When Brady awoke many hours later three very serious faces confrontedhim, and his acute mind saw at once that he was about to receive acommunication of weight. 

"It looks like a committee, " he said with solemn importance. "Who is thespokesman?"

"I am, " replied Will, "and what we have to say to you is really ofimportance, of vast importance. Mr. Bent has been looking many yearsfor gold, but has never yet found a grain of it. Now he has given up hisindependent search, and is joining with Mr. Boyd and me in a far biggerhunt. You've been looking eight or ten years, you say, for the giganticbeaver colony, but have never found it. Now we want you to give up thathunt for the time, and join us, because we need you much. "

"Your words have an earnest sound, young man, and I know that you andyour comrades are honest, but I do not take your full meaning. "

"It is this, " said Will, and he produced from his secret pocket theprecious map. "My father, who was a captain in the army, found a greatmine of gold, but before he could work it, or even make any preparationsto do so, he was called for the Civil War, in which he fell. But he leftthis map that tells me how to reach it somewhere in the vastnorthwestern mountains. To locate it and get out the treasure I needfighting men, the best fighting men the world can furnish, wildernessfighters, patient, enduring and full of knowledge. I have two such inMr. Boyd and Mr. Bent, but we need just one more, and we have agreedthat you should be the fourth, if you will favor us by entering into thepartnership. It is full of danger, as you know. We have already had afight with the Sioux, and another with a band of outlaws, led by MartinFelton. "

A spark leaped up in the stern eye of Stephen Brady. 

"I am a fur hunter, " he said, "though there is little prospect ofsuccess for me now, owing to the Indian wars, but I have spent all mymanhood years among dangers. Perhaps I should feel lonely if they wereabsent, and you may dismiss that idea. "

"I thought so. Will you enter into full partnership with us in thisgreat enterprise? Mr. Bent has appraised your full value as a fightingman in this crisis at a quarter of a million dollars, and we know thatthe mine contains at least a million. I beg you not to refuse. We needyour strong arm and great heart. You will be conferring the favor uponus. "

"And the vast beaver colony that I'm going to find some day?"

"It can wait. It will be there after we get out the gold. "

"And you are in full agreement with this, James Boyd?"

"I am. "

"And you are in full agreement with this, too, Thomas Bent?"

"I am. "

"Then I accept. A quarter of a million dollars is a great sum. Iscarcely thought there was so much money in the world, but one may domuch with it. I am already forming certain plans in my mind. Will youlet me take another and thorough look at your map, William?"

He studied it long and attentively, and then as he handed it back to theowner, he said:

"It will be a long journey, as you have said, full of dangers, but Ithink I am not boasting when I say we be four who know how to meethardship and peril. I make the prediction that after unparalleleddangers we will find the mine. Yet a quarter of a million is too vast asum for my services. I could not accept such an amount. Make it aboutten thousand dollars. "

Will laughed. 

"You must bear in mind, Mr. Brady, " he said, "that we haven't all thisgold yet, and it will be a long time before we do get it. We're all tobe comrades and full partners, and you must be on exactly the same termsas the others. We've probably saved your life, and we demand, therefore, that you accept. Standing squarely on our rights, we'll take norefusal. "

The stern eyes of Brady gleamed. 

"Since you give me no choice, I accept, " he said. 

CHAPTER VIII

THE MOUNTAIN RAM

It snowed for two days and two nights without ceasing, and then turnedso cold that the snow froze over, a covering like glass forming upon it. Will broke a way to the stable, where he talked to the animals and fedthem with the hay which had been cut with forethought. With the help ofthe others he also opened a path down to a little stream flowing intothe lake, where the horses and mules were able to obtain water, spendingthe rest of the time in the cavern. 

The men usually had a small fire and they passed the time while theywere snowed in in jerking more meat, repairing their clothes and doing ahundred other things that would be of service later on. Brady stored histraps in a remote corner of the cavern, hiding them so artfully that itwas not likely anyone save the four would ever find them. 

"I shall have no further use for them for a long time, " he said, "butafter we reach our gold I mean to return here and get them. "

Will, who noticed his grammatical and good English, rather unusual onthe border, asked him how he came to be a fur hunter. 

"Drift, " he replied. "You would not think it, but it was my originalintention to become a schoolmaster. An excursion into the west made mefall in love with the forest, the mountains, solitude and independence. I've always taken enough furs for a good living, and I'm absolutely myown master. Moreover, I'm an explorer and it gives me a keen pleasure tofind a new river or a new mountain. And this northwest is filled withwonders. After we find the gold and my beaver colony, I'm going to writea book of a thousand pages about the wonders I've seen. "

"I never saw anybody that wrote a book, " said the Little Giant with therespect of the unlettered for the lettered, "an' I confess I ain't muchof a hand at readin' 'em, but when I'm rich ez I expect to be a year ortwo from now, an' I build my fine house in St. Looey, I mean to have aroom full of 'em, in fine leather an' morocco bindin's. "

"Will you read them?" asked Will. 

"Me read 'em! O' course not!" replied the Little Giant. "I'll hire a manto read 'em, an' he kin keep busy on them books while I'm away on mylong huntin' trips. "

"But that won't be you reading 'em. "

"What diff'unce does that make? All a book asks is to be read bysomebody, en' ef it's read by my reader 'stead o' me it's jest thesame. "

The days confirmed them in their choice of Brady as the fourth partnerin the great hunt. Despite his rather stern and solemn manner he was atheart a man of most cheerful and optimistic temperament. He had, too, avast fund of experience and he knew much of the wilderness that wasunknown to others. 

"What do you think of our plan of going straight ahead as soon as we cantravel, and passing over the left shoulder of the White Dome?" askedBoyd. 

"It's wisest, " replied Brady thoughtfully. "I've heard something of thisFelton, with whom you had such a sanguinary encounter, and I'm inclinedto think from all you tell me that he has had a hint about the mine. Hehas affiliated with the Indians and he can command a large band of hisown, white men, mostly murderous refugees from the border, and the worsttype of half breeds. It's better for us to keep as long as we can in thedepths of the mountains despite all the difficulties of travel there. "

On the fifth day it turned much warmer and rained heavily, and soviolent were the changes in the high mountains that there was atremendous manifestation of thunder and lightning. They watched thedisplay of electricity with awe from the door of the cavern, and Willsaw the great sword blades of light strike more than once on the rocksof the topmost peaks. 

"I think, " said Brady devoutly, "that we have been watched over. Whereelse in the mountains could we have found such a refuge for our animalsand ourselves?"

"Nowhere, " said the Little Giant, cheerfully, "an' I want to say thatI'm enjoyin' myself right here. We four hev got more o' time thananythin' else, an' I ain't goin' to stir from our nice, comf'table home'til the travelin's good. "

The others were in full agreement with him, and, in truth, delay wasabsolutely necessary as a march now would have been accompanied by newand great dangers, snow slides, avalanches, and the best of the pathsslippery with mud and water. When the rain ceased, although a warm sunthat followed it hastened the melting of the snow, Will released theanimals from the stable and with pleasure saw them run about among thetrees, where the snow had melted and sprigs of hardy grass were againshowing green against the earth. After they had drunk at the lake andgalloped up and down awhile, they began to nibble the grass, while Willwalked among them and stroked their manes or noses, and was as pleasedas they were. Brady's three horses were already as firm friends of hisas the earlier animals. 

"Did you ever notice that boy's ways with hosses an' mules?" said theLittle Giant to Brady. "He's shorely a wonder. I think he's got somekind o' talk that we don't understand but which they do. My critters andBoyd's would quit us at any time fur him, an' so will yours. "

"I perceive it is true, my friend, and so far as my horses are concernedI don't grudge him his power. Now that the snow has gone and thegreenness is returning this valley truly looks like the land of Canaan. And it is well for us to be outside again. People who live the livesthat we do flourish best in the open air. "

The warm days lasted and all the snow melted, save where it layperpetually on the crest of the White Dome. Often they heard itthundering in masses down the slopes. The whole earth was soaked withwater, and swift streams ran in every gulch and ravine and canyon. Will, although he was impatient to be up and away, recognized now howthoroughly necessary it was to wait. The mountains in such a conditionwere impassable, and the valley was safe, too, because for the timenobody could come there either. 

Big game wandered down again and Brady shot another large grizzly bear, the skin of which they saved and tanned, thinking it might prove in timeas useful as the first. Another deer was added to their larder, and theyalso shot a number of wild fowl. But as the hills began to dry theirminds returned with increasing strength to the great mine, hidden amongfar-away peaks. All were eager to be off, and it was only the patiencecoming from experience that delayed the start. 

The valley dried out rapidly. The snow, deep as it had been, did notseem to have done any harm to the grass, which reappeared fresher andstronger than ever, forming a perfect harvest for the horses and mules. Then the time for departure came and they began to pack, having addedconsiderably to their stores of skins and cured meats. 

Brady also had been exceedingly well equipped for a long journey, andthe temporary abandonment of his traps gave them a chance to add furtherto their food supplies. All four of them, in addition to their food, carried extra weapons, including revolvers, rifles, and a finedouble-barreled shotgun for every one. The two caverns, the one for themen and the other for the horses, they left almost as they had fittedthem up. 

"We may come here ag'in, " said the Little Giant. "It's true thatFelton's men an' the Sioux also may come, but I don't think it's ezlikely, 'cause the Sioux are mostly plains warriors, an' them that ain'tare goin' down thar anyhow to fight, while the outlaws likely are ridin'to the west huntin' fur us. "

"Anyway, " said Stephen Brady, in his deep, bass voice, "we'll trust toProvidence. It's amazing how events happen in your favor when you reallytrust. "

Although eager to be on their way, they felt regret at leaving thevalley. It had given them a snug home and shelter during the storm, andthe melting of the snow had acted like a gigantic irrigation scheme, making it greener and fresher than before. As they climbed the westernslope it looked more than ever a gem in its mountain setting. Will sawfar beneath him the blue of lake and the green of grass, and he wavedhis hand in a good-bye, but not a good-bye forever. 

"I expect to sleep there again some day, " he said. 

"It's a fine home, " said Brady, "but we'll find other lakes and othervalleys. As I have told you before, I have trapped for years throughthese regions, and they contain many such places. "

They pressed forward three more days and three more nights toward theleft shoulder of the White Dome, which now rose before them clear anddazzlingly bright against the shining blue of the sky. The air wassteadily growing colder, owing to their increasing elevation, but theyhad no more storms of rain, sleet or snow. They were not above thetimber line, and the vegetation, although dwarfed, was abundant. Therewas also plenty of game, and in order to save their supplies they shot adeer or two. On the third day Will through his glasses saw a smoke, muchlower down on their left, and he and the Little Giant, descending aconsiderable distance to discover what it meant, were able to discern adeep valley, perhaps ten miles long and two miles broad, filled withfine pastures and noble forest, and with a large Indian village in thecentre. Smoke was rising from at least a hundred tall tepees, andseveral hundred horses were grazing on the meadows. 

"Tell me what you can about them, " said the lad, handing the glasses tothe Little Giant. 

"I think they're Teton Sioux, " said Bent, "an' ez well ez I kin make outthey're livin' a life o' plenty. I kin see game hangin' up everywhar tobe cured. Sometimes, young William, I envy the Indians. When theweather's right, an' the village is in a good place an' thar's plenty toeat you never see any happier fellers. The day's work an' huntin' over, they skylark 'roun' like boys havin' fun with all sorts o' littlethings. You wouldn't think they wuz the same men who could enjoyroastin' an enemy alive. Then, they ain't troubled a bit 'bout thefuture, either. Termorrer kin take care o' itself. I s'pose that's whatdowns 'em, an' gives all the land some day to the white man. Though Ihev to fight the Indian, I've a lot o' sympathy with him, too. "

"I feel the same way about it, " said Will. "Maybe we won't have any moretrouble with them. "

The Little Giant shook his head. 

"We may dodge 'em in the mountains, though that ain't shore, " he said, "but when we go down into the plains, ez we've got to do sooner orlater, the fur will fly. I'm mighty glad we picked up Steve Brady, 'cause fur all his solemn ways he's a pow'ful good fightin' man. Now, Ithink we'd better git back up the slope, 'cause warriors from thatvillage may be huntin' 'long here an', however much we may sympathizewith the Indians we're boun' to lose a hull lot o' that sympathy whenthey come at us, burnin' fur our scalps. "

"Correct, " laughed Will, and as fast as they could climb they rejoinedthe others, telling what they had seen. Brady showed some apprehensionover their report. 

"I've noticed that mountain sheep and goats are numerous through here, and while Indians live mostly on the buffalo, yet they have many daringhunters in the mountains, looking for goats and sheep, and maybe in theravines for the smaller bears, the meat of which they love. "

"And you think we may be seen by some such hunters?" said Will. 

"Perhaps so, and in order to avoid such bad luck I suggest that we seekstill greater height. "

They agreed upon it, though the Little Giant grumbled at the hard luckthat compelled them to scale the tops of high mountains, and they beganat once a perilous ascent, which would not have been possible for thehorses had they not been trained by long experience. They also entered adomain of bad weather, being troubled much by rain, heavy winds andoccasional snows, and at night it was so cold that they invariably builta fire in some ravine or deep gully. 

Will calculated that they were at least ten thousand feet above the sealevel, and that the White Dome, which was now straight ahead, must bebetween three and four thousand feet higher. They reckoned that theycould circle the peak on the left at their present height, and they madegood progress, as there seemed to be fewer ravines and canyons close tothe dome. 

Nevertheless, as they approached they came to a dip much deeper thanusual, but it was worth the descent into it, as they found there in thesheltered spaces plenty of grass for the horses, and they were quitewilling to rest also, as every nerve and muscle was racked by themountain climbing. Still holding that time was their most abundantpossession, the hunter suggested that they spend a full day and night inthe dip, and all the others welcomed the idea. 

Will, being younger than the others, had more physical elasticity, and afew hours restored him perfectly. Then he decided to take his rifle andgo up the dip looking for a mountain sheep, and the others being quitewilling, he was soon making his way through the short bushes toward thenorth. He prided himself on having become a good hunter and trailer, andeven here in the heart of the high mountains he neglected no precaution. 

The dip extended about two miles into the north and then it began torise rapidly, ending at last in huge, craggy rocks, towering a thousandfeet overhead, and Will considered himself in great luck when he saw asplendid ram standing upon one of these stony pinnacles. 

The sheep, sharply outlined against the rock and the clear sky, lookedat least double his real size, and Will, anxious to procure fresh game, and feeling some of the hunter's ambition, resolved to stalk him. Theanimal reminded him of a lookout, and perhaps he was, as he stood on hisdizzy perch, gazing over the vast range of valley, and the White Domethat now seemed so near. 

The lad reached the first rocky slope and began slowly to creep in adiagonal line that took him upward and also toward the sheep. It wasdifficult work to keep one's footing and carry one's rifle also, but hispride was up and he clung to his task, until his muscles began to acheand the perspiration came out on his face. He was in fear lest the sheepwould go away, but the great ram stood there, immovable, his headhaughtily erect, a monarch of his tribe, and Will became thoroughlyconvinced that he was a watchman. 

His repeating rifle carried a long distance, but he did not want to makean uncertain shot, and he continued his laborious task of climbing whichyielded such slow results. The sheep took no notice of him, still gazingover valley and ranges and at the White Dome. If he saw him, the lad wasevidently in his eyes a speck in a vast world and not worth notice. Will felt a sort of chagrin that he was not considered more dangerous, and, patting his rifle, he resolved to make the ram realize that a realhunter was after him. 

He crawled painfully and cautiously around a big rock and somethingwhirring by his ear rang sharply on the stone. He saw to his amazement along feathered arrow dropping away from the target on which it hadstruck in vain, and then roll down the side of the mountain. 

He knew, too, that the arrow had passed within a few inches of his ear, aimed with deadly purpose, and for a moment or two his blood was coldwithin his veins. Instantly he turned aside and flattened himselfagainst a stony upthrust. As he did so he heard the ring on the rockagain and a second feathered arrow tumbled into the void. 

His first emotion was thankfulness. He lay in a shallow hollow now andit was not easy for any arrow to reach him there. He was unharmed asyet, and he had the great repeating rifle which should be a competentanswer to arrows. Some loose stones were lying in the hollow, and hecautiously built them into a low parapet, which increased hisprotection. Then, peeping over the stones, he tried to discover thelocation of his enemy or enemies, if they should be plural, but he sawonly the valley below with its touch of sheltered green, the vast rockysides about it, and over all the towering summit of the White Dome. There was nothing, save the flight of the feathered arrows, to indicatethat a human being was near. Far out on the jutting crag the mountainsheep still stood, a magnificent ram, showing no consciousness ofdanger or, if conscious of it, defying it. Will suddenly lost all desireto take his life, due, perhaps, to his own resentment at the effort ofsomebody to take his own. 

He believed that the arrows had come from above, but whether from apoint directly overhead or to the right or to the left he had no way oftelling. It was a hidden foe that he had to combat, and this ignorancewas the worst feature of his position. He did not know which way toturn, he did not know which road led to escape, but must lie in hisnarrow groove until the enemy attacked. 

He had learned from his comrades, experienced in the wilderness and inIndian warfare, that perhaps the greatest of all qualities in suchsurroundings was patience, and if it had not been for such knowledge hemight have risked a third arrow long ago, but, as it was, he keptperfectly still, flattening himself against the cliff, sheltered by theedge of the natural bowl and the little terrace of stones he had built. He might have fired his rifle to attract the attention of his comrades, but he judged that they were at the camp and would not hear his shot. Hewould fight it out himself, especially as he believed that he wasmenaced by but a single Indian, a warrior who perhaps had been stalkingthe mountain sheep also, when he had beheld the creeping lad. 

Great as was the strength of the youth's will and patience, he began totwist his body a little in the stony bowl and seek here and there for asight of his besieger. He could make out stony outcrops and projectionsabove him, every one of which might shelter a warrior, and he was aboutto give up the quest when a third arrow whistled, struck upon the ledgethat he had built and, instead of falling into the chasm, rebounded intothe bowl wherein he lay. 

The barb had been broken by the rock against which it struck so hard, though the shaft, long, polished and feathered, showed that it had beenmade by an artist. But he did not know enough about arrows to tellwhether it was that of a Sioux or of a warrior belonging to some othertribe. Looking at it a little while, he threw it into the chasm, andsettled back to more waiting. 

The day was now well advanced and a brilliant sun in the slope of theheavens began to pour fiery shafts upon the side of the cliff. Will hadusually found it cold at such a height, but now the beams struckdirectly upon him and his face was soon covered with perspiration. Hewas assailed also by a fierce, burning thirst, and a great anger layhold of him. It was a terrible joke that he should be held there in thehole of the cliff by an invisible warrior who used only arrows againsthim, perhaps because he feared a shot from a rifle would bring the whitelad's comrades. 

If the Indian would not use a rifle because of the report, then the casewas the reverse with Will. He had thought that the men were too far awayto hear, but perhaps the warrior was right, and raising the repeatingrifle he sent a bullet into the void. The sharp report came back in manyechoes, but he heard no reply from the valley. A second shot, and stillno answer. It was evident that the three were too distant to hear, and, for the present, he thought it wise to waste no more bullets. 

The power of the sun increased, seeming to concentrate its rays in thelittle hollow in which Will lay. His face was scorched and his burningthirst was almost intolerable. Yet he reflected that the heat must be atthe zenith. Soon the sun would decline, and then would come night, underthe cover of which he might escape. 

He heard a heavy, rolling sound and a great rock crashed into the valleybelow. Will shuddered and crowded himself back for every inch of shelterhe could obtain. A second rock rolled down, but did not come so near, then a third bounded directly over his head, followed quickly by anotherin almost the same place. 

It was a hideous bombardment, but he realized that so long as he keptclose in his little den he was safe. It also told him that his opponentwas directly above him, and when the volleys of rocks ceased he mightget a shot. 

The missiles poured down for several minutes and then ceased abruptly. Evidently the warrior had realized the futility of his avalanche andmust now be seeking some other mode of attack. It caused Will chagrinthat he had not seen him once during all the long attack, but he noticedwith relief that the sun would soon set beyond the great White Dome. Thesnow on the Dome itself was tinged now with fire, but it looked cooleven at the distance, and assuaged a little his heat and thirst. Heknew that bye and bye the long shadows would fall, and then the gratefulcold of the night would come. 

[Illustration: The body of a warrior shot downward, striking on theledges. ]

He moved a little, flexed his muscles, grown stiff by his crampedposition, and as he did so he caught a glimpse of a figure on the southface of the wall. But it was so fleeting he was not sure. If he had onlybrought his glasses with him he might have decided, but he was withoutthem, and he concluded finally that it was merely an optical illusion. He and the Indian had the mountain walls to themselves, and the warriorcould not have moved around to that point. 

In spite of his decision his eyes at length wandered again to that sideof the wall, and a second time he thought he caught a glimpse of a humanfigure creeping among the rocks, but much nearer now. Then he realizedthat it was no illusion. He had, in very truth, seen a man, and as hestill looked a rifle was thrust over a ledge, a puff of fire leapingfrom its muzzle. From a point above him came a cry that he knew to be adeath yell, and the body of a warrior shot downward, striking on theledges until it bounded clear of them and crashed into the valley below. 

Then the figure of the man who had fired the shot stepped upon a rockyshelf, held aloft the weapon with which he had dealt sudden and terribledeath, and cried in a tremendous voice:

"Come forth, young William! Your besieger will besiege no more! Ef I dosay it myself, I've never made a better shot. "

It was the Little Giant. Never had the sight of him been more welcome, and raising himself stiffly to his feet and moving his own rifle abouthis head, Will shouted in reply:

"It was not only your greatest shot, but the greatest shot ever made byanybody. "

"Stay whar you are, " cried Bent. "You're too stiff an' sore to riskclimbin' jest yet. I'll be with you soon. "

But it was almost dark before the Little Giant crept around the face ofthe cliff and reached the hollow in which the lad lay. Then he told himthat he had seen some of the rocks falling and as he was carrying Will'sglasses he was able to pick out the warrior at the top of the cliff. Thesuccessful shot followed and the siege was over. 

Night had now come and it was an extremely delicate task to find theirway back to the valley, but they made the trip at last without mishap. Once again on level ground Will was forced to sit down and rest until asudden faintness passed. The Little Giant regarded him with sympathy. 

"You had a pretty tough time, young William, thar's no denyin' that, " hesaid. "It's hard to be cooped up in a hole in a mountainside, with anenemy shootin' at you an' sendin' avalanches down on you, an' you neverseein' him a-tall. "

"I never saw him once until he plunged from the cliff with your bulletthrough him. "

"Wa'al, it's all over now, an' we'll go back to the camp. The boys hadbeen worryin' 'bout you some, and I concluded I'd come out an' look furyou, an' ef it hadn't been fur my concludin' so I guess you'd beensettin' thar in that holler a month from now, an' the Indian would hevbeen settin' in a holler above you. At least I hev saved you from a longwaitin' spell. "

"You have, " said Will with heartfelt emphasis, "and again I thank you. "

"Come on, then. I kin see the fire shinin' through the trees an' Jim an'Steve cookin' our supper. "

Will hurried along, but his knees grew weak again and objects swambefore his eyes. He had not yet recovered his strength fully afterpassing through the tremendous test of mental and physical endurance, when he lay so long in that little hollow in the side of the mountain. The Little Giant was about to thrust out a hand and help sustain him, but he did not do so, remembering that it would hurt the lad's pride. The gold hunter, uneducated, spending his life in the wilds, hadnevertheless a delicacy of feeling worthy of the finest flower ofcivilization. 

Will was near to the fire now and the pleasant aroma of broiling venisoncame to him. Boyd and Brady were moving about the flames, engaged inpleasant homely tasks, and all his strength returned. Once more his headwas steady and his muscles strong. 

"I made a long stay, " he called cheerfully to them, "too long, I fear, nor do I bring a mountain sheep back with me. "

The sharp eyes of the hunter and the trapper saw at once in his pallidface and exaggerated manner that something unusual had happened, butthey pretended to take no notice. 

"Did you see any sheep?" asked Boyd. 

"Yes, " replied the lad, "I had a splendid view of a grand ram, standinghigh on a jutting stone over the great valley. "

"What became of him?"

"I don't know. I became so busy with something else that I forgot allabout him, and he must have gone away in the twilight. An Indian in aniche above me began firing arrows at me, and I had to stick close in alittle hollow in the stone so he couldn't reach me. If the Little Gianthadn't come along, and made another of his wonderful shots I suppose I'dbe staying there for a week to come. "

"Tom can shoot a little, " said Boyd, divining the whole story from thelad's few sentences, "and he also has a way of shooting at the righttime. Now, you sit down here, Will, and eat these steaks I'm broiling, and I'll give you a cup of coffee, too, just one cup though, becausewe're sparing our coffee as much as we can now. "

Will ate and drank with a great appetite, and then he told more fully ofhis adventure with the foe whom he had never seen until the LittleGiant's bullet sent him spinning into the void. 

"He'd have got you, " said Brady thoughtfully, "if Tom hadn't comealong. "

"You know we wuz worried 'bout him stayin' so long, " said the LittleGiant, "an' so I went out to look fur him. It wuz lucky that I took hisglasses along, or I might never hev seen him or the Sioux. I don't wantto brag, but that wuz one o' my happy thoughts. "

"You had nothing to do with taking the glasses, Tom Bent, " said Bradyseriously. 

"Why, it wuz my own idee!"

"Not at all. The idea was in your head but it was not put there by yourown mind. It was put there by the Infinite, and it was put there becauseWill's time had not yet come. You were merely an instrument, Tom Bent. "

"Mebbe I wuz. I'm not takin' any credit to myself fur deep thinkin' an'I 'low you know more 'bout these things than I do, Steve Brady, sinceyou've had your mind on 'em so much an' so long. An' ef I wuz used ez aninstrument to save Will, I'm proud that it wuz so. "

Will, who was lying on the turf propped up by his elbow before the fire, looked up at the skies, which were now a clear silver, in whichcountless stars appeared to hang, lower and larger than he had ever seenthem before. It was a beautiful sky, and whether it was merely fate orchance that had sent the Little Giant to his aid he felt with the poetthat God was in his heaven, and, for the time at least, all was rightwith his world. 

"You got a good sight of the Indian, did you, Tom?" asked Boyd. 

"I saw him plain through the glasses. He wuz a Sioux. I couldn't make nomistake. Like ez not he wuz a hunter from the village we saw on theslope below, an' whar one hunter is another may not be fur away. "

"Thinking as you do, " said Boyd, "and thinking as I do the same way youdo, I think we'd better put out our fire and shift to another part ofthe valley. "

"That's a lot of 'thinks, '" said Brady, "but it seems to me that you'reboth right, and I've no doubt such thoughts are put into our minds tosave our lives. Perhaps it would be best for us to start up the slopesat once, but if our time is coming tonight it will come and no flight ofours will alter it. "

Nevertheless they took the precaution to stamp out the last coal, andthen moved silently with the animals to another part of the dip. Whilethey were tethering their horses and mules there in a little glade allthe animals began to tremble violently and it required Will's utmostefforts to soothe them. The acute ears of Brady detected a low growlingon their right, not far from the base of the cliff. 

"Come, Tom, " he said to the Little Giant. "You and I will see what itis, and be sure you're ready with that rifle of yours. You ought toshoot beautifully in this clear moonlight. "

They disappeared among the bushes, but returned in a few minutes, although the growling had become louder and was continuous. Both men hadlost a little of their ruddiness. 

"What was it?" asked Will. 

"It wuz your friend, the Sioux warrior who held you in the cliff solong, " replied the Little Giant, shuddering. "Half a dozen big mountainwolves are quarrelin' 'bout the right place to bury him in. But, anyway, he's bein' buried, an' mighty fast too. "

Will shuddered also, and over and over again. In fact, his nervoussystem had been so shaken that it would not recover its full force for aday, and the others, trained to see all things, noticed it. 

"You soothe them animals ag'in, young William, " said the Little Giant, "an' we'll spread the blankets fur our beds here in the bushes. "

Bent again showed supreme judgment, as in quieting the fears of thehorses and mules for the second time Will found that renewed strengthflowed back into his own nervous system, and when he returned to thefireless camp his hand and voice were once more quite steady. 

"There is your bed, William, " said Brady. "You lie on one blanket, putthe other over you, and also one of the bearskins. It's likely to be adry and cold night, but anyway, whether it rains or snows, it will rainor snow on the just and the unjust, and blankets and bearskin shouldkeep you dry. That growling in the bushes, too, has ceased, and ourfriend, the Sioux, who sought your life, has found a dreadful grave. "

Will shuddered once more, but when he crept between the blankets hisnerves were soothed rapidly and he soon fell asleep. 

The three men kept watch and watch through the night, and they saw noIndian foe. Once Boyd heard a rustling in the bushes, and he made outthe figure of a huge mountain wolf that stood staring at them for amoment. The horses and mules began to stir uneasily, and, picking up astone, the hunter threw it with such good aim that the wolf, strucksmartly on the body, ran away. 

The animals relapsed into quiet, and nothing more stirred in the bushes, until the leaves began to move under the light breeze that came atdawn. 

CHAPTER IX

THE BUFFALO MARCH

Drawn by an impulse that he tried to check but could not, Will went inthe morning to the point in the bushes whence the growling had come thenight before, finding there nothing but the bones of the Sioux, fromwhich every trace of flesh had been removed. He shuddered once more. He, instead of the warrior, might have been the victim. His eyes, trainednow to look upon the earth as a book and to read what might be printedthere, saw clearly the tracks of the wolves among the grass and leaves. After finishing what they had come to do they had gone away somedistance and had gathered together in a close group, as if they hadmeditated an attack, possibly upon the horses and mules. 

Will knew how great and fierce the mountain wolves of the north were, and he was glad to note that, after their council, they had gone on andperhaps had left the valley. At least, he was able to follow theirtracks as far as the lower rocks, where they disappeared. When hereturned to the little camp he told what he had seen. 

"We're in no danger of a surprise from the big wolves, " said Brady. "They'd have killed and eaten some of the horses and mules if we hadn'tbeen here, but wolves are smart, real smart. Like as not they saw Thomasshoot the Sioux, and they knew that the long stick he carried, fromwhich fire spouted, slaying the warrior, was like the long sticks all ofus carry, and that to attack us here was death for them. Oh, I know I'mguessing a lot, but I've observed 'em a long time and I'm convincedwolves can reason that far. "

"All animals are smarter than we think they are, " said the Little Giant. "I've lived among 'em a heap, an' know a lot o' their ways. Only they'vea diff'rent set o' intellectooals from ours. What we're smart in theyain't, an' what they're smart in we ain't. Now, ef I had joined to whatI am myself the strength o' a grizzly bear, the cunnin' o' a wolf an'the fleetness o' an antelope I reckon I'd be 'bout the best man thatever trod 'roun' on this planet. "

"I've one thing to suggest before we start, " said Will, "and I thinkit's important. "

"What is it?" asked Boyd. 

"That we make copies of the map. We may become separated for longperiods--everything indicates that we will--I might fall into the handsof Felton, who seems to have a hint about the mine, and, if I saw such athing about to occur, I would destroy the map, and then you would havethe copies. Each of you faced by a similar misfortune could make awaywith his copy, and if the worst came to the worst I could re-draw itfrom memory. "

"Good idee! Good idee!" exclaimed the Little Giant with enthusiasm. "I've been tellin' Jim an' Steve that though they mightn't think it, youhad the beginnin's o' intelleck in that head o' yours. "

"Thank you, " said Will, and they all laughed. 

"It's a good thought, " said Boyd, "and we'd better do it at once. "

Will carried in his pack some pens and a small bottle of indelible ink, and with these they drew with the greatest care three more maps on finedeerskin, small but very clear, and then every man stored one in asecure place about his person. 

"Now, remember, " said Boyd, "if any one of us is in danger of capture hemust get rid of his map. "

Then, their breakfast over, they began the ascent of the slope, leadingtoward the White Dome, finding it easier than they had thought. Asalways, difficulties decreased when they faced them boldly, and even theanimals, refreshed by their stay in the valley, showed renewed vigor, climbing like goats. The Little Giant whistled merrily, mostly battlesongs of the late war which was still so fresh in the minds of all men. 

"I notice that you whistle songs of both sides, " said Brady. "Musically, at least, you have no feeling about our great Civil War. "

"Nor any other way, either, " rejoined the Little Giant. "I may hev hedmy feelin's once, though I ain't sayin' now what they wuz, but fur methe war is all over, done fit clean out. They say six or seven hundredthousand men wuz lost in it, an' now that it's over it's got to stopright thar. I'm lookin' to the future, I am, to the quarter of a millionin gold that's comin' to me, an' the gorgeous ways in which I'm goin'to spend it. Young William, see that big mountain ram standin' out onthe side o' the peak over thar. I believe he's the same feller that youtried to stalk yesterday, an' that he's laughin' at you. He's a goodmile away, but I kin see the twinkle in his eye, an' ez shore ez I stan'here he lifted his left foot to his nose an' twisted it 'bout in agesture which among us boys allers meant fight. Do you stan' his dare, young William, or are you goin' to climb over thar whar he is an' hev itout with him?"

"I'll let him alone, " laughed William, looking at the splendid ram, outlined so sharply in the clear mountain light. "I meant to do himharm, but I'm glad I didn't. Maybe that Indian was engaged in the sametask, when he saw me and changed his hunting. "

Then he shuddered once more at the growling he had heard and what he hadseen in the bushes the next morning, but his feeling of horror did notlast long, because they were now climbing well upon the shoulder of theWhite Dome and the spectacle, magnificent and inspiring, claimed alltheir attention. 

The last bushes and dwarfed vegetation disappeared. Before them roseterrace on terrace, slope on slope of rock, golden or red in the sun, and beyond them the great snow fields and the glaciers. Over it alltowered the White Dome, round and pure, the finest mountain Will hadever seen. He never again saw anything that made a more deep and solemnimpression upon him. Far above all the strife and trouble of the worldswam the white peak. 

Meanwhile the Little Giant continued to whistle merrily. He was notawed, and he was not solemn. Prone to see the best in everything, heenjoyed the magnificent panorama outspread before them, and also drewfrom it arguments most favorable for their quest. 

"We're absolutely safe from the warriors, " he said. "We're above thetimber line, and they'd never come up here huntin'. An Indian doesn't doanythin' more than he has to. He ain't goin' to wear hisself outclimbin' to the top o' a mounting ten miles high in order to hev a lookat the scenery. We won't be troubled by no warriors 'til we go down theshoulder o' your White Dome on the other side. "

He resumed his clear, musical whistling, pouring out in a most wonderfulmanner the strains of "Dixie, " changing impartially to "Yankee Doodle, "shifting back to "The Bonnie Blue Flag, " and then, with the same lack ofprejudice, careering into "Marching Through Georgia. "

The horses and mules that they were now leading felt the upliftinginfluence, raised their heads and marched forward more sturdily. 

"What makes you so happy?" asked Will. 

"The kindness o' natur' what gave me that kind o' a disposition, "replied the Little Giant, "an' added to it the feelin' that all the timeI'm drawin' closer to my gold. What did you say my share would be, youngWilliam, a matter o' a million or a half million?"

"A quarter of a million. "

"Seems to me it wuz a half million, but somehow it grows ez we go'long. When you git rich, even in the mind, you keep on gittin' richer. "

Then he began to whistle a gallant battle stave with extraordinaryrichness and variety of tone, and when he had finished Will asked:

"What was that song, Tom? It's a new one to me. "

"It's new to most people, " replied the Little Giant, "but it's old jestthe same. It wuz writ 'way back in the last war with England, an' I'llquote you the first two verses, words an' grammar both correct:

 "Britannia's gallant streamers Float proudly o'er the tide, And fairly wave Columbia's stripes In battle side by side, And ne'er did bolder seamen meet Where ocean surges pour O'er the tide now they ride While the bell'wing thunders roar While the cannon's fire is flashing fast And the bell'wing thunders roar. 

 "When Yankee meets the Briton Whose blood congenial flows, By Heaven created to be friends By fortune reckoned foes: Hard then must be the battle fray E'er well the fight is o'er, Now they ride, side by side, While the bell'wing thunders roar, While the cannon's fire is flashing fast And the bell'wing thunders roar. 

"That's a lot more verses, young William, an' it's all 'bout them greatnaval duels o' the war o' 1812, an' you'll notice that whoever writ 'emhad no ill feelin' in his natur', an' give heaps o' credit to theBritish. It does seem that we an' the British ought to be friends, bein'so close kin, actin' so much alike, an' havin' institutions just thesame, 'cept that whar they hev a king we hev a president. Yet here weare quarrelin' with 'em a lot, though not more than they quarrel withus. "

"The trouble lies in the fact that we speak the same language, " saidWill. "Every word of abuse spoken by one is understood by the other. Now, if the French or the Spanish or the Russians denounce us we neverhear anything about it, don't know even that it's been done. "

"That's good ez fur ez it goes, " said the Little Giant. "I've seen a loto' English that don't speak any English, a-tall, fellers that come outo' the minin' regions in England an' some from London, too, that talkeda lingo soundin' ez much like English ez Sioux does, but it doesn'talter the fact that them an' us ought to be friends. An' I reckon wewill be now, 'cause I hear they're claimin' that our Washington wuz anEnglishman, the same immortal George that they would hev hung in theRevolution along with his little hatchet, too, ef they could hev caughthim. "

Will laughed with relish. 

"In a way Washington was an Englishman, " he said. "That is, he was ofpure English stock, transplanted to another land. The Athenians wereGreeks, the most famous of the Greeks, but they were not the oldest ofthe Greeks by any means. They were a colony from Asia Minor, just as wewere a colony from England. "

"I don't know much 'bout the Greeks, young William, my lad, but ef theEnglish kin lay claim to Washington ez one o' their sons, 'cause he wuzof pure English blood, then me an' most o' the Americans kin lay jest ezgood a claim to Shakespeare 'cause, we bein' o' pure British blood, hewuz one o' our ancestors. "

"Your claim is perfectly good, Giant. By and by, both Washington andShakespeare will belong to the whole English-speaking world. "

"Its proudest ornyments, so to speak. Now, that bein' settled, I'd liketo go back to a p'int that troubles me. "

"If I can help call on me. "

"It's 'bout that song I wuz jest singin'. At the last line o' each verseit says: 'An' the bell'wing thunders roar. ' I've thought it over a heapo' times, but I've never rightly made out what a bell'wing thunder is. Thar ain't nothin' 'bout thunder that reminds me o' bells. Now what isit, young William?"

Will began to laugh. 

"What do you find so funny?" asked the Little Giant suspiciously. 

"Nothing at all! Nothing at all!" replied Will hastily. "'Bell'wing' isbellowing. The writer meant the bellowing thunders, and it's cut off tobell'wing for the sake of rhyme and metre, a poetical liberty, so tospeak. You see, poets have liberties denied to other people. "

"Wa'al, I reckon they need a few. All that I ever seed did. But I'mmighty glad the p'int hez been settled. It's been botherin' me furyears. Thank you, young William. "

"I think now, " said Boyd, "that we'd better be looking for a camp. "

"Among all these canyons and valleys, " said Will, "it shouldn't be hardto find a suitable place. "

Canyons were too abundant for easy traveling, and finding a fairly levelthough narrow place in one of the deepest, they pitched camp there, building a fire with wood which they had added to their packs for thispurpose, and feeding to the animals grass which they had cut on thelower slopes. With the warm food and the fire it was not so bad, although the wind began to whistle fiercely far above their heads. Theanimals hovered near the fire for warmth, looking to the human beingswho guided them for protection. 

"I think we shall pass the highest point of our journey tomorrow, " saidBrady, "and then for the descent along the shoulder of the White Dome. Truly the stars have fought for us and I cannot believe that, afterhaving escaped so many perils, we will succumb to others to come. "

"O' course we won't, " said the Little Giant cheerfully, "an' all thedangers we've passed through will make our gold all the more to us. Things ain't much to you 'less you earn 'em. When I git my million, which is to be my share o' that mine, I'll feel like I earned it. "

"A quarter of a million, Tom, " laughed Will. "You're getting avariciousas we go on. You raised it to a half million and now you make it amillion. "

"It does look ez ef my fancy grew more heated the nearer we come to thegold. I do hev big expectations fur a feller that never found a speck ofit. How that wind does howl! Do you think, young William, that a glacieris comin' right squar' down on us?"

"No, Tom. Glaciers, like tortoises, move slowly. We'll have time to getout of the way of any glacier. It's easy to outrun the fastest one onthe globe. "

"I've heard tell that the earth was mostly covered with 'em once. Isthat so?"

"They say there was an Ice Age fifty thousand or so years ago, wheneverything that lived had to huddle along the equator. I don't vouch forit. I'm merely telling what the scholars tell. "

"I'll take your word for it, young William, an' all the same I'm glad Ididn't live then. Think o' bein' froze to death all your life. Ez it isI'm ez cold ez I keer to be, layin' here right now in this canyon. "

"If we were not hunting for gold, " said Brady, "I'd try to climb to thetop of this mountain. I take it to be close on to fourteen thousand feetin height and I often feel the ambition of the explorer. Perhaps that'swhy I've been willing to search so long and in vain for the great beaverhorde. I find so many interesting things by the way, lakes, rivers, mountains, valleys, game, hot springs, noble forests and many otherthings that help to make up a splendid world. It's worth while for a manlike me, without any ties, just to wander up and down the face of theearth. "

"Do you know anything about the country beyond the White Dome?" askedWill. 

"Very little, except that it slopes down rapidly to a much lower rangeof mountains, mostly forested, then to hills, forested also, and afterthat we have the great plains again. "

"Now you've talked enough, young William, " said the Little Giant. "It'stime for you to sleep, but ez this is goin' to be a mighty cold night uphere, fifteen or twenty miles 'bove the clouds, I reckon we'd better gitblankets, an' wrap up the hosses an' mules too. "

Having enough to go around they tied one blanket around the body ofevery animal, and Will was the most proficient in the task. 

"It's 'cause they help him an' they don't help us, " said the LittleGiant. "Seein' that you've got such a touch with animals we're goin' touse you the next time we meet a grizzly bear. 'Stead o' wastin' bulletson him an' runnin' the chance o' some o' us gittin' hurt, we'll jestsend you forrard to talk to him an' say, 'Ephraim! Old Eph, kindly moveout o' the path. You're obstructin' some good men an' scarin' some goodhosses an' mules. ' Then he'll go right away. "

Despite their jesting they pitched the camp for that critical night withthe greatest care, making sure that they had the most sheltered place inthe canyon, and ranging the horses and mules almost by the side ofthem. More clothing was brought from the packs and every man waswrapped up like a mummy, the fur coats they had made for themselvesproving the best protection. Although the manifold wrappings kept Will'sblood warm in his veins, the night itself and their situation createdupon his mind the effect of intense cold. 

The wind rose all the time, as if it were determined to blow away theside of the mountain, and it howled and shrieked over their heads in allthe keys of terror. None of them could sleep for a long time. 

"It's real skeery, " said the Little Giant. "Mebbe nobody hez ever beenup here so high before, an' this old giant of a mountain don't like oursettin' here on his neck. I've seen a lot o' the big peaks in theRockies, w'arin' thar white hats o' snow, an' they allers 'pear to me tobe alive, lookin' down so solemn an' sometimes so threatenin'. Hark tothat, will you! I know it wuz jest the screamin' o' the wind, but itsounded to me like the howlin' o' a thousand demons. Are you shore, young William, that thar ain't imps an' critters o' that kind on thetops o' high mountings, waitin' fur innocent fellers like us?"

Will slept at last, but the mind that can remain troubled and uneasythrough sleep awoke him several times in the course of the night, andalways he heard the fierce, threatening blasts shrieking and howlingover the mountain. His eyes yet heavy with sleep, it seemed to him inspite of himself that there must be something in the Little Giant'ssuggestion that imps and demons on the great peaks resented theirpresence. He knew that it could not be true, but he felt as if it were, and once he rose all swathed in many garments and stroked the noses ofthe horses and mules, which were moving uneasily and showing other signsof alarm. 

Dawn came, clear, with the wind not so high, but icily cold. They fedthe last of the little store of hay to the animals, ate cold foodthemselves, and then crept out of the canyon, leading their horses andmules with the most extreme care, a care that nevertheless would havebeen in vain had not all the beasts been trained to mountain climbing. It was a most perilous day, but the next night found them so far down onthe western slope of the White Dome that they had reached the timberline again. 

The trees were dwarfed and scraggly, but they were trees just the same, affording shelter from wind and cold, and fuel for a fire, which thetravelers built, providing themselves once more with warm food andcoffee as sizzling hot as they could stand it. The animals found alittle solace for their hunger by chewing on the tenderest parts of thebushes. 

After the meal they built the fire higher, deciding that they wouldwatch by turns and keep it going through the night. As the wind was notso threatening and the glow of the coals was cheerful they slept well, in their turns, and all felt fresh and vigorous when they renewed thejourney the next morning. They descended rapidly now among the lowerranges of the mountains and came into heavy forests and grassy openingswhere the animals ate their fill. Game also was abundant, and theytreated themselves to fresh deer meat, the product this time of Brady'srifle. They were all enveloped by a great sense of luxury and rest, andstill having the feeling that time was their most abundant commodity, they lingered among the hills and in the timber, where there were clear, cold lakelets and brooks and creeks that later lost themselves on theplains. 

It gave Will a great mental stimulus after so many dangers and suchtremendous hardships, the survival of which without a wound seemedincredible. He looked back at the vast peak of the White Dome, solemnand majestic, piercing the sky, and it seemed to him at times that ithad been a living thing and that it had watched over them in theirgigantic flight. 

Despite the increased danger there from Indian raids they lingeredlonger than they had intended among the pleasant hills. The animals, which had been much worn in the passage of the great mountains, and twothat became lame in the descent recovered entirely. The Little Giant andthe hunter scouted in wide circles, and, seeing no sign of Indian bands, most of their apprehension on that score disappeared, leaving to them acertain sense of luxury as they delayed among the trees, and in thepleasant hills. Will caught some fine trout in one of the larger brooks, and Brady cooked them with extraordinary culinary skill. The lad hadnever tasted anything finer. 

"Come here, young William, " said the Little Giant, "an' stand up by theside o' me. No, you haven't grown a foot in height, since I met you, somany days since, but you've grown jest the same. Your chest is bigger, too, an' you eat twice ez much ez you did. I hope that what's insideyour head hez done growed too. "

"Thomas Bent, " said Brady, "you should not talk in such a manner aboutwhat's inside his head to the one who is the real leader of thisexpedition, as the mine is his. He might be insulted, cast you off, andlet you go eat corn husks with the prodigal son. "

"No, he won't, " replied the Little Giant, confidently. "Will, hevin'done tuk me in ez pardner, would never want to put me out ag'in, northar ain't no corn husks nor no prodigal son. Besides, he likes fur meto compliment him on his growth. You're older than I am, Steve Brady, but I want to tell you that the man or woman wuz never born who didn'tlike a little well-placed flattery now an' then, though what I've beensayin' to young William ain't flattery. "

"In that matter I'm agreeing with you, Thomas Bent. You're dipping froma well of truth, when you're saying all men are accessible toflattery--and all women too, though perhaps more so. "

"Mebbe women are more so an' mebbe men are more so. I reckon it dependson whether a man or woman is tellin' it. "

"Which is as near as we'll ever come to a decision, " said Brady, "but ofone thing I'm sure. "

"What's that, Steve?"

"We've dallied long enough with the flesh pots of Egypt. If William willtake his glasses he can see the land of Canaan outspread far below us. It is there that we must go. "

"An' that thar land o' Canaan, " said the Little Giant, "is rid over bySioux warriors, ready to shoot us with rifles or stick us through withlances. I'd hate to die hangin' on a Sioux lance. Sech a death makes meshiver. Ef I've got to die a violent death, give me a good, honestbullet ev'ry time. You hevn't seen the Sioux at work with lances, hevyou, young William?"

"No, Tom. "

"Well, I hev. They fight with 'em, o' course, an' they hev a whole codeo' signals with 'em, too. In battle everybody must obey the head chief, who gives the orders to the sub-chiefs, who then direct their menaccordin'. Often thar ain't a chance to tell by words an' then they usethe lances fur signallin'. In a Sioux army, an', fur the matter o' that, in any Indian army, the hoss Indians is divided into two columns, theright an' the left. When the battle comes on, the head war chief ridesto the top o' a ridge or hill, gen'ally 'bout half a mile 'way from thescrap. The columns on the right an' the left are led by the underchiefs. 

"Then the big chief begins to tell 'em things with his lance. He ain'tgoin' to fight with that lance, an' fur other purposes he hez fastenedon it near the blade a big piece o' dressed skin a yard squar' an'painted black. Now he stretches the lance straight out in front o' himan' waves it, which means fur both columns to attack all at once an'right away, lickety-split. Ef he stretches the lance out to his rightand waves it forward it means fur the right column alone to jump interthe middle o' things, the same movement on the left applyin' to the leftcolumn, an' thar's a lot more which I could tell you 'bout lancesignallin' which I hope you won't hev to see. "

"We will not disguise from ourselves, " said Brady, in his usual gravetone, "that we must confront peril when we descend into the plains, yetdescend we must, because these mountains and hills won't go on with us. It will be a long time before we strike another high range. On theplains we've got to think of Indians, and then we've got to look out forwater, too. "

"Our march often makes me think of Xenophon, whom I studied in the highschool, " said Will. 

"What's Xenophon?" asked the Little Giant suspiciously. "I ain't heardo' no sich country. "

"Xenophon is not a country. Xenophon was a man, and a good deal of aman. He led a lot of Greeks, along with a lot of Persians, to help aPersian overthrow his brother and seize the throne of the Persianempire. In the battle the Greeks were victorious wherever they werefighting, but the Persian whom they were supporting was killed, andhaving no more business there they concluded to go away. "

"Lost their paymaster, eh?"

"Well, I suppose you could put it that way. Anyway they resolved to goback to their homes in Greece, across mountains, rivers and deserts. Xenophon, who led them, wrote the account of it. "

"Then I'll bet that Xenophon looms up pretty big in the tellin' o' it. "

"No, he was a modest man, Tom. But what I remember best about the story, they were always marching so many parasangs, so many days' journey to awell of water. It gets to be a sort of fascination with you. You arealways wondering how many parasangs they'll march before they come towater. And sometimes you've a kind of horrible fear that there won't beany water to come to, and it keeps you keyed up. "

"Same ez ef you wuz in that sort o' condition yourself. "

"Something like it. "

"Well, mebbe we will be, an' jest you remember, young William, sincethem Greeks allers come to water, else Xenophon who led them never wouldhev lived fur the tellin' o' it, that we'll allers come to water, too, even of we do hev to wait a week or two fur it. Cur'us how long you kinlive after your tongue hez baked, your throat hez turned to an oven, an'your lips hev curled up with the heat. "

"I imagine, Tom, " said Boyd, "we're not going to suffer like that. "

"I jest wanted to let young William know the worst fust an' he kinfortify himself accordin'. "

"I'm prepared to suffer what the rest of you suffer, " said the lad. 

"The right spirit, " said Brady, heartily. "We'll be Davids andJonathans, cleaving the one unto the other, and now, as we're about toemerge from the last bit of forest I suggest that we fill all our waterbottles from this brook among the trees. Thomas has talked so feelinglyabout thirst that I want to provide against it. We will not strike herethe deserts that are to be found in the far south, but we may well havelong periods without water free from alkali. "

They had many leather water bottles, their packs having been preparedwith all the skill of experience and sound judgment, and they filled allof them at the brook, which was pure and cold, flowing down from themountains. At one of the deeper pools which had a fine bottom of gravelthey bathed thoroughly, and afterward let the horses and mules wade intothe water and take plunges they seemed to enjoy greatly. 

"An' now, " said the Little Giant, taking off his hat and looking back, "good-bye trees, good-bye hills, good-bye, high mountains, good-bye allclear, cold streams like this, an' good-bye, you grand White Dome. Saythem words after me, young William, 'cause when we git out on the greatplains we're likely to miss these friends o' ourn. "

He spoke with evident feeling, and Will, taking off his hat, said thewords after him, though with more regard to grammar. 

"And now, after leading them most of the way, " said Boyd, "we'll ride onthe backs of our horses. "

The four mounted, and, while they regretted the woods and the runningwater they were about to leave behind them, they were glad to ride oncemore, and they felt the freedom and exhilaration that would come withthe swift, easy motion of their horses. The pack animals, knowing thehands that fed and protected them, would follow with certainty closebehind them, and Will, in particular, could lead them as if he had beentraining them for years. 

The vast sweep of the plains into which they now emerged showed greatnatural beauty, that is, to those who loved freedom and space, and thewinds came untarnished a thousand miles. Before them stretched thecountry, not flat, but in swell on swell, tinted a delicate green, andwith wild flowers growing in the tufts of grass. 

"I've roamed over 'em for years, " said Brady, "and after a while theytake a mighty grip on you. It may be all the stronger for me, becauseI'm somewhat solitary by nature. "

"You're shorely not troubled by neighbors out here, " said the LittleGiant. "I've passed three or four months at a time in the mountingswithout a soul to speak to but myself. The great West suits a man, whodon't want to talk, clean down to the groun'. "

Will, the reins lying upon the pommel of his saddle, was surveying thehorizon with the powerful glasses which he was so proud to possess, andfar in the southeast he noticed a dim blur which did not seem to be anatural part of the plain. It grew as he watched it, assuming the shapeof a cloud that moved westward along one side of a triangle, while thefour were riding along the other side. If they did not veer from theircourse they would meet, in time, and the cloud, seemingly of dust, was, therefore, a matter of living interest. 

"What are you looking at so long?" asked Boyd. 

"A cloud of dust that grows and grows and grows. "

"Where?"

"In the southeast. "

"I can't see it and I have pretty keen eyes. "

"The naked eye won't reach so far, but the dust cloud is there just thesame. It's moving in a course almost parallel with us and it grows everysecond I look at it. It may be the dust kicked up by a band of Siouxhorsemen. Take a look, Jim, and tell us what you make of it. "

Boyd looked through the glasses, at first with apprehension that soonchanged to satisfaction. 

"The cloud of dust is growing fast, just as you told us, Will, " he said, "and, while it did look for a moment or two like Indian horsemen, itisn't. It's a buffalo herd, and the tail of it runs off into thesoutheast, clean down under the horizon. Buffaloes move in two kinds ofherds, the giant herds, and the little ones. This is a giant, and nomistake. In a few minutes you'll be able to see 'em, plain, with yourown eyes. "

"I kin see thar dust cloud now, " exclaimed the Little Giant. "Looks ezef they wuz cuttin' 'cross our right o' way. "

They rode forward at ease and gradually a mighty cloud of dust, manymiles in length and of great width, emerged from the plain, movingsteadily toward the northwest. Will, with his glasses, now saw themyriads of black forms that trampled up the dusty typhoons, and was evenable to discern the fierce wolves hanging on the flanks in the hope ofpulling down a calf or a decrepit old bull. 

"They must number millions, " he said. 

"Like ez not they do, " said the Little Giant. "You kin tell tales 'boutthe big herds o' bufflers on the plains that nobody will b'lieve, butthey're true jest the same. Once at the Platte I saw a herd crossin' furfive days, an' it stretched up an' down the river ez fur ez the eyecould see. "

"How do they all live? Where do they find enough grass to eat?" askedWill. 

"I dunno, but bunch grass is pow'ful fillin' an' fattenin', an' when acountry runs fifteen or eighteen hundred miles each way, thar's a lot o'grass in it. The Sioux, the Cheyennes, the Pawnees an' all the plainsIndians live on the buffler. "

"And in my opinion, " said Brady, "the buffalo must have been increasinguntil the white man came with firearms. Their increase was greater thanthe toll taken by Indians with bows and arrows and by the wolves. Nowonder the Indians fight so hard to retain the plains and the buffalo. With an unlimited meat supply on the hoof, and with limited needs, theyundoubtedly lived a happy, nomadic life. If your health is good and yourwants are few it's not hard to be happy. The Biblical people werenomadic for a long time, and some of the world's greatest men and womenmoved with herds and lived in tents. My mind often reverts to those olddays and the simplicity of life. "

"I've allers thought thar wuz somethin' o' the old Bible 'bout you, Steve, " said the Little Giant. "You ain't no prophet. Nobody isnowadays, but you talk like them fightin' an' prayin' old fellers, an'you wander 'roun' the West jest ez they wandered 'bout the land o'Canaan, but shore that you will git to your journey's end at last. An' Iknow, too, Steve, that when you come to a fight you're jest ez fiercean' terrible ez old Joshua hisself ever wuz, an' ef I ain't mistook itwuz him that wuz called the sword o' the Lord. Ain't I right, youngWilliam?"

"I'm not sure, " replied the lad, "but if you'll read the Book of Joshuayou'll find his sword was a great and terrible weapon indeed. "

"What do you think we'd better do, Boyd, " asked Brady. "If we keep goingwe'll find the herd crossing our path, and it will be no use fur us totry to break through it. "

"We can move on until we come close up, " replied the hunter, "and thenwait for the herd to go by. Maybe we might strike a clump of trees inwhich we could camp. Pick out the country with your glasses, Will, andsee if you can find any trees on our side of the moving buffalo line. "

Will, after much searching, was able to identify the tops of some treesstanding in a dip where, sheltered from the winds that blew unceasingly, they had been able to obtain good size. 

"We'll ride fur 'em, " said Boyd. "There may be a pool of water in thedip, too. "

"But won't the buffaloes stop and drink it up?" asked Will. 

"No, they're bearing straight ahead, looking neither to the right nor tothe left, going I've no idea where. "

"Two million hearts that beat as one, " said Will. 

They reached the dip in due time, finding it a shallow depression of ahalf acre, well grown with substantial cottonwoods and containing, asthey had surmised, a pool of good water, perhaps twenty feet each way, and two feet deep. Here the animals drank freely, enabling them to savethe store they carried for more stringent times, and then all restedamong the trees, while myriads of buffaloes thundered by. 

Hour after hour they marched past, not a single one stopping for thewater and deep grass they must have smelled so near. At times, they werehalf hidden by the vast cloud of dust in which they moved, and which wasof their own making, and at other times the wind of the plains blew itaway, revealing the lowered heads and huge black forms, pressing on withsome sort of instinct to their unknown destination. 

Will watched them a long time and the tremendous sight at last laid aspell upon him. Apparently they had no leaders. What power moved themout of a vast and unknown region into another region, alike vast andunknown? Leaderless though they were, they advanced like the columns ofan army and with a single purpose. He climbed into a fork of one of thecottonwoods and used his glasses once more. 

First he looked into the northwest, where they were going, and he couldnot now see the head of the shaggy army or of the dust column that hungabove it, as both had passed long since under the horizon. And lookinginto the southeast he could not see, either, the end of the coming armyor of its dust cloud. It emerged continually from under the rim of thehorizon, and there was such an effect of steadiness and permanency thatit seemed to the lad as if that vast column, black and wide, would becoming on forever. 

Then he caught a glimpse of something glinting through the dust and fromthe other side of the herd a full two miles away. Only good eyes and themost powerful glasses of the time could have detected it at such amoment, but he saw it twice, and then thrice and once more. Then, waiting for the dust to lift a little, he discerned a brilliant ray ofsunlight striking on the head of a lance. Looking further andsearchingly he was able to note the figures of Indians on their ponies, armed with lances, and cutting out from the herd as many of its choicestmembers as they wanted, which were always the young and fat cows. 

He descended the tree hastily and related what he had seen to theothers, who, however, were not stirred greatly by the narration. 

"The buffaloes are a river, two miles wide, flowing between us and thesavage hunters, " said Boyd, "and not having trees to climb and glassesto look through they won't see us. "

"Besides, they're taking meat for their village, wherever it may be, "said Brady, "and they're not dreaming that white men whose heads canfurnish nice scalps are near. "

Will shivered a little, and clapped one hand to his hair, which wasuncommonly thick and fine. 

"Your scalp is thar, right an' tight, young William, " said the LittleGiant, "but ef the Sioux got up close to you, you'd hev to hold it onwith both han's 'stead o' one. Hev any o' you fellers noticed that allof us hev pow'ful thick, strong hair that would make splendid scalps fitto hang in the tepees o' the head chiefs theirselves? It's remarkyblehow fine they are, speshully on the heads o' old men like Jim an'Steve. "

"Thomas Bent, you irreverent and chunky imp, " said Brady, "I, the oldestof this party, am but thirty-eight. I have not yet reached the fullprime of my physical powers, and if I should be put to it I couldadminister to you the thrashing you need. "

"And I'm only thirty-six, " said Boyd, "and I've licked Tom often andoften, though sometimes, when he's feeling right peart, I'd have to useboth hands to do it. But I don't have any feeling against him when I dothe job. It's just to improve his language and manners. These boys ofthirty-two or three are so pesky full of life and friskiness that youhave to treat 'em as you would young lions. Before we met you in themountains, Steve, I generally gave him his thrashing in the morningbefore breakfast. "

He reached a large palm for the Little Giant, who leaped lightly awayand laughed. 

"Lend me your glasses, young William, " he said. "I'd like to climb oneo' the cotton woods myself an' take a look at the Indian hunters. O'course you're a bright boy, young William, an' Jim an' Steve are so oldthey're boun' to hev some intelligence forced upon 'em, but ez fur mebrightness an' intelligence come nateral, an' though mighty modest 'boutit, I reckon I'm a kind o' Napoleon o' the West. They say our figgersare tremenjeously alike, though, o' course, I'm thicker an' muchstronger than he wuz, an' perhaps a lot brighter in some ways. "

"Go on, you supreme egotist, " said Brady in his usual solemn tones, "climb the tree, where I cannot hear your voice, and stay there a longtime. "

The Little Giant was more serious than he pretended to be. He was fullyaware that they had lost at least seventy-five per cent of theirsecurity when they descended from the high mountains. On the plains itwas difficult to fortify against attack, and he did not like theappearance of the Indians, even as hunters on the far side of thebuffalo herd. Hence, when he had made himself comfortable in one of thehighest forks of a cottonwood, his examination through the glasses waslong and critical. He saw, just as Will had seen, the herd comingforever from under the southeastern rim of the horizon and disappearingforever under the northwestern rim. Then he caught glimpses of thehunters still pursuing and cutting out the fat young cows, but insteadof being parallel with the little party in the dip they had now passedfar beyond it. Then he descended the tree and spoke what he thought. 

"Jim Boyd, hunter, Steve Brady, trapper, an' young William, " he said, "I'm of the opinion that we'd better stay here at least one day an'night. The river o' buffaloes will be flowin' by at least that long, butef we wuz to go on an' they wuz to pass us, we might meet the warriorswith no river in between, an' we ain't looking fur that. "

"Good advice, " said Brady. "When the conquerors went down into the landof Canaan they used every chance that nature or circumstance offeredthem, and why shouldn't we, even though three thousand years or so haveelapsed? We will build no fire, but repose calmly in our little clump oftrees. "

"Good judgment, " said Boyd. 

"Pleases me, " said Will. 

All day long and all that night the herd, as wide and dense as ever, waspassing. They might have slain enough to feed a great army, but they didnot fire a shot. The sight, whether by daylight or moonlight, did notlose its romance and majesty for the lad. It was a black sea, flowingand living, one of the greatest spectacles of the mighty westernwilderness, and it was given to him to look upon it. 

He grew so used to it by and by that he had no thought of its turningfrom its course or of its throwing out stragglers like little, divergingcurrents. It would go on in a vast flood, straight into the unknown, wherever it intended to go. 

The horses and mules themselves, though at first uneasy, soon grew usedto the passage of the living river, and, since no harm came from it, evidently concluded that none would come. Will walked among them morethan once and stroked their manes and then their noses, which theyrubbed confidingly against him. 

The moon shining that night was very bright, and, the heavens beingstarred in such brilliant splendor, they saw almost as well as by day. Will, to whom the romantic and majestic appealed with supreme force, began to find a certain enjoyment, or rather a mental uplift, in hisextraordinary position. Before him was the great, black and livingriver, flowing steadily from the unknown into the unknown, to north andto south the rolling plains stretched away to infinity, and behind him, piercing the skies, rose the misty White Dome, a vast peak; nowfriendly, that seemed to watch over these faithful comrades of his andhimself. 

None of them slept until late, and they divided the remainder of thenight into watches of two hours apiece, Will's running from two untilfour in the morning. It was Brady whom he succeeded and it required someeffort of the will for him to leap at once from his warm blankets andtake the place of sentinel in the night, which was now cold, as usual onthe plains. But, while averse to bloodshed, he had drilled himself intosoldiership in action, always prompt, accurate and thorough, and in lessthan a minute he was walking up and down, rifle on shoulder, eyes opento everything that was to be seen and ears ready for everything that wasto be heard. Stephen Brady, the philosopher, looked at him withapproval. 

"A prompt and obedient lad is sure to be a good and useful man, " hesaid. "You're as big as a man now, but you haven't the years and theexperience. I like you, William, and you are entitled to your share ofthe Land of Canaan, which, in these later days, may be interpretedvariously as the treasures of the spirit and the soul. And now, good-night. "

He wrapped himself in his blankets and, sound of body and conscience, heslept at once. Will, walking back and forth, alert, eager, found thatnothing had changed while he was in slumber. The buffalo herd flowed on, its speed and its flood the same, while the White Dome towered far intothe sky, almost above them, serene, majestic and protecting. It seemedto Will that all the omens were good, that, great though the dangers andhardships might be, they would triumph surely in the end. And thefeeling of victory and confidence was still strong upon him when hiswatch of two hours was finished and he, too, in his turn, slept again. 

CHAPTER X

THE WAR CLUB'S FALL

When Will awoke in the cold dawn he found the herd still passing, thoughit showed signs of diminution in both breadth and density. Afterbreakfast he climbed the cottonwood again, and took another long andsearching look through the glasses. 

"I can't yet see the end of the advancing herd under the rim of thehorizon, " he announced when he descended, "but, as you can tell from theground, it's thinning out. "

"Which means thar'll no longer be a river cutting us off from the hossIndians on the south, " said the Little Giant, "an' which means, too, that it's time fur us to light out from here an' foller the trail. "

Curving considerably toward the north for fear of the Indian hunters, who were likely to be where the buffaloes were, they rode at a good paceover the plain, the pack horses and mules following readily withoutleading. Their curve finally took them so far toward the north that theswells of the plain hid the buffalo herd--only Will's glasses disclosingtraces of the dust cloud--and the thunder of its passage no longerreached their ears. 

Near sundown they came to a low ridge covered with bushes, and decidingthat it was an excellent place for a camp they rode into the thick of ituntil sure also from the presence of tree growth that they would findwater not far away. Will was the first to dismount and as he went overthe crest and down the slope in search of a stream or pool, he uttered acry of horror. 

He had come upon a sight, alas! too familiar at that time upon theplains. Scattered about a little grassy opening were seven or eighthuman skeletons, picked so clean by the wolves that they were white andglistening. But the lad knew that wolves had not caused their deaths. Bullet, arrow and lance had done the work. He shuddered again and again, but he was too much of the mountain ranger and plainsman now to turnaside because of horror. 

He concluded that the skeletons represented perhaps two families, surprised and slaughtered by the Sioux. Several of them were small, evidently those of children, and he arrived at the number two because hesaw in the bushes near by two of the great wagons of the emigrant camp, overturned and sacked. Just beyond was a small, clear stream whichobviously had caused the victims to stop there. 

Will walked back slowly and gravely to his comrades. 

"Did you find water, young William?" asked the Little Giant jovially. 

"I did, " replied the lad briefly. 

"Then why does that gloom set upon your brow?"

"Because I found something else, too. "

"What else do we need? Water fur ourselves an' the animals is all wewant. "

"But I found something else, I tell you, Tom Bent, and it was not asight pleasant to see. "

The Little Giant noticed the shudder in the lad's tones, and he askedmore seriously:

"Signs of hostile bands comin', young William?"

"No, not that, but signs where they have passed, skeletons of those whomthey have slain, just beyond the bushes there, picked clean, white andglistening. Come with me and see!"

The others, who heard, went also, and the men looked reflectively at thescene. 

"I've seen its like often, " said Boyd. "The emigrants push on, straightinto the Indian country. Neither hardships, nor troops, nor the Indiansthemselves can stop 'em. Wherever a party is cut off, two come to takeits place. I guess this group was surprised, and killed without a chanceto fight back. "

"How do you know that?" asked Will. 

"'Cause the wagons are turned over. That shows that the horses werestill hitched to 'em, when the firin' from ambush began, and in theirfrightened struggles tipped 'em on one side. Suppose we go through 'em. "

"What for, Jim?"

"This must have been done at least a couple of months ago. Theweather-beaten canvas covers and the general condition of the wagonsshow that. War not being then an open matter the Indians might havehurried away without making a thorough overhauling. Then, too, it mighthave been done by wandering Piegans or Blackfeet or Northern Cheyennes, who, knowing they were on Sioux territory, were anxious to get away withtheir spoil as quickly as they could. "

"Good sound reasonin', Jim, " said the Little Giant, "an' we'll shorelytake a good look through them wagons. "

The wagons, as usual with those crossing the plains, contained manylittle boxes and lockers and secret places, needful on such longjourneys, and they searched minutely through every square inch of theinterior space. The Indians had not been so bad at the sack themselves, but they found several things of value, some medicines in a smalllocker, two saws, several gimlets and other tools, and under a falsebottom in one of the wagons, which the sharp eye of the Little Giantdetected, a great mat filled with coffee, containing at least onehundred pounds. 

They could have discovered nothing that would have pleased them more, since coffee was always precious to the frontiersman, and together theyuttered a shout of triumph. Then they divided it among their own sacksand continued the search looking for more false bottoms. They wererewarded in only a single instance and in that they found an excellentpocket compass, which they assigned to Bent. 

Their gleanings finished, they made camp and passed a peaceful night, resuming the journey early the next morning. They would have buried thebones of the slain, as they had spades and picks for mining work, butthey felt they should not linger, as they were now in country infestedby the Sioux and it was not well to remain long in one place. Hence, they rode away under an early sun, and soon the memory of the slaughterby the little stream faded from their minds. Events were too great andpressing for them to dwell long upon anything detached from their ownlives. 

On the second day afterward they curved back toward the south and struckthe great buffalo trail. But the herd, which did have an end after all, had now passed, and they saw only stragglers. As the trail led into thenorthwest and their own trail must be more nearly west, they crossed itand did not stop until half the night had gone, as they knew the Indianswere most to be dreaded near the herd or in its path. 

When they camped now Will could no longer see the White Dome, which hadfollowed them so long, watching over them like a great and majesticfriend. He missed that lofty white signal in the sky, feeling as if agood omen had gone, and that the signs would not now be so favorable. But the depression was only momentary. He had cultivated too strong andcourageous a will ever to allow himself to be depressed long. 

At noon they were far from the hills and out on the open plains, whichspread swell on swell before them, seemingly to infinity, with only alone tree here and there, and at rare intervals a sluggish stream aninch or two deep and dangerous with quicksands. The water of theselittle creeks was not good, touched at times with alkali, but they madethe horses and mules drink it, saving the pure supply they carried fora period of greater need. 

Will used his glasses almost continually, watching for a possible enemyor anything else that might appear upon the plain, and he saw occasionalgroups of the buffalo, a dozen or so, at which he expressed surprise. 

"And why are you surprised, young William?" asked Brady. "Don't you knowenough of this mighty West not to be surprised at anything?"

"I saw so many millions in that herd going into the northwest, " repliedthe lad, "that I thought it must have included all the buffaloes in theworld. Yet here are more, scattered in little groups. "

"And there are other herds millions strong far down in the south, andstill others just as strong, Montana way. It may be in this great huntof ours that we can live on the buffalo, just as the Indians do. "

They slept that night on the open plain, warm in their blankets andlulled by the eternal winds, and the next morning they were off again atthe first upshoot of dawn. It now grew very warm, the sun's rays comingdown vertically, while the plain itself seemed to act as a burnishedshield, reflecting them and doubling the heat. Careful of their animals, they gave them a long rest at noon, and then resumed the march at a slowpace. Before sundown Will saw through his glasses a long line of trees, apparently cottonwoods, running almost due north and south. 

"Means a creek, " said the Little Giant, "a creek mebbe a leetle biggerthan them make-believe creeks we've crossed. I like the plains. Theykinder git hold o' you with thar sweep an' thar freedom, but I ain'tbraggin' any 'bout thar water courses. I've seen some o' the maps inwhich the rivers cut big an' black an' bold an' long 'cross the plains, same ez ef they wuz ragin' an' t'arin' Ohios an' Missips, an' then I'veseen the rivers tharselves, more sand than water. An' I love fine, clearstreams, runnin' fast, but you hev to go into the mountains to git 'em, whar, ez you've seen, Will, thar are lots o' sparklin' leetle ones, clean full o' pure water, silver, or blue, or gold, or gray, 'cordin' tothe way the sun shines. But I say ag'in when braggin' o' the greatplains I keep dark 'bout the rivers an' lakes. "

The cottonwoods were six or seven miles away, and when they reached themthey found all of the Little Giant's predictions to be true. The stream, a full foot in depth, flowed between banks higher than usual, and itswaters, cold and sweet, were entirely devoid of alkali. Following itsome distance, they found sloping banks free from the danger ofquicksand, and crossed to the other side, where they made a camp amongthe cottonwoods. 

Will, weary from the long ride, went to sleep as soon as dusk came, buthe was awakened somewhere near the middle of the night by the hand ofBoyd on his shoulder. 

"What is it?" he asked, sitting up and not yet wholly awake. 

"Quiet!" whispered Boyd. "Reach for your rifle, and then don't stir. TheSioux are out on the plain to the west, in front of us. Tom, who was onwatch, heard 'em, and then he saw 'em. There's a band of at least fiftyon their ponies. We think they know we're here. Likely they heard ouranimals moving about. "

The lad's heart contracted. It seemed a hideous irony of fate that, after having escaped so many dangers by their skill and courage, blindchance should bring such a great menace against them here upon theplains. He drew himself from his blankets, and propping himself upon hiselbows pushed forward his repeating rifle. Then he changed his mind, putdown his rifle again, and brought to his eyes the precious glasses, withwhich he seldom parted. 

He was able to see through the cottonwoods and in the moonlight theSioux band, about a third of a mile away, gathered in a group on thecrest of a swell, strong warriors, heavily painted, nearly all of themwearing splendid war bonnets. They were sitting on their ponies and two, whom Will took to be chiefs, were talking together. 

"What do you make out, young William?" asked the Little Giant. 

"A conference, I suppose. "

"Then they know beyond a doubt that we're here, " said Boyd. "They musthave heard the stamp of a horse or a mule. It's bad luck, but we've hadso much of the good that we've got to look for a little of the bad. Whatmore do you see through those glasses of yours, Will?"

"Ten men from the band have gone to the right, and ten have gone to theleft. All are bent low on their ponies, and they are moving slowly. Some carry lances and some rifles. "

"That settles it. They're sure we're here and they mean to take us. Whatabout those who are left in the center?"

"They've come a little nearer, but not much. "

"Waiting for the two wings to close in before they attack. That's yourcrafty Indian. They never waste their own lives if they can help it, nordoes an Indian consider it any disgrace to run when the running is ofprofit. I don't know but what they're right. Can you still see the twowings, Will?"

"The one on the left is hid by a swell, but the other on the right isbearing in toward the creek. "

"Then we'd better make our field of battle and fortify as fast as wecan. "

The horses and mules were tethered in the lowest ground they could findamong the cottonwoods near the edge of the creek, where the four hopedthey would escape the bullets. Then they built in all haste a circularbreastwork of fallen wood and of their own packs. 

"Thar's one satisfaction 'bout it, " said the Little Giant grimly. "Efwe're besieged here a long time we'll hev water only a few feet away. Many a man on the plains could hev held his own ag'inst the painted impsef he could hev reached water. What do you see now, young William?"

"Both horns of their crescent. They're on top of the swells, but havecome almost to the cottonwoods. Do you look for 'em to cross thecreek?"

"Sooner or later they will, an' we'll have to guard from all directions, but I reckon the attack jest now will come straight in front an' 'longthe stream on the flanks. "

"And the hardest push will be on the flanks?"

"Yes, that would be good strategy. They mean, while the warriors infront are keeping us busy, to press in from both sides. What do you seenow, young William?"

"The forces on the flanks have passed out of sight among thecottonwoods, and the one in front is still advancing slowly. Thewarriors there seem to be armed chiefly with bows and arrows. "

"Meant mostly to draw our attention. The rifles are carried by the menon the flanks. B'ars out what we said 'bout thar plan. These warriors, like some others we met, hev got to learn a lot 'bout the new an'pow'ful repeatin' rifles. Do you think, Jim, them in front hev now ridwithin range?"

"In a minute or two they'll be within your range, Giant. "

"Then do you think I'd better?"

"Yes. They've made their semi-circle for attack. Tell 'em in mightyplain language they oughtn't to do such a thing without consulting us. "

"Give 'em a hint, so to speak, Jim?"

"That's what I mean. "

The Little Giant levelled his rifle at the approaching horsemen. Themoonlight was silvery and brilliant, giving him fine chance for aim, andnot in vain had his friend, Boyd, called him the greatest shot in theWest. The rifle cracked, there was a little spit of fire in themoonlight, and the foremost Indian fell from his pony. The band uttereda single shout of rage, but did not charge. Instead, the warriors drewback hastily. 

"That settles it, " said Brady. "It's just a feint in front, but theydidn't dream we could reach 'em at such long range. We've got to do ourmain watching now among the cottonwoods, up and down the stream. Ofcourse, they'll dismount there, and try to creep up on us. Will, youkeep an eye on those warriors out there and we'll take care of thecottonwoods, but everybody stay down as close as possible. We're onlyfour and we can't afford the loss of a single man. "

Will was lying almost flat, and he could put away the glasses, fasteningthem securely over his shoulder, as the warriors in front were plainlyvisible now to the naked eye. They were beyond the range of the deadlyrepeating rifles, but the moonlight was so intense that he saw themdistinctly, even imagining that he could discern their features, and hisfancy certainly did not diminish the horror and repulsion they inspired. 

They rode slowly back and forth, shaking long lances or waving heavy warclubs, and suddenly they burst into a series of yells that made thelad's blood run cold. At length he distinguished the word, "winihinca"shouted over and over again. Boyd, lying beside him, was laughing low. 

"What does 'winihinca' mean, and why do you laugh?" asked Will. 

"'Winihinca' is the Sioux word for women, " replied the hunter, "andthey're trying to taunt us because we're lying in hiding. It will takemore than a taunt or two to draw us out of these cottonwoods. They canshout 'winihinca' all night if they wish. "

But the warriors riding back and forth in the moonlight on the crest ofthe low swell were good shouters. Yellers, Will would have called them. Their throats and lungs seemed to be as tough as the inside of a bear'shide, and also they threw into their work a zest and flavor that showedthey were enjoying it. Presently their yelling changed its key note, andWill discerned the word, "wamdadan. " Again the hunter lying by his sidelaughed low. 

"What does 'wamdadan' mean?" he asked. "Just now we were 'winihinca' andnow we are 'wamdadan. '"

"We've gone down in the scale, " replied Boyd. "In fact, we've sunkpretty far. A little while ago we were women, but now we are worms. 'Wamdadan' means worm. We're 'wamdadans' because we won't come out ofour burrows and stand up straight and tall, where the Sioux can shoot usto pieces at their leisure. "

"I intend to remain a 'wamdadan' as long as I can, " said Will. "If lyingclose to the earth, burrowing into it in fact, makes you a worm then aworm am I for the present. "

"No, you're not. You were for a while, but they've changed their crynow. Listen closely! Can't you make out a new word?"

"Now that you call my attention to it, I do. It sounds like 'canwanka. '"

"'Canwanka' it is. That's the new name they're calling us and it's notcomplimentary. 'Canwanka' means coward. First we were women, then wormsand now cowards, because we won't give up the aid of our fortificationsand allow ourselves to be overpowered by the Sioux numbers. Do you hearanything among the cottonwoods on the creek, Giant?"

"Nothing yet, Jim. They keep up such an infernal yelling out thar infront that it will drown out any light sound. "

"Doubtless that's what it's for. "

"I think so, too. You don't hev to see them imps among the cottonwoodsto know what they're up to. They hev dismounted on both wings, an'they're creepin' forward from the north an' from the south close to thebanks o' the creek, hopin' to ketch us nappin'. "

The Little Giant was facing the south and suddenly his figure becametaut. 

"See something?" whispered Boyd. 

"I think so, but I ain't quite sure yet. Yes, it's the head o' awarrior, stickin' up 'bout a foot from the ground, an' he'll be the fustto go. "

Will was startled by the sharp crack of a rifle almost at his elbow, andhe heard the Little Giant's sigh of satisfaction. 

"Straight an' true, " muttered the terrible marksman. 

Then the rifle of Brady, who faced the south, spoke also and his aimwas no less deadly. Boyd, meanwhile, held his fire, as the advancingbands among the cottonwoods sank from view. But the band in front in theopen uttered a tremendous shout and galloped about wildly. Will, watching them cautiously, thought one of the riders in his curvetingshad come within range, and, taking good aim, he fired. The rider fell tothe ground, and his pony ran away over the plain. 

"Good shot, Will, " said Boyd approvingly. "And it speaks all the betterfor you because you were watching for your chance and were ready when itcame. "

After such a hint the shouting band drew back and shouted less. Then thefour listened with all their ears for any sound that might pass amongthe cottonwoods, though they felt that the attack would not come againthere for a long time, as the first result had been so deadly. Will tookadvantage of the interlude, and, creeping past the barrier they hadbuilt, went among the horses and mules, soothing them with low voice andstroke of hand. They pressed against him, pushed their noses into hispalm, and showed a confidence in him that did not fail to move the laddespite the terrible nature of their situation. 

"Good lads!" he whispered when he left them and crawled back within thebarricade. 

"How're they behavin'?" asked the Little Giant. 

"Fine, " responded Will. "Human beings couldn't do better. They'restanding well under fire, when they're not able to fire back. "

"Which gives more credit to them than to us, because we can and do fireback. "

"Will, " said Boyd, "you resume your watch of that band in front while wedevote all our attention to the cottonwoods. It's a good thing we've gotthis creek with the high banks back of us. Now, we're in for a longwait. When warriors are besieging, they always try to wear out thepatience of those they besiege and tempt 'em into some rash act. "

"Those in front are riding beyond the swell and out of sight, " saidWill. 

The Little Giant laughed with the most intense satisfaction. 

"They're skeered o' our rifles, " he said. "We've got lightnin' thatstrikes at pretty long range, an' they ain't so shore that it ain't alot longer than it is. "

Will had learned the philosophy of making himself comfortable wheneverhe could, and lying with his hand on one arm he watched the cottonwoods, trusting meanwhile more to ear than to eye. Since the Indians in front, disappearing over the swell, had ceased to shout, the night becamequiet. The wind was light and the cottonwoods did not catch enough of itto give back a song, while the creek was too sluggish to murmur as itflowed. His comrades also were moveless, although he knew that they werewatching. 

He looked up at the heavens, and the moon and the stars were so brightthat they seemed to be surcharged with silver. The whole world, in suchmisty glow, was supremely beautiful, and it was hard to realize, as helay there in silence and peace, that they were surrounded by savagefoes, seeking their lives, men who, whatever their primitive virtues, knew little of mercy. He understood and respected the wish of the Siouxand the other tribes to preserve for themselves the great buffalo rangesand the mountains, but he was not able to feel very friendly toward themwhen they lay in the cottonwoods not far away, seeking his scalp and hislife, or, if taken alive, to subject him to all the hideous torturesthat primeval man has invented. The distant view of the Indian as awronged individual often came into violent contact with another view ofhim near at hand, seeking to inflict a death with hideous pain. 

The night did not darken as it wore on, still starred brilliantly andlighted by a full, silver moon, which seemed to Will on these loneplains of the great West to have a size and splendor that he had nevernoticed in the East. He and the Little Giant now faced the north, whileBoyd and Brady, of the Biblical voice and speech, looked toward thesouth. All of them, when they gazed that way, could see the plain fromwhich the force, intending to attract their attention by shouting andyelling, had retreated. But they knew the danger was still to beapprehended from the cottonwoods, and despite the long stillness theynever ceased to watch with every faculty they could bring to bear. 

The dip in which the horses and mules stood was only a short distancefrom the little fortification and unless the Sioux in attacking camevery near their bullets were likely to pass over the heads of theanimals. The four, resolved not to abandon the horses and mules underany circumstances, nevertheless felt rather easy on that score. 

About three o'clock in the morning some shots were fired from thecottonwoods in the south, but they flew wild and the four did not reply. 

"They came from a distance, " said Boyd. "They're probably intended toprovoke our fire and tell just where we're lying. "

After a while more shots were fired, now from the north, but as theywere obviously intended for the same purpose the four still remainedquiet. A little later Will heard a movement, a stamping of hoofs amongthe animals, indicating alarm, and once more he crawled out of thebreastwork to soothe them. 

The horses and mules responded as always to his whispered words ofencouragement and strokings of manes and noses, and he was about toreturn when his attention was attracted by a slight noise in the busheson the farther side of the animals. Every motive of frontier caution andthoroughness inclined him to see what it was. It might be and mostprobably was a coyote hiding there in fear, but that did not prevent himfrom stooping low and entering the bushes. 

The growth of scrub, watered by seepage from the stream, was ratherdense, and he pushed his way in gently, lest a rustling of twigs andleaves reach the Sioux, lurking among the cottonwoods. He did not hearthe noise again, and he went a little farther. Then he heard a sound byhis side almost as light as that of a leaf that falls, and he whirledabout, but it was too late. A war club descended upon his head and hefell unconscious to the ground. 

CHAPTER XI

THE YOUNG SLAVE

Will's first sign of returning consciousness was a frightful headache, and he did not open his eyes, but, instead, moved his hand toward thepain as one is tempted to bite down on a sore tooth. It was in the topof his head, and his fingers touched a bandage. Without thinking hepulled at it, and the pain, so far from being confined to one spot, shotthrough his whole body. Then he lay still, with his eyes yet shut, andthe agony decreased until it was confined to a dull throbbing in theoriginal spot. 

He tried to gather together his scattered and wandering faculties andcoördinate them to such an extent that he could produce thought. Itrequired a severe effort, and made his head ache worse than ever, but hepersisted until he remembered that he had been creeping through bushesin search of a sound, or the cause of a sound. But memory stopped thereand presently faded quite away. Another effort and he lifted his mindback on the track. Then he remembered the slight sound in the bushesnear him, the shadow of a figure and a stunning blow. Beyond that hismemory despite all his whipping and driving, would not go, because therewas nothing on which to build. 

He opened his eyes which were heavy-lidded and painful for the time, andsaw the figures of Indians that seemed to be standing far above him. Then he knew that he was lying flat upon his back, and that his sickbrain was exaggerating their height, because they truly appeared to himin the guise of giants. He tried to move his feet but found that theywere bound tightly together, and the effort gave him much pain. Then hewas in truth a captive, the captive of those who cared little for hissufferings. It was true they had bound up his head, but Indians oftengave temporary relief to the wounds of their prisoners in order thatthey might have more strength to make the torture long. 

His vision cleared gradually, and he saw that he was lying on a smallgrassy knoll. A fire was burning a little distance to his left, andbesides the warriors who stood up others were lying down, or sitting inTurkish fashion, gnawing the meat off buffalo bones that they roasted atthe fire. The whole scene was wild and barbaric to the last degree andWill shuddered at the fate which he was sure awaited him. 

Beyond the Indians he saw trees, but they were not cottonwoods. Insteadhe noted oak and pine and aspen and he knew he was not lying where hehad fallen, or in any region very near it. Straining his eyes he saw adim line of foothills and forest. He must have been brought there on apony and dreadful thoughts about his comrades assailed him. Since theSioux had come away with him as a prisoner they might have fallen in ageneral massacre. In truth, that was the most likely theory, by far, and he shuddered violently again and again. 

Those three had been true and loyal friends of his, the finest ofcomrades, hearts of steel, and yet as gentle and kindly as women. Hardships and dangers in common had bound the four together, and thedifference in years did not matter. It seemed that he had known them andbeen associated with them always. He could hear now the joyous whistlingof the Little Giant, the terse, intelligent talk of Boyd, and the firmBiblical allusions of the beaver hunter. They could not be dead! Itcould not be so! And yet in his heart he believed that it _was_ so. 

He turned painfully on his side, groaned, shut his eyes, and opened themagain to see a tall warrior standing over him, gazing down at him with acynical look. He was instantly ashamed that he had groaned and said inapology:

"It was pain of the spirit and not of the body that caused me to makelament. "

"It must be so, " replied the warrior in English, "because you have comeback to the world much quicker than we believed possible. The vitalforces in you are strong. "

He spoke like an educated Indian, but his face, his manner and his wholeappearance were those of the typical wild man. 

"I see that I'm at least alive, " said Will with a faint touch of humor, "though I can scarcely describe my condition as cheerful. Who are you?"

"I am Heraka, a Sioux chief. Heraka in your language means the Elk, andI am proud of the name. "

Will looked again at him, and much more closely now, because, despitehis condition, he was impressed by the manner and appearance. Heraka wasa man of middle years, of uncommon height and of a broad, fullcountenance, the width between the eyes being great. It was acountenance at once dignified, serene and penetrating. He worebrilliantly embroidered moccasins, leggings and waist band, and a longgreen blanket, harmonizing with the foliage at that period of the year, hung from his shoulders. He carried a rifle and there were other weaponsin his belt. 

Will felt with increasing force that he was in the presence of a greatSioux chief. The Sioux, who were to the West what the Iroquois were tothe East, sometimes produced men of high intellectual rank, theirdevelopment being hampered by time and place. The famous chief, Gall, who planned Custer's defeat, and who led the forces upon the field, hadthe head of a Jupiter, and Will felt now as he stared up at Heraka thathe had never beheld a more imposing figure. The gaze of the man that methis own was stern and denunciatory. The lad felt that he was about to becharged with a great crime, and that the charge would be true. 

"Why have you come here?" asked the stern warrior. 

In spite of himself, in spite of his terrible situation, the youth'ssense of humor sparkled up a moment. 

"I don't know why I came here, " he replied, "nor do I know how, nor do Iknow where I am. "

The chief's gaze flickered a moment, but he replied with littlemodification of his sternness:

"You were brought here on the back of a pony. You are miles from whereyou were taken, and you are the prisoner of these warriors of the Dakotawhom I lead. "

Will knew well enough that the Sioux called themselves in their ownlanguage the Dakota, and that the chief would take a pride in so namingthem to him. 

"The Dakotas are a great nation, " he said. 

Heraka nodded, not as if it were a compliment, but as a mere statementof fact. Will considered. Would it be wise to ask about his friends?Might he not in doing so give some hint that could be used against them?The fierce gaze of the chief seemed actually to penetrate his physicalbody and read his mind. 

"You are thinking of those who were with you, " he said. 

"My thoughts had turned to them. "

"Call them back. It is a waste. "

"Why do you say that, Heraka?"

"Because they are all dead. Their scalps are drying at the belts of thewarriors. You alone live as we had to strike you down in silence beforewe slew the others. "

Will shuddered over and over again. He was sick at both heart and brain. Could it be true? Could those men be dead? The wise Boyd, the cheerfulLittle Giant, and the grave and kindly Brady? Once more he looked Herakastraight in the eye, but the gaze of the chief did not waver. 

"I have hope, though but a little hope, " he said, "that it pleases thechief to test me. He would see whether I can bear such news. "

"If the belief helps you then Heraka will not try again to make you seethe truth. What is your name?"

"Clarke, William Clarke. "

"Why have you come to the land of the Dakotas?"

"Not to take it. Not to kill the buffalo. Not to drive away any of yourpeople. "

"But you are captured upon it. The great chief, Mahpeyalute, warned theAmerican captain and the soldiers that they must not let the whitepeople come any farther. "

"That is true. I was there, and I heard Red Cloud give the warning. "

"And yet you came against the threat of Mahpeyalute. "

"Mine was an errand of a nature almost sacred. I tell you again therewas no harm in it to your country and your people. "

"Many times have the white people told to the Dakotas things that werelies. "

"It is true, but the sins of others are not mine. "

Will spoke with all his heart in his words. Despite the terribledisaster that had befallen, even if the chief's words were true, and allhis friends were dead, he wished, nevertheless, to live. He was young, strong, of great vitality, and nothing could crush the love of life inhim. 

"What do you intend to do with me?" he asked. 

Heraka smiled, but the smile contained nothing of gentleness or mercy, rather it was amusement at the anxiety of one who was wholly in hispower. 

"Your fate shall not be known to you until it comes, " he said. 

Will felt a chill running down his spine. It was the primal instinct totorture and slay the enemy and the Sioux lived up to it. It was keentorture already to hear that his fate would surely come, but not to knowhow or where or when was worse. But it appeared that it was not to comeat once, and with that thought he felt the thrill of hope. His wasunquenchable youth and the vital spark in him flamed up. 

"Would you mind untying my ankles?" he said. "You can save your torturefor later on. "

Heraka signed to a warrior, who cut the thongs and Will, sitting up, rubbed them carefully until the blood flowed back in its naturalchannels. Meanwhile he observed the band and counted sixteen warriors, all but Heraka seeming to be the wildest of wild Indians, most of thementirely naked save for moccasins and the breech cloth. They carriedmuzzle-loading rifles, bows and arrows hung from the bushes and lancesleaned against the trees. Beyond the bushes he caught glimpses of theirponies grazing, and these glimpses were sufficient to show him that theyhad many extra animals for the packs. When he saw them better, then hewould know whether his friends were really dead, because if they weretheir packs and the animals would be there, too. But the chief, Heraka, broke in upon the thought--he seemed able to read Will's mind. 

"This is but part of the force that besieged you, " he said. "There werethree bands joined. The others with the spoil have gone west, leaving asour share the prisoner. A living captive is worth more than two scalps. "

Will tried to remember all he had ever heard or read about the necessityof stoicism when in the hands of savage races and by a supreme effort ofthe will he was able to put a little of it into practice. Pretending toindifference, he asked if he might have something to eat, and receivedroasted meat of the buffalo. He had a good appetite, despite hisweakness and headache, and when he had eaten in abundance and had drunka gourd of water they gave him he felt better. 

"I thank you for binding up my wounded head, " he said to Heraka. "Idon't know your motive in doing so, but I thank you just the same. "

The Dakota chief smiled grimly. 

"We do not wish you to die yet, " he said, speaking his English in theprecise, measured manner of one to whom it is a foreign language. "Inmutanka, the Panther, bound it up, and he is one of the best healerswe have. "

"Then I thank also Inmutanka, or the Panther, whichever he prefers to becalled. I can't see the top of my head, but I know he made a good job ofit. "

Inmutanka proved to be an elderly but robust Sioux warrior, and howeverhe may have been when torture was going forward he wore just then abland smile, although not much else. With wonderfully light and skilfulhands he took off Will's bandage and replaced it with another. Willnever knew what it was made of, but it seemed to be lined with leavessteeped in the juices of herbs. 

The Indians had some simple remedies of great power, and he felt theeffect of the new bandage at once. His headache began to abate rapidly, and with the departure of pain his views of life became much morecheerful. 

"I never saw you before, Dr. Inmutanka, " he said, "but I know you're oneof the finest physicians in all the West. Whatever school you graduatedfrom should give you all the degrees it has to give. Again, I thankyou. "

The Indian seemed not to understand a word he said, but no one couldmistake the sincerity of the lad's tone. Inmutanka, otherwise thePanther, smiled, and the smile was not cruel, nor yet cynical. Hestepped back a little, regarded his handiwork with satisfaction, andthen merged himself into the band. 

"That's a good Sioux! I know he is!" said Will warmly to Heraka. "Hereafter Dr. Inmutanka shall be my personal and private physician. "

Heraka's face was touched by a faint smile. It was the first mildemotion he had shown and Will rejoiced to see it. He found himselfwishing to please this wild chief, not in any desire to seek favor, buthe felt that, in its way, the approval of Heraka was approval worthhaving. 

"You eat, you drink, you feel strong again, " said Heraka. 

"Yes, that's it. "

"Then we go. We are mountain Sioux. We have a village deep in the highmountains that white men can never find. We will take you there, whereyou will await your fate, never knowing what it is nor when it willcome. "

Will was shaken once more by a terrible shudder. This constant harpingupon the mysterious but fearful end that was sure to overtake him washaving its effect. Heraka had reckoned right when he began the tortureof the mind. The chief spoke sharply to the warriors and putting out thefire they gathered up their weapons and the horses. Will was mounted onone of the ponies and his ankles were tied together beneath the animal'sbody, but loosely only, enough to prevent a sudden flight though notenough to cause pain. There was no saddle, but as he was used to ridingbare-backed he could endure it indefinitely. 

Then the chief did a surprising thing, binding a piece of soft deerskinover Will's eyes so tightly that not a ray of light entered. 

"Why do you do that, Heraka?" asked the lad. 

"That you may not see which way you go, nor what is by the path as youride. Soon, with your eyes covered you will lose the sense of directionand you will not be able to tell whether you go north or south or eastor west. "

He spoke sharply to the warriors and the group set off. The direction atfirst was toward the north, as Will well knew, but the band presentlymade many curves and changes of course, and, as Heraka had truly said, he ceased to have any idea of the course they were taking. He sawnothing, but he heard all around him the footfalls of the ponies, and, now and then, the word of one warrior to another. He might have raisedhis hands to tear loose the bandage over his eyes, but he knew that theSioux would interfere at once, and he would only bring upon himself somegreater pain. 

Will felt that a warrior was riding on either side of him and presentlyhe was aware also that the one on the right had moved up more swiftly, giving way to somebody else. A sort of mental telepathy told him thatthe first warrior had been replaced by a stronger and more dominant one. Instinct said that it was Heraka, and he was not mistaken. The chiefrode on in silence for at least ten minutes and then he asked:

"Which way do you ride, Wayaka (captive)? Is it north, or south, or isit east or west?"

"I don't know, " confessed Will. "I tried to keep the sense of direction, but we twisted and turned so much I've lost it. "

"I knew that it would be so. Wayaka will ride many hundreds of miles, heknows not whither. And whether he is to die soon or late he will see hisown people again never more. If he ever looks upon a white face again itwill be the face of one who is a friend of the Sioux and not of his ownrace, or the face of a captive like himself. "

[Illustration: "If he ever looks upon a white face again it will be theface of one who is a friend of the Sioux. "]

Will shuddered. The threat coming from a man like Heraka, who spoke in atone at once charged with malice and power, was full of evil portent. Had an ordinary Indian threatened him thus he might not have beenaffected so deeply, but with the decree of Heraka he seemed to vanishcompletely from the face of the earth, or, at least, from his world andall those that knew him. His will, however, was still strong. He feltinstinctively that Heraka was looking at him, and he would show no signof flinching or of weakness. He straightened himself up on the pony, threw back his shoulders and replied defiantly:

"I have a star that protects me, Heraka. Nearly every man has a star, but mine is a most powerful one, and it will save me. Even now, though Icannot see and I do not know whether it is daylight or twilight, I knowthat my star, invisible though it may be in the heavens, is watchingover me. "

He spoke purposely in the lofty and somewhat allegorical style, usedsometimes by the higher class of Indians, and he could not see itseffect. But Heraka, strong though his mind was, felt a touch ofsuperstitious awe, and looking up at the heavens, all blue though theywere, almost believed that he saw in them a star looking down at Wayaka, the prisoner. 

"Wayaka may have a star, " he said, "but it will be of no avail, becausethe stars of the Sioux, being so much the stronger, will overcome it. "

"We shall see, " replied the lad. Yet, despite all his brave bearing, hisheart was faint within him. Heraka did not speak to him again, and bythe same sort of mental telepathy he felt, after a while, that the chiefhad dropped away from his side, and had been replaced by the originalwarrior. 

Although eyes were denied to him, for the present, all his otherfaculties became heightened as a consequence, and he began to use them. He was sure that they were still traveling on the plains, so much dustrose, and now and then he coughed to clear it from his throat. But theywere not advancing into the deeps of the great plains, because twicethey crossed shallow streams, and on each occasion all the ponies wereallowed to stop and drink. 

Will knew that his own pony at the second stream drank eagerly, in fact, gulped down the water. Such zest in drinking showed that the creek wasnot alkaline, and hence he inferred that they could not be very far fromhills, and perhaps from forest. He surmised that they were going eitherwest or north. A growing coolness, by and by, indicated to him thattwilight was coming. Upon the vast western plateau the nights werenearly always cold, whatever the day may have been. 

Yet they went on another hour, and then he heard the voice of Heraka, raised in a tone of command, followed by a halt. An Indian unbound hisfeet and said something to him in Sioux, which he did not understand, but he knew what the action signified, and he swung off the pony. He wasso stiff from the long ride that he fell to the ground, but he sprang upinstantly when he heard a sneering laugh from one of the Indians. 

"Bear in mind, Heraka, " he said, "that I cannot see and so it was not soeasy for me to balance myself. Even you, O chief, might have fallen. "

"It is true, " said Heraka. "Inmutanka, take the bandage from his eyes. "

They were welcome words to Will, who had endured all the tortures ofblindness without being blind. He felt the hands of the elderly Indianplucking at the bandage, and then it was drawn aside. 

"Thank you, Dr. Inmutanka, " he said, but for a few moments a dark veilwas before his eyes. Then it drifted aside, and he saw that it wasnight, a night in which the figures around him appeared dimly. Herakastood a few feet away, gazing at him maliciously, but during that longand terrible ride, the prisoner had taken several resolutions, and firstof them was to appear always bold and hardy among the Indians. Hestretched his arms and legs to restore the circulation, and also took afew steps back and forth. 

He saw that they were in a small open space, surrounded by low bushesand he surmised that there was a pool just beyond the bushes as he heardthe ponies drinking and gurgling their satisfaction. 

"The ride has been long and hard, " he said to Heraka, "and I am nowready to eat and drink. Bid some warrior bring me food and water. "

Then he sat down and rejoiced in the use of his eyes. Had they beenfaced by a dazzling light when the bandage was taken off he might nothave been able to see for a little while, but the darkness was tenderand soothing. Gradually he was able to see all the warriors at workmaking a camp, and Heraka, as if the captive's command had appealed tohis sense of humor, had one man bring him an abundance of water in agourd, and then, when a fire was lighted and deer and buffalo meat werebroiled, he ate with the rest as much as he liked. 

After supper Inmutanka replaced with a fresh one the bandage upon hishead, from which the pain had now departed. Will was really grateful. 

"I want to tell you, Dr. Inmutanka, " he said, "that there are worsephysicians than you, where I come from. "

The old Sioux understood his tone and smiled. Then all the Indians, mostof them reclining on the earth, relapsed into silence. Will felt acurious kind of peace. A prisoner with an unknown and perhaps a terriblefate close at hand, the present alone, nevertheless, concerned him. After so much hardship his body was comfortable. They had not reboundhim, and they had even allowed him to walk once to the bushes, fromwhich he could see beyond the clear pool at which the Indians had filledtheir gourds and from which the ponies drank. 

One of these ponies, Heraka's own, was standing near, and Will with apang saw bound to it his own fine repeating rifle, belt of cartridgesand the leather case containing his field glasses. Heraka's lookfollowed his and in the light of the fire the smile of the chief was somalicious that the great pulse in Will's throat beat hard with anger. 

"They were yours once, " said Heraka, "the great rifle that fires manytimes without reloading, the cartridges to fit, and the strong glassesthat bring the far near. Now they are mine. "

"They are yours for the present. I admit that, " said the lad, "but Ishall get them back again. Meanwhile, if you're willing, I'll go tosleep. "

He thought it best to assume a perfect coolness, even if he did not feelit, and Heraka said that he might sleep, although they bound his armsand ankles again, loosely, however, so that he suffered no pain and butlittle inconvenience. He fell asleep almost at once, and did not awakeuntil old Inmutanka aroused him at dawn. 

After breakfast he was put on the pony again, blindfolded, and they rodeall day long in a direction of which he was ignorant, but, as hebelieved, over low hills, and, as he knew, among bushes, because theyoften reached out and pulled at his legs. Nevertheless his sense of aninfinite distance being created between him and his own world increased. All this traveling through the dark was like widening a gulf. It had notdistance only, but depth, and the weight it pressed upon him wascumulative, making him feel that he had been riding in invisible regionsfor weeks, instead of two days. 

Being deprived of his eyes for the time being, the other four primalsenses again became more acute. He heard a wind blowing but it was notthe free wind of the plains that meets no obstacle. Instead, it broughtback to him a song that was made by the moving air playing softly uponleaf and bough. Hence, he inferred that they were still ascending, andhad come into better watered regions where the bushes had grown to theheight of trees now in full leaf. 

Once they crossed a rather deep creek, and deliberately letting his footdrop down into it, he found the water quite cold, which was proof to himthat they were going back toward the ridges, and that this current waschill, because it flowed from great heights, perhaps from a glacier. They made no stop at noon, merely eating a little pemmican, Will's sharebeing handed to him by Inmutanka. He ate it as he rode along stillblindfolded. 

The ponies, wiry and strong though they were, soon began to go much moreslowly, and the captive was sure that the ascent was growing steeper. Hewas confirmed in this by the fact that the wind, although it wasmid-afternoon, the hottest part of the day, had quite a touch ofcoolness. They must have been ascending steadily ever since they beganthe march. 

He soon noticed another fact. The ears that had grown uncommonly acutediscerned fewer hoofbeats about him. He was firm in the belief that theband had divided and to determine whether the chief was still with them, he said:

"Heraka, we're climbing the mountains. I know it by the wind among theleaves and the cool air. "

"Wayaka is learning to see even though his eyes are shut, " said thevoice of the chief on his right. 

"And a part of your force has left us. I count the hoofbeats, andthey're not as many as they were before. "

"You are right, the mind of Wayaka grows. Some day--if you live--youwill know enough to be a warrior. "

Will pondered these words and their bearing on his fate, and, being ableto make nothing of them, he abandoned the subjective for the objective, seeking again with the four unsuppressed senses to observe the countrythrough which they were passing. 

The next night was much like the one that had gone before. They did notstop until after twilight, and the darkness was heavier than usual. Thecamp was made in a forest, and the wind, now quite chill, rustled amongthe trees. Although the bandage was removed, Will could not see far inthe darkness, but he was confident that high mountains were straightahead. 

A small brook furnished water for men and ponies, and the Indians builta big fire. They were now but eight in number. Inmutanka removed thelast bandage from Will's head, which could now take care of itself, andas the Sioux permitted him to share on equal terms with themselves, heate with a great appetite. Heraka regarded him intently. 

"Do you know where you are, Wayaka?" he asked. 

"No, " replied Will, carelessly, "I don't. Neither am I disturbed aboutit. You say that I shall never see my own people, but that is more thanyou or I or anyone else can possibly know. "

A flicker of admiration appeared in the eyes of Heraka, but his voicewas even and cold as he said:

"It is well that you have a light heart, because to-morrow will be asto-day to you, and the next day will be the same, and the next and manymore. "

The Sioux chief spoke the truth. They rode on for days, Will blindfoldedin the day, his eyes free at night. He thought of himself as the Man inthe Deerskin Mask, but much of the apprehension that must overtake theboldest at such a moment began to disappear, being replaced by anintense curiosity, all the greater because everything was shut from hiseyes save in the dusk. 

But he knew they were in high mountains, because the cold was great, andnow and then he felt flurries of snow on his face, and at night he sawthe loom of lofty peaks. But they did not treat him unkindly. OldInmutanka threw a heavy fur robe over his shoulders, and when theycamped they always built big fires, before which he slept, wrapped inblankets like the others. 

Heraka said but little. Will heard him now and then giving a brief orderto the warriors, but he scarcely ever spoke to the lad directly. Once intheir mountain camp when the night was clear Will saw a vast panorama ofridges and peaks white with snow, and he realized with a sudden andoverwhelming sinking of the heart that he was in very truth and factlost to his world, and as the Sioux chief had threatened, he might neveragain look upon a white face save his own. It was a terrifying thought. Sometimes when he awoke in the night the cold chill that he felt was notfrom the air. His arms were always bound when he lay down between theblankets and, once or twice, he tried to pull them free, but he knewwhile he was making it that the effort was vain and, even were itsuccessful and the thongs were loosened, he could not escape. 

At the end of about a week they descended rapidly. The air grew warmer, the snow flurries no longer struck him in the face and the odors offorest, heavy and green, came to his nostrils. One morning they did notput the bandage upon his face and he looked forth upon a wild world ofhills and woods and knew it not, nor did he know what barrier of timeand space shut him from his own people. 

CHAPTER XII

THE CAPTIVE'S RISE

Will did not know just how long they had been traveling, having lostcount of the days, but he knew they had come an immense distance, perhaps a thousand miles, maybe more, because the hardy Indian poniesalways went at a good pace, and he felt that the distance between himand every white settlement must be vast. 

The sun at first hurt the eyes that had been bandaged so long indaylight, but as the optic nerves grew less sensitive and they couldtake in all the splendor of the world, he had never before seen it sobeautiful. He was like one really and truly blind for years who hadsuddenly recovered his sight. Everything was magnified, made more vivid, more intense, and his joy, captive though he was, was so keen that hecould not keep from showing it. 

"You find it pleasant to live, " said Heraka. 

"Yes, " replied the lad frankly, "I don't mind admitting to you that Ilike living. And I like seeing, too, in the bright sunshine, when I'vebeen so long without it. You warned me, Heraka, that I would not know myfate, nor whence nor when it might come, but instinct tells me thatit's not coming yet, and as one who can see again I mean to enjoy thebright days. "

"Wayaka is but a youth. If he were older he would fear more. "

"But I'm not older. This, I suppose, is where we mean to stay awhile?"

"It is. It is one of our hidden valleys. Beyond the stretch of forest isa Sioux village, and there you will stay until your fate befalls you. "

"I imagine, Heraka, that you did not come here merely to escort me. Sogreat a chief would not take so long a ride for one so insignificant asI am. You must have had another motive. "

"Though Wayaka is a youth he is also keen. It is part of a great plan, of which I will tell you nothing, save that the Sioux are a mightynation, their lands extending hundreds of miles in every direction, andthey gather all their forces to push back the whites. "

"Then your long journey must be diplomatic. You travel to the farthestoutskirt in order to gather your utmost forces for the conflict. "

Heraka smiled rather grimly. 

"Wayaka may be right, " he said. "He is a youth of understanding, but inthe village beyond the wood you are to stay until you leave it, but youwill not know in what manner or when you will depart from it. "

Will inferred that his departure might be for the happy hunting groundsrather than for some other place, but it could not depress him. He wastoo much suffused with joy over his release from his long blindness andwith the splendor of the new world about him to feel sadness. For awhile nothing can weigh down the blind who see again. It was surely thefinest valley in the world into which they had come!

Heraka gave the word and he and his men rode forward toward the strip ofwood that he had indicated. All the ponies, although strong and wiry, were thin and worn by their long journey, and some of the Indians, despite their great endurance, showed signs of weariness. Little as theydisplayed emotion, their own eyes had lighted up at sight of thepleasant place into which they had come. 

Will could not tell the length of the valley owing to its curvingnature, but he surmised that it might possibly be twenty miles, with ageneral average width of perhaps two or three. All around it were highmountains, and on the distant and loftier ones the snow line seemed tocome further down than on those he had seen with his comrades. Quick toobserve and to draw conclusions the fact was another proof to him thatthey had been traveling mostly north. The trees in the valley werechiefly of the coniferous type, fir, pine and spruce. Despite the warmthof the air all things wore for him a northern aspect, but he made nocomment to Heraka. 

They reached the strip of wood, and one of the warriors uttered a longcry that was answered instantly from a point not far ahead. Then youngIndian lads came running, welcoming them with shouts of joy, and, withthis escort, they rode into the village, which was well placed in agrassy opening in the very center of the forest. 

Will saw an irregular collection of about a hundred tepees, all conical, most of them made from the skin of the buffalo, though in some cases thehides of bear and elk had been used. All were supported on a frameworkof poles stripped of their bark. The poles were about twenty feet inlength, fastened in a circle at the bottom and leaning toward a commoncenter, where they crossed at a height of twelve or thirteen feet. Thediameter of the tepees at the bottom was anywhere from fifteen to twentyfeet, and hence they were somewhat larger than the usual Sioux lodges. 

All the tepees had an uncommon air of solidity, as if the poles thatmade their framework were large, strong, and thrust deep in the earth. The covering skins were sewed together with rawhide strings as tight andsecure as the work of any sailor. One seam reaching about six feet fromthe ground was left open and this was the doorway, over which a buffalohide or other skin could be lashed in wintry or stormy weather. 

At present all the tepees were open, and Will saw many squaws andchildren about. Just beyond the village and at the edge of the forestran a considerable creek, evidently fed by the melting snows on the highmountains, and, on extensive meadows of high grass beyond the creek, grazed a great herd of ponies, fat and in good condition. Will decidedat once that it was a village of security and abundance. The mountainsmust be filled with game, and the creek was deep enough for large fish. 

He had been left unbound as they descended into the valley and, decidingthat he must follow a policy of boldness, he leaped off the pony whenthey entered the village, just as if he were coming back home. But theold squaws and the children did not give him peace. They crowded aroundhim, uttering cries that he knew must be taunts or jeers. Then theybegan to push and pull him and to snatch at his hair. Finally an oldsquaw thrust a splinter clean through his coat and into his arm. Thepain was exquisite, but, turning, he took her chin firmly in one handand with the other slapped her cheeks so severely that she would havefallen to the ground if it had not been for the detaining grasp on herchin. 

The crowd, with the instinct for the rough that dwells in all primitivebreasts, roared with laughter, and Will knew that his bold act hadbrought him a certain measure of public favor. Heraka with a sharp wordor two sent all the women and children flying, and then said in tones ofgreat gravity to Will:

"Here you are to remain a prisoner, the prisoner of all the village, until we choose your fate. You will stay in a tepee with Inmutanka, buteverybody will watch you, the men, the women, the girls and the boys. Nothing that you do can escape their notice, and you will not have theslightest chance of flight. "

"If I am to be anybody's guest, " said Will, "I'd choose to be old Dr. Inmutanka's. He has a soul in his body. "

"You are not a guest, you are a slave, " said Heraka. 

Will did not appreciate the full significance of his words then, becauseInmutanka was showing the way to one of the smaller tepees and heentered it, finding it clean and commodious. The ground was coveredwith bark, over which furs and skins were spread and there was a placein the center for a fire, the smoke to ascend through a triangularopening in the top, where it was regulated by a wing worked from theoutside. 

Inmutanka, who undoubtedly had a kind heart, pointed to a heap ofbuffalo robes in the corner, and Will threw himself upon them. All theenormous exhaustion of such a tremendous journey suddenly becamecumulative and he slept until Inmutanka awoke him a full fifteen hourslater. Then he discovered that the old Indian really knew a littleEnglish, though he had hidden the fact before. 

"You eat, " he said, and gave him fish, venison and some bread of Indiancorn, which Will ate with the huge appetite of the young and strong. 

"Now you work, " said Inmutanka, when he had finished. 

Will stared at him, and then he remembered Heraka's words of the daybefore that he was a slave. He was assailed by a sickening sensation buthe pulled himself together bravely, and, having become a wise youth, heresolved that he would not make his fate worse by vain resistance. 

"All right, " he said, "what am I to do?"

"You be pony herd now. "

"Well, that isn't so bad. "

Inmutanka led the way across the creek, or rather river, and Will sawthat the herd on the meadows was quite large, numbering at least athousand ponies, and also many large American horses, captured orstolen. They grazed at will on the deep grass, but small Indian boyscarrying sticks watched them continually. 

"You take your place here with boys, " said Inmutanka, "and see thatponies don't run up and down valley. "

He gave him a stick and left him with the little Sioux lads. Willconsidered the task extremely light, certainly not one that had a savorof slavery, but he soon found that he was surrounded by pests. TheIndian boys began to torment him, slipping up behind him, pulling hishair and then darting away again, throwing stones or clods of earth athim, and seeking to drive ponies upon him. 

Will's heart was suffused with anger. They were younger and smaller thanhe, but they had an infinite power to vex or cause pain. Nevertheless heclung to his resolution. He refused to show anger, and while it was byno means his disposition to turn one cheek when the other was smitten, he exhibited a patience of which he had not believed himself capable. Healso showed a power that they did not possess. When some of the youngerand friskier ponies sought to break away from the main herd and race upthe river he soothed them by voice and touch and turned them back insuch an amazing manner that the Indian boys brought some of the olderwarriors to observe his magic with horses. 

Will saw the men watching, but he pretended not to notice. Neverthelesshe felt that fate, after playing him so many bad tricks, was now doinghim a good turn. He would exploit his power with animals to the utmost. Indians were always impressed with an unusual display of ability of anykind, and they felt that its possessor was endowed with magic. He walkedfreely among the ponies, which would have turned their heels on theIndian lads, and stroked their manes and noses. 

The warriors went away without saying anything. The Indian boys returnedto the village shortly after noon, but their place was taken by a freshband, while Will remained on duty. Nor was he allowed to leave untillong after twilight, when, surprised to find how weary he was, hedragged his feet to the tepee of Inmutanka, where he had venison, pemmican and water. 

"Not so bad, " he said to the old Indian. "I believe I'm a good herd forponies, though I'd rather do it riding than walking. "

"To-morrow you scrape hides with squaws, " said Inmutanka. 

Will was disappointed, but he recalled that after the threat of Herakahe should not expect to get off with such an easy task as the continualherding of ponies. Scraping hides would be terribly wearying and itwould be a humiliation to put him with the old squaws. Nevertheless hisheart was light. The fate of the white captive too often was speedy andhorrible torture and death. He felt that the longer they were delayed, less was the likelihood that he would ever have to suffer them at all. 

He was awakened at dawn, and as soon as he had eaten he was put to histask. Fresh buffalo hides were stretched tightly and staked upon theground, the inner side up, and he and a dozen old squaws began the laborof scraping from them the last particles of flesh with small knives ofbone. 

He cut his hands, his back ached, the perspiration streamed from hisface, and the squaws, far more expert than he, jeered at himcontinually. Warriors also passed and uttered contemptuous words in anunknown language. But Will, clinging to his resolution, pretended totake no notice. Long before the day was over every bone in him wasaching and his hands were bleeding, but he made no complaint. When hereturned to the tepee Inmutanka put a lotion on his hands. 

"It good for you, but must not tell, " he said. 

"I wouldn't dream of telling, " said Will fervently. "God bless you, Inmutanka. If there's any finer doctor than you anywhere in the world Inever heard of him. "

But he had to go back to the task of scraping the skins early in themorning, and for a week he labored at it, until he thought his backwould never straighten out again. He recalled that first day with thepony herd. The labor there was heaven compared with that which he wasnow doing. Perhaps he had been wrong to show his power with animals: Ifhe had pretended to be awkward and ignorant with horses they might havekept him there. 

He made no sign, nor did he give any hint to Inmutanka that he wouldlike a change. He judged, too, that he had inspired a certain degree ofrespect and liking in the old Indian who put such effective ointment onhis hands every night that at the end of a week all the cuts and bruiseswere healed. Moreover, he had learned how to use the bone scrapers witha sufficient degree of skill not to cut himself. 

But he was still a daily subject of derision for the warriors, women andchildren. It was the little Indian boys who annoyed him most, oftentrying to thrust splinters into his arms or legs, although he invariablypushed them away. He never struck any of them, however, and he saw thathis forbearance was beginning to win from the warriors, at least, acertain degree of toleration. 

When the scraping of the skins was finished he was set to work with someof the old men making lances. These were formidable weapons, at leasttwelve feet long, an inch to an inch and a half in diameter, ending in atwo-edged blade made of flint, elk horn or bone, and five or six inchesin length. The wood, constituting the body of the lance, had to bescraped down with great care, and the prisoner toiled over them for manydays. 

Then he began to make shields from the hide that grew on the neck of thebuffalo, where it was thickest. When it was denuded of hair the hide wasa full quarter of an inch through. Then it was cut in a circle two ortwo and a half feet in diameter and two of the circles were joinedtogether, making a thickness of a full half inch. Dried thoroughly theshield became almost as hard as iron, and the bullet of theold-fashioned rifle would not penetrate it. 

He also helped to make bows, the favorite wood being of osage orange, although pine, oak, elm, elder and many other kinds were used, and hewas one of the toilers, too, at the making of arrows. Mounted on hiswiry pony with his strong shield, his long lance, his powerful bow andquiver of arrows, the Sioux was a formidable warrior, and Willunderstood how he had won the overlordship of such a vast area. 

A month, in which he was subjected to the most unremitting toil, passed, yet his spirit and body triumphed over it, and both grew stronger. Hefelt now as if he could endure anything and he knew that he would becalled upon to endure much. 

His youth and his plastic nature caused him to imitate to a certainextent, and almost unconsciously, the manners and customs of thosearound him. He became stoical, he pretended to an indifference whichoften he did not feel, and he never spoke of the friends who haddisappeared so suddenly from his life, even to old Inmutanka. The"doctor, " as Will called him, was improving his English by practice, andWill in return was learning Sioux fast both from Inmutanka and from thepeople in the village. He knew the names of many animals. The buffalowas Pteha, the bear was Warankxi, the badger, Roka; the deer, Tarinca;the wolf, Xunktokeca. 

One can get along with a surprisingly small vocabulary, and one alsolearns fast when he is surrounded by people who do not speak his ownlanguage. In six weeks Will had quite a smattering of the Sioux tongue. He still lived in the lodge of Inmutanka, who was invariably kind andhelpful, and Will soon had a genuine liking for the good old doctor. Itpleased him to wait upon Inmutanka as if he were a son. 

It was, on the whole, well for the lad that he was compelled to work, because after the day's labors were over and he had eaten his supper, hefell asleep from exhaustion, and slept without dreams. Thus he was notable to think as much as he would have done about his present condition, the great quest that he had been compelled to abandon, and those whom hehad lost. Yet he could not believe, despite what Heraka had said, thatBoyd, Brady and the Little Giant were lost. But he had many bittermoments. Often the humiliations were almost greater than he could bear, and it seemed that his quest was over forever. 

These thoughts came most at night, but renewed courage would alwaysreappear in the morning. He was too young, too strong, to feel permanentdespair, and his body was growing so tough and enduring that, in hisbelief, if a time to escape ever came, he would be equal to it. But itwas obvious that no such time was at hand. There were several hundredpairs of eyes in the village and he knew that every pair above fiveyears of age watched him. Nothing that he did escaped their attention. Somebody was always near him, and, if he attempted flight, the alarmwould be given before he went ten yards, and the whole village wouldcome swarming upon him. So he wisely made no such trial, and seemed tosettle down into a sort of content. 

He saw no more then of Heraka, who had evidently gone away to the greatwar with the white men, but he saw a good deal of the chief of thevillage, an old man named Xingudan, which in Sioux meant the Fox. Xingudan's face was seamed with years, though his tall figure was notbent, and Will soon learned that his name had been earned. Xingudan, though he seldom went on the war path now, was full of craft and guileand cunning. The village under his rule was orderly and more far-seeingthan Indians usually are. 

The Sioux began to strengthen their lodges and to accumulate stores ofpemmican. The maize in several small, sheltered fields farther down thevalley was gathered carefully. The boys brought in bushels of nuts, andWill admired the industry and ability of Xingudan. It was evident thatwinter was coming, although the touch as yet was only that of autumn. 

It was a magnificent autumn that the lad witnessed. The foliage in themountains glowed in the deepest and most intense colors that he had everseen, reds, yellows, browns and shades between. Far up on the slopes hesaw great splotches of color blazing in scarlet, and far beyond them inthe north the white crests of dim and towering mountains. He wasstrengthened in his belief that he was far to the north of the fightingline, although his conclusion was based only upon his own observations. No Indian, not even a child, had ever spoken to him a word to indicatewhere he was. He inferred that silence upon that point had been enjoinedand that old Xingudan would punish severely any infraction of the law. Even Inmutanka, so kind in other respects, would never give forth aword of information. 

As the autumn deepened, the lad's mind underwent another strange change, or perhaps it was not so strange at all. Youth must adapt itself, and hebegan to feel a certain sympathy and friendliness with the young Siouxof his own age. He also began to see wild life at its best, that is, under the circumstances most favorable to happiness. 

The village was full of food, the hunting had never been better, and theforest had yielded an uncommon quantity of fruits and nuts. All theprimitive wants were satisfied, and there was no sickness. After darkthe youths of the village roamed about, playing and skylarking like somany white lads of their own age, but the girls as soon as the twilightcame remained close in the lodges. Will saw a kind of happiness he hadnever looked upon before, a happiness that was wholly of the moment, untroubled by any thoughts of the future, and therefore without alloy. He saw that the primitive man when his stomach was full, and the shelterwas good could have absolute physical joy. Strangely enough he foundhimself taking an interest in these pleasures, and by and by he began toshare in them to a minor degree. 

The river afforded a fine stretch of water, and the Indians had largecanoes which they now used freely for purposes of sport. These boatswere made of strong rawhide, generally about thirty feet long, althoughone was a full fifty feet, and they also had several boats shaped likehuge bowls, made with a frame of wicker and covering it, the strongestbuffalo hide, sewed together with unbreakable rawhide strings. Theycalled these round boats watta tatankaha, which Will learnt meant inEnglish bull boats. Just such boats as these were used on the Tigris, and the Euphrates, the oldest of rivers known to civilized man. 

The first sign of relenting toward the captive lad was when he wasallowed to withdraw from the hard work of strengthening a lodge to takea place alone in one of the bull boats and navigate it with a paddledown the river, at a place where it had a depth past fording. The streamwas swift here and, despite his knowledge of ordinary curves, the roundcraft overturned with him before he had gone twenty feet, amid shouts oflaughter from the Sioux gathered on either bank. 

The water flowing down from the mountains was very cold, but Willscorned to cry for help. He was a powerful swimmer and he struck outboldly for the round boat, which was floating ahead. He had held on tothe paddle all the while and, by a desperate struggle, he managed toright his craft and pull himself into it again. He was so much immersedin his physical struggle that he did not know the Indian children werepelting him with sticks and clods of earth, and were shouting inamusement and derision. But the warriors were grave and silent. 

Another struggle and the round boat overturned again. But he held on tothe paddle and recovered it a second time. A new and desperate contestbetween him and the boat followed, but in the end he was victor andpaddled it both down and up-stream in a fairly steady manner. Then hebrought it into the landing where he was received in a respectfulsilence. 

In his struggles to succeed Will had taken little notice of the coldnessof the waters, but when he went back to the lodge he had a severe chill, followed by a high fever. Then old Inmutanka proved himself the doctorthat Will called him by using a remedy that either killed or cured. 

Inmutanka gave the lad a sweat bath. He made a heap of stones and builta big fire upon them, feeding it until their heat was very great. Thenhe scraped away the fuel and put up a framework made of poles, coveredwith layers of skins. These layers were six or seven feet above thestones. Will was placed in a skin hammock under the layers and suspendedabout two feet above the hot stones. Water was then poured on these, until a dense steam arose. When Inmutanka thought that Will had stood itas long as he could, he withdrew him from the hot steam bath, althoughmedicine men sometimes left their patients in too long, allowing them tobe scalded to death. 

In Will's case it was cure, not kill. The fever quickly disappeared fromhis system and though it left him very weak he recovered so rapidly thatin a few days he was as strong as ever, in fact, stronger, because allthe impurities had been steamed out of his system, and the new bloodgenerated was better than the old. He learned, too, from Inmutanka thathe had won respect in the village by his courage and tenacity, and thatmany were in favor of lightening his labors, although the Fox was asstern as ever. 

Will was still compelled to realize that he was a slave; that he, awhite lad, the heir of untold centuries of civilization and culture, wasthe slave of a people who, despite all their courage and other virtues, were savages. They stood where, in many respects, his ancestors hadstood ten or twenty thousand years ago. Again and again, the thought wasso bitter that he felt like making a run for freedom and ending it allon the Indian spear. But the thought would change, and with it came thehope that some day or other the moment of escape would appear, and therewas a lurking feeling, too, that his present life was not whollyunpleasant, or, at least, there were compensations. 

An increased strength came with the rapid recovery from his illness. Beyond any question he had grown in both height and breadth since he hadbeen in the mountains, and his muscles were as hard as iron. Not one ofthe Indian youths could exert as much direct strength as he, or endureas much. 

His patience, which was now largely the result of calculation and will, began to have its visible effect upon the people. There is nothing thatan Indian admires more than stoicism. The fortitude that can endure painwithout a groan is to him the highest of attributes. Will had nevercomplained, no matter how great his hardships or labors, and graduallythey began to look upon him as one of their own. His face was tannedheavily by continuous exposure to all kinds of weather, his originalgarments were worn out, and he was now clad wholly in deerskins. Acasual observer would have passed him at any time as a tall Indianyouth. 

One day as a mark of favor he was put back as a guard upon the herd ofponies, now considerably increased in numbers, probably by raids uponother tribes, and full of life, as they had done little all the autumnbut crop the rich grass of the valley. Will found himself busy keepingthem within bounds, but his old, happy touch soon returned, and theIndians, to their renewed amazement, soon saw the animals obeying himinstinctively. 

"It is magic, " said old Xingudan. 

"Then it is good magic, " said Inmutanka, "and Wayaka is a good lad. Hedoes not know it yet, but he is beginning to like our life. Think ofthat, O, Xingudan. "

"You were ever of soft heart, O, Inmutanka, " said Xingudan, as he turnedaway. 

Will's tasks were as long as ever, but they changed greatly incharacter. He was no longer compelled to work with the women andchildren, save when the tending of the herds brought him into contactwith the boys, but there he was now an acknowledged chief. A distemperappeared among the ponies and the Sioux were greatly alarmed, but Will, with some simple remedies he had learned in the East, stopped it quicklyand with the loss of but two or three ponies. Old Xingudan gave him nothanks save a brief, "It is well, " but the lad knew that he had donethem a great service and that they were not wholly ungrateful. 

He had proof of it a little later, when he was allowed to take part inthe trapping and snaring of wild beasts, although he was alwaysaccompanied by three or four Indian youths, and was never permitted tohave any weapon. 

But he showed zeal, and he enjoyed the freedom, although it was onlythat of the valley and the slopes. He learned to set traps with the bestof them, and became an adept in the taking and curing of game. All thewhile the autumn was deepening and wild life was becoming moreendurable. The foliage on slopes and in the valley that had burned infiery hues, now began to fade into yellow and brown. The winds out ofthe north grew fierce and cutting, and on the vast and distant peaks thesnow line came down farther and farther. 

"Waniyetu (winter) will soon be here, " said old Inmutanka. 

"The village is in good condition to meet it, " said Will. 

"Better than most villages of our people, " said Inmutanka. "The whiteman presses back the red man because the red man thinks only of today, while the white man thinks of tomorrow too. The white man is not anybraver than the red man, often he is not as brave, and he is not ascunning, but when the Indian's stomach is full his head goes to sleep. While the plains are covered with the buffalo in the summer, sometimesour people starve to death in the winter. "

"I suppose, doctor, " said Will, "that one can't have everything. If heis anxious about the future he can't enjoy the present. "

The old Sioux shook his head and remained dissatisfied. 

"The buffalo is our life, " he said, "or, at least, the life of the Siouxtribes that ride the Great Plains. Manitou sends the buffalo to us. Buffaloes, in numbers past all human counting, are born by the will ofManitou under the ground and in the winter. When the spring winds beginto blow they come from beneath the earth through great caves and theybegin their march northward. If the Sioux and the other Indian nationswere to displease Manitou he might not send the buffalo herds outthrough the great caves, and then we should perish. "

Will afterward discovered that this was a common belief among theIndians of the plains. Some old men claimed to have seen these caves fardown in Texas, and it was quite common for the ancients of the tribes toaver that their fathers or grandfathers had seen them. Most of themheld, too, to the consoling belief that however great the slaughter ofbuffaloes by white man and red, Manitou would continue to send them insuch vast numbers that the supply could never be exhausted, although afew such as Inmutanka had a fear to the contrary. 

Inmutanka, as became his nature, was provident. The lodge that he andWill inhabited was well stored with pemmican, with nuts and a good storeof shelled corn. It also held many dried herbs and to Will's eyes, nowlong unused to civilization, it was a comfortable and cheerful place. Afire was nearly always kept burning in the centre, and he managed toimprove the little vent and wind vane at the top in such a manner thatthe smoke was carried off well, and his eyes did not suffer from it. 

Then a fierce, cold rain came, blown by bitter winds and stripping thelast leaf from the trees. At Will's own suggestion, vast brush sheltershad been thrown up near the slopes. Crude and partial though they were, they gave the great pony herd much protection, and when old Xingudaninspected them carefully he looked at Will and said briefly: "It isgood. "

Will felt that he had taken another step into favor, and it was soonproved by a lightening of his labors and an increase in his share of thegeneral amusements. Life was continually growing more tolerable. Theblack periods were becoming shorter and the bright periods were growinglonger. The evenings had now grown so cold that the young Sioux spentthem mostly in the lodges, Will devoting a large part of his time tolearning the language from Inmutanka, who was a willing teacher. As hehad much leisure and the Sioux vocabulary was limited he could soon talkit fluently. 

All the while the winter deepened and Will, seeing that he would have nopossible chance of escape for many months, resigned himself to hiscaptivity. The fierce rain that lasted two days, was followed by snow, but the Indians still hunted and brought in much game, particularlyseveral fine elk of the great size found only in the far northwest. Theystood as tall as a horse, and Will judged that they weighed more than athousand pounds apiece. 

Then deeper snow came and he could hear it thundering in avalanches onthe distant slopes. He was quite sure now that they were even farthernorth than he had at first supposed, and that probably they would besnowed in all the winter in the valley, a condition to which the Indianswere indifferent, as they had good shelter and plenty of food. Theybegan to make snowshoes, but Will judged that they would be used forhunting rather than for travel. There was no reason on earth that heknew why the village should move, or any of its people abandon it. 

The warriors spent a part of their time making lances, bows, arrows andshields, sometimes working in a cave-like opening in the slope a littledistance from the village. Will did his share of this work and grewexceedingly skilful. One very cold morning he and several others weretoiling hard at the task under the critical eye of old Xingudan, who saton a ledge wrapped in a pair of heavy blankets, Will's fine repeatingrifle lying across his knees. 

Two of the warriors were sent back to the village for more materials, the others were dispatched on different tasks until finally only Willwas left at work, with Xingudan watching. The Fox had seen many wintersand summers, and his wilderness wisdom was great, but he was an Indianand a Sioux to the bone. He had noted the steady march of the white mantoward the west, and even if the buffalo continued to come forever incountless numbers out of the vast caves in the south, they might come, in time, for the white man only and not for the red. 

He regarded Will with a yellow and evil eye. Wayaka was a good lad--hehad proved it more than once--but he was a representative of theconquering and hated race. Heraka had said that his fate, the mostterrible that could be devised, must come some day, but Wayaka was notto know the hour of its coming; no sign that it was at hand must begiven. 

Xingudan went over again the words of Heraka, who was higher in rankthan he, and he pursed his lips thoughtfully, trying to decide what hewould do. Then he heard a woof and a snort, and a sudden lurch of aheavy body. He sprang to his feet in alarm. While he was thinking andinattentive, Rota (the grizzly bear), not yet gone into his wintersleep, vast and hungry, was upon him. 

Xingudan was no coward, but he was not so agile as a younger man. Hesprang to his feet and hastily leveling the repeating rifle fired once, twice. The Indian is not a good marksman, least of all when in greathaste. One of the bullets flew wild, the other struck him in theshoulder, and to Rota that was merely the thrust of a needle, stingingbut not dangerous. A stroke of a great paw and the rifle was dashed fromthe hands of the old chief. Then he upreared himself in his mighty andterrible height, one of the most powerful and ferocious beasts, whenwounded, that the world has ever known. 

Will had seen the rush of the grizzly and the defense of the chief. Hesnatched up a great spear, a weapon full ten feet long and with a pointand blade as keen as a razor. He thrust it past Xingudan and, with allhis might, full into the chest of the upreared bear. Strength and aprodigious effort driven on by nervous force sped the blow, and thebear, huge as he was, was fairly impaled. But Will still hung to thelance and continued to push. 

Terrific roars of pain and anger came from the throat of the bear. Abloody foam gushed from his mouth and he fell heavily, wrenching thespear from the boy's grasp and breaking the shaft as he fell. His greatsides heaved, but presently he lay quite still, and Will, quivering fromhis immense nervous effort, knew that he was dead. 

Old Xingudan, who had been half stunned, rose to his feet, steadiedhimself, and said with great dignity:

"You have saved my life, Wayaka. It was a great deed to slay Rota withonly capa (a spear) and the beast, too, is one of the most monstrousthat has ever come into this valley. You are no longer Wayaka, but youshall be known as Waditaka (The Brave), nor shall I forget to begrateful. "

Will steadied himself and sat down on a rock, because he was somewhatdizzy after such a frightful encounter. But he was glad that it hadoccurred. He had no doubt that Xingudan had spoken with the utmostsincerity, and now the ruler of the village was his staunch friend. 

CHAPTER XIII

THE REWARD OF MERIT

While he was yet dizzy and the motes were flying in millions before hiseyes, he heard shouts, and warriors came running, attracted by the soundof the shots. They cried out in amazement and delight at the monstrousgrizzly lying slain upon the ground, and then turned to Xingudan tocompliment him upon his achievement. But the old warrior spoke tersely:

"It was not I, " said he, "it was Wayaka, who has now become Waditaka, who slew the great grizzly with a spear. Rarely has such a deed beendone. The life of your chief, Xingudan, has been saved by a slave. "

Will, who now understood Sioux well, heard every word and his heartbegan to beat. The motes ceased to dance before his eyes and the bloodflowed back into his veins. It was a strange thing, but he had begun toacquire a liking for these Indians, savage and wild though they were, and, as he judged, so far removed from the white people that they cameinto contact with them but seldom. Perhaps a lucky chance, a valiantimpulse, was about to put him on their social plane, that is, he mightbe raised from the condition of a slave to that of a freeman, free, atleast, to go about the village as he pleased, and not to do the work ofa menial. 

Several of the young warriors turned to him and spoke their approval. The trace of a liking that had appeared in him had found a response inthem. Friendship replies to friendship, and Will, who six months agowould have laughed at the endorsement of blanketed wild men, now felt athrill of pleasure. But Xingudan as yet said little more. He pointed tothe great bear and said:

"The skin belongs to Waditaka and Inmutanka. The flesh will be dividedamong the people. "

Will and the old warrior, with the help of some of the young men, removed the monstrous hide. He did not care for any of the flesh, although he knew that the people would use large portions of it. Then heand Inmutanka scraped it carefully, and, when it was well cured until itwas soft and flexible, they put it in their lodge, where it spread sofar over the bark floor that they were compelled to roll it back partly, to keep it out of the fire in the centre. It was the finest trophy inthe village, and many came to admire it. 

"Rota was the largest that any of us has ever seen, " said Inmutanka, "but the farther north we go the larger grow the great bears. Far upnear the frozen seas it is said they are so large that they are almostas heavy as a buffalo. It is true, too, of Ta (the moose). Word comesout of the far north that he has been found there having the weight ofat least three of our ponies. "

Will did not doubt what Inmutanka said, but his interest in his wordswas due chiefly to the inferences he drew from them. Inmutanka spoke ofthe immensity of the bear because they were in the far north, and it wasonly another confirmation of his belief that the great march after hewas taken captive had been made almost due north. They must be in somevalley in the vast range of mountains that ran in an unbroken chain fromthe Arctic to the Antarctic, more than ten thousand miles. Perhaps theyhad gone much beyond the American line, and this was the last outlyingvillage of the Sioux. 

But he did not bother himself about it now, knowing that he could donothing until next spring, as the snow fell heavily and almostcontinuously. It was three or four feet deep about the lodges and heknew that it lay in unmeasured depths in the passes. All the world wasgleaming white, but the crests of the mountains were seldom visible, owing to the driving storms. 

Plenty and cheerfulness prevailed in the village. Will had an idea thathe was seeing savage life under the most favorable conditions. It wastoo true that the Indian coming in contact with the white man generallylearned his vices and not his virtues, and too often forgot his ownvirtues also, until he became wholly bad. But this village, save for itsfirearms and metal tomahawks, was in much the same condition that otherIndian villages must have been four or five hundred years earlier. 

Old Xingudan ruled with the alternate severity and forbearance of apatriarch, and now he showed his kindly side to Will, treating himalmost as one of their own young warriors. The "almost" was soon turnedto a fact, as old Inmutanka formally adopted Will as his son with theceremonies customary on such occasions, and he knew therefore that hisstruggle had been achieved at last, that he had now attained a plane ofsocial equality with the Indians of the village. 

Whatever it may have seemed six months before, it was no small triumphnow. His task was chiefly in the making of arms, along with the otherwarriors, and he soon become the equal of any of them. He also practicedwith them the throwing of the tomahawk at trees, in which he acquiredwonderful dexterity. But his best work was done among the ponies. Oftenin jest he called himself the horse doctor of the camp. He had studiedtheir ailments and he knew how to cure them, but above all was hisextraordinary gift of reaching into the horse nature, a power, derivedhe knew not whence or how, of conveying to them the sympathy for them inhis nature. They responded as human beings do to such a feeling, and, with a word and a sign, he could lead a whole herd from one field toanother. 

This power of his impressed the Sioux even more than his slaying of themonstrous grizzly bear with only a spear. It was a gift direct fromManitou, and they were proud that an adopted warrior of their villageshould have such a mysterious strength. Will knew now that he was nolonger in danger of torture by fire or otherwise. Old Xingudan would notdo it. Heraka, who was his superior chief, might return and command it, but Xingudan and the whole village would disobey. Moreover, he was nowthe adopted son of Inmutanka, a young Sioux warrior with all the rightsof a Sioux, and the law forbade them to torture him or put him to death. And Indian laws were often better obeyed than white man's laws. 

Xingudan kept his repeating rifle, his revolver and his field glasses, but a bow and arrows were permitted to him, and he learned to use themas well as any of the Indians. The valley and the slopes that were nottoo high and steep, afforded an extensive hunting range, despite thedeep snow, and Will brought down with a lucky arrow a fine elk that madefor him a position yet better in the village, as he and Inmutanka, hisfather, were entitled to the body, but instead divided at least half ofit among the older and weaker men and women. 

Despite the favor into which he had come, Will could learn nothing ofhis location or of the progress of the war between the great Siouxnation and the whites. Yet of the latter he had a hint. Just before thewinter closed in on them finally, a young warrior, evidently a runnerbecause he bore all the signs of having travelled far and fast, arrivedin the valley. He was taken into the lodge of Xingudan and he departedthe next morning with five of the young warriors of the village, thebest men they had. When Will referred to their absence he receivedeither no answer or an ambiguous one. Inmutanka himself would saynothing about them, but Will made a shrewd surmise that the runner hadcome for help in the great war and that the last and uttermost villagewould be stripped in the attempt to turn back the white tide. 

His growing appreciation of wild life caused him to have an increasingfeeling of sympathy for the Sioux. The white flood would engulf themsome day. He knew that just as well as he knew that he was in thevalley, but as for himself, he had no wish to see the buffalo disappearfrom the plains. If his own personal desires were consulted the westwould remain a wilderness and a land of romance. It was pleasant tothink that there was an immense region in which one could alwaysdiscover a towering peak, a noble river or a splendid lake. 

Adopted now into the tribe, and far from the battle line, he might havedrifted on indefinitely with the Indians, but there was the memory ofhis white comrades, whom he could not believe dead, and also the missionupon which he had started, the hunt for the great mine which his fatherhad found. The reasons why he should continue the search wereoverwhelming, and despite the kindness of Inmutanka and the others hemeant to escape from them whenever he could. 

The winter shut down fierce and hard. Will had never before known coldso intense and continuous. In the valley itself the snow lay deep andits surface was frozen hard, but the Indians moved over it easily ontheir snowshoes, the use of which Will learned with much pain andtribulation. The river was covered with ice of great thickness, but theIndians cut holes in it and caught many excellent fish, which added apleasant variety to their diet. 

One of their hardest struggles was to keep alive the herd of ponies. Atthe suggestion of Will and of Xingudan, who was a wise man beyond hisrace, much forage had been cut for them before the winter fell, and inthe alcoves of the mountains where the snow was thin they werecontinually seeking grass, which grew despite everything. Will led inthe work of saving the herd, and gradually he directed almost his wholetime to it. He insisted upon gathering anything they could eat, eventwigs, and Indian ponies are very tough. The young boys, the old men andthe old women helped him and were directed by him. 

Scarcely any young warriors were left in the village and Will's strengthand intelligence fitted him for leadership. The weaker people began torely upon him and, as he learned the ways of the wild and fused themwith the ways of civilization, he became a great source of strength inthe village. He wore a beautiful deerskin suit which several of the oldwomen had made for him in gratitude for large supplies of food that hehad given to them, and he had a splendid overcoat which Inmutanka and hehad made of a buffalo robe. 

The lodge of Inmutanka and Waditaka, who had once been known as Wayaka, became the most attractive in the village. Will lined the fire hole inthe centre with stones, and in the roof he made a sort of flue whichcaused the vent to draw so much better that they were not troubled bysmoke. He reinforced the bark floor with more bark, over which the greatbear robe was spread on one side of the fire, while the other side wascovered with the skins of smaller bears, wolves and wildcats. Many smallarticles of decoration or adornment hung about the walls. Inmutanka hadbeen in the habit of shutting the door tightly at night, but as Willinsisted upon leaving it open partly, no matter how bitter the weather, they always had plenty of fresh air and suffered from no colds. Will, too, insisted upon the utmost cleanliness and neatness, qualities inwhich the Indian does not always excel, and his example raised the toneof the village. 

A period of very great cold came. Will reckoned that the mercury must beat least forty degrees below zero, and, for a week, the people scarcelystirred from their lodges. Then occurred the terrible invasion of themountain wolves, the like of which the oldest man could not recall. Willand Inmutanka were awakened at dawn by a distant but ferocious whining. 

"Wolves, " said Inmutanka, "and they are hungry, but they will not attacka village. "

He turned over in his warm buffalo robes and prepared to go to sleepagain, but the whining grew louder and more ferocious, increasing tosuch an extent that Inmutanka became alarmed and went to the door. Whenhe pulled back the flap yet farther the howling seemed very near andinexpressibly fierce. 

"It is a great pack, " said the old Sioux. "I have never before heard somany wolves howl together, and their voices are so big and fierce thatthey must be those of the great wolves of the northern mountains. "

"They're going to attack the village, " said Will. "I can tell that bythe way they're coming on. "

"It is so, " said Inmutanka. "They run on the snow, which is frozen sodeep that it can bear their weight. "

Will threw on rapidly his deerskin suit, his buffalo overcoat and tookdown his bow and quiver of arrows. Inmutanka meanwhile beat heavily on awar drum, and in the bitter cold and darkness all who were able to fightpoured out of the lodges, Xingudan at their head, carrying Will's rifleand revolver. 

Several of the Indian women brought torches and held them aloft, castingvivid lines of red upon the frozen snow. From the great corral camefrightened neighs and whinnies from the ponies, that knew a terrible foewas at hand. It was probably the ponies that would have been attackedfirst, but it was not in the character of the Sioux to stay in theirlodges and let their animals be devoured. Valiantly, they had rushedforth to meet the most formidable wolf pack that had ever come out ofthe north, and by the light of the torches Will presently saw the great, gaunt, shadowy forms and the fiery eyes of the huge wolves which, drivenby hunger, had boldly attacked a village. 

It was impossible for him to estimate even their approximate numbers, but he believed they could not be less than several hundred. Theyhovered a while at the north side of the village, and then old Xingudanopened fire with the repeating rifle. Howling savagely, the wolves madetheir rush. The Indians who had rifles fired as fast as they could, butthe bows, much more numerous, did the deadlier work. Will, rememberingto keep his nerves steady, and standing by the side of his fosterfather, Inmutanka, sent arrow after arrow, generally at the throats ofthe wolves, and he rarely missed. 

But the great pack, evidently driven by the fiercest hunger, did notgive way for bullet or arrows. Huge slavering beasts, they pressed oncontinually. Two or three of the older men were pulled down and devouredbefore the very eyes of the people, and Will, who was rapidly shootingaway his last arrows, felt himself seized by an immense horror. If thesavage brutes should break through their line they would all be killedand eaten. Save for a rifle or two, time had turned back ten or twentythousand years, when men fought continually with the great flesh-eatersfor a place on earth. 

Seized by an idea, he rushed to the center of the village where a greatfire was burning, and snatched up a torch, calling to others to dolikewise. It was the old squaws who were the quickest witted and theyobeyed him at once. Twenty women held aloft the flaming wood, and theyrushed directly in the faces of the wolves, which gave back as they hadnot given back before either rifle or arrow. Then the arrows sang inswarms, and the pack, fierce though its hunger might be, was unable towithstand more and fled. 

Xingudan urged forward a pursuit. Will had exhausted his arrows, but anold warrior loaned him a long lance, and with it he slew two of thebrutes which were now panic stricken. Yet the chief, like a goodgeneral, still pressed the fleeing horde, although the wolves turnedonce and another old man was killed. Inmutanka himself came very nearlosing his life, as a monster whirled and sprang for him, but Willreceived the throat of the wolf on the point of the lance, and althoughhe was borne to the earth, the raging brute was killed instantly. 

When the wintry dawn came, none of the great pack was left alive nearthe village. At least half were slain, and the others had scrambled awayin some fashion among the mountains. 

The village had escaped a great danger, but it rejoiced in victory. Theold men, or what was left of them, were buried decently and then therewas an immense taking of wolf-skins, the fine pelts of the huge northernbeasts, which would long adorn the lodges of the Sioux, and Will againreceived approval for his quick and timely attack with fire. Xingudanknew in his heart that the village might have been overpowered anddevoured had it not been for the wit and courage of Waditaka. But hemerely said "Waditaka has done well. " Will, however, knew that the fourwords meant much and that the liberty of the village was his. He was asharer of all things save one--that, however, being much--namely, theknowledge of their location, which was kept from him as thoroughly as inthe beginning. 

But for a day or two he did not have much time to think of the question, as the whole village was busily engaged in skinning the slaughteredwolves and dressing the hides. Never before had so many been obtained atonce by a single Indian village, and they secured every one, scrapingthem carefully and then drying them on high platforms or the boughs oftrees. Often at night they heard a distant growling and they knew that afew wolves, still hiding in the valley, came out at night to devour thebodies of their dead comrades. 

Will, lying between the furs in the strong lodge, would hear sometimesthe sound of these faint growls, but they troubled him not at all. Hewould draw the buffalo robes more closely about him, as the child in thefarmhouse pulls up the covers when he hears the patter of rain on theroof, and feels an immense sense of comfort. The compulsion of the lifehe was leading was fast sending him back to the primitive. He would haveread had there been anything to read, but, despite the limited world ofthe valley in which he now lived, his daily activities were very great. 

There was the pony herd, of which he was the chief guardian. Food mustbe found for it, though the hardy animals could and did do a great dealfor themselves under the most adverse conditions. They ate twigs, theydug under the snow with their sharp hoofs for grass that yet lived insheltered nooks, and Will and the Indians, by persistent seeking, wereable to add to their supplies. They also had to break the ice on theriver that they might drink, and, under the severe and continuous cold, the ice was now a foot thick. 

Will also helped with the fishing through holes in the ice, and acquiredall the Indian skill. The fish formed a most welcome addition to theirdiet of dried meat and the occasional bread made from Indian corn. Hehelped, too, with the continual strengthening of the lodges, because allthe old Indians foresaw the fiercest winter in a generation. 

As Will reverted farther and farther into the primitive he retained avirtue which is the product of civilization. He was respectful andhelpful to the very old and weak. The percentage of such in the villagewas much larger than usual, as nearly all the warriors had gone to thewar. He invariably took food to the weazened old squaws and the decrepitold men, who presented him with another suit of beautifully decorateddeerskin, and a coat of the softest and finest buffalo robe that he hadever seen. 

"Waditaka big favorite, " said Inmutanka when Will showed him the buffaloovercoat. "By and by all old squaws marry him. "

"What?" exclaimed Will in horror. 

"Of course, " said Inmutanka, grinning slyly. "He make old squaws manypresents. Leave venison, buffalo meat, bear meat at doors of theirlodges. They marry him in the spring. "

But Will caught the twinkle in Inmutanka's eyes. 

"If they propose, " he said, "I'll offer good old Dr. Inmutanka in myplace. He's nearer their age, and with his medical skill he'll be ableto take care of them. "

"Inmutanka never had a wife. He always what you call in your languagebachelor. Too late to change now. "

"But since you've raised this question I'll insist, " said Willformidably. "You've been a bachelor too long, and you a great medicalman too. Men are scarce in this village, and you must have at least adozen wives. "

"You stop, I stop, " said Inmutanka in a tone of entreaty. 

"Very good, honored foster-father. It's a closed subject forever. Idon't think I'd care to have a dozen stepmothers just now. "

The cold remained intense. Everything was frozen up, but game, nevertheless, still wandered into the valley and the warriorscontinually hunted it. All their bullets, never in great supply, hadbeen fired away in the battle with the wolves, and they relied now uponbow and arrow. Two of the old warriors, attacking a fierce grizzly withthese weapons, were slain by it, and though a party led by Xingudan, with Will as one of his lieutenants, killed the monster, there wasmourning in the village for several days. Then it ceased abruptly. Thedead were the dead. They had gone to the happy hunting grounds, where intime all must go, and it was foolish and unmanly to mourn so long. Willdid not believe that the primitive retain grief as the civilized do. Itwas a provision to protect those among whom life was so uncertain. 

A few days later a warrior of the Sioux nation arrived in the valley, suffering from a wound and on the point of death from cold andstarvation. He was put in one of the warmest lodges, his wounds weredressed carefully and when he had revived sufficiently he asked for theold chief, Xingudan. 

"I was hurt in battle with the white men many, many days' journey away, "he said, "and the great chief Heraka, knowing I would not be fit formarch and fight for a long time, sent me here to recover and he alsosent with me a message for you. "

"What was the message, Roka (Badger)?"

"It was in regard to the white youth, Wayaka, our prisoner. "

"Wayaka has become Waditaka, owing to his great bravery. With only aspear he fought and slew a monstrous grizzly bear that would have killedme the next instant. When we drove off the huge pack of giant mountainwolves his service was the greatest. "

"Even so, Xingudan. Those are brave deeds, but they cannot alter thecommand I brought from Heraka. "

"What was the command, Roka?"

"That Waditaka be burned to death with slow fire at the stake, and thatother tortures of which we know be inflicted upon him. We lost manywarriors in battle with the whites and the soul of Heraka was bitter. "

Old Xingudan leaned his chin on his hand and looked very thoughtfully atthe fire that blazed in the centre of the lodge. 

"The command of Heraka is unjust, " he said. 

"I cannot help that, as you know, Xingudan. "

"I do not blame you, but there is something of which Heraka isignorant. "

"What is it?"

"Waditaka is now the adopted son of the wise and good Inmutanka. "

"But the orders of Heraka are strict and stern. "

"The rite of adoption is sacred. Until Waditaka himself chooses tochange he is a Sioux and must be treated as a Sioux. "

"The consent of Heraka was not secured for the adoption. "

"It was impossible to reach him. The laws of the Sioux have not beenviolated. Waditaka is a brave young warrior. The fire shall not touchhim. A winter great and terrible is upon us and it may be before it isover that we shall need him much. He is a brave young warrior and few ofthem are left now in the village. I am old, Roka, and the old as theydraw near to Manitou and all the gods and spirits that people the air, hear many whispers of the future. A voice coming from afar tells low inmy ear that before the snow and ice have gone Waditaka, who was bornwhite but who is now a Sioux, the adopted son of Inmutanka, will save usall. "

"And does Xingudan see that?"

"Yes, Roka, I see it. "

The wounded warrior raised himself on his pallet and a look of aweappeared on his face. 

"If thou readest the future aright, Xingudan, " he said, "it would bewell to save this lad and brave the anger of Heraka, if he be so bold asto defy the law of adoption. "

"I am old and my bones are old, but even though he is a chief above me Ido not fear Heraka. Waditaka shall not burn. I have said it. "

"I have but delivered my message, Xingudan. Now I will sleep, as mywound is sore. I have traveled far and the cold is great. "

Will little knew how his fate had been discussed in the lodge, and howhis good humor, his acceptance of conditions and his zeal to help hadsaved him from a lingering and horrible death. Old Xingudan, taciturnthough he was and severe of manner, was his firm friend and would defendhim against Heraka, or the great war chief, Red Cloud, himself. Will wasnot only by formal rite of adoption a Sioux, but in the present crisishe was, on the whole, the most valuable young warrior in a village whereyoung warriors were so scarce, owing to the distant war with the whites. 

"You have delivered your message, Roka, " said Xingudan, finally, "andyou have no right to deliver it to anybody but me. Therefore your dutyis done. Do not mention it again while you are with us. "

"I obey, O Xingudan, " said Roka. "Here I am under your command, and nowI will exert all my energies to get well of my wound. "

Will, meanwhile, relapsed farther and farther into the primitive, allthe conditions of extreme wildness exerting upon him a powerfulinfluence. They no longer had bullets and gunpowder or cartridges, butmust fight with bow and arrow, lance and war club. It was necessary, too, to defend themselves, as the tremendous cold was driving into thevalley more beasts of prey, ravening with hunger. 

And yet the primitive state of the youth and those around him was notignoble. Just as the people of a village twenty thousand years beforemay have been drawn together by common dangers and the needs of mutualhelp, so were these. The women worked diligently on the wolf skins, making heavier and warmer clothing, the food supply was placed under thedictatorship of Xingudan, who saw that nothing was wasted. Will, withthe superior foresight of the white man's brain, was really at the backof this measure. 

To the most active and vigorous men was assigned the task of hunting thegreat wild beasts which now wandered into the valley, driven by cold andfierce, growing hunger. 

The wolves were but the forerunners. Mountain lions of uncommon size andferocity appeared. An old woman was struck down in the night anddevoured, and in broad daylight a child standing at the brink of theriver was killed and carried away. Then the grizzly bears or otherbears, huge beyond any that they had ever seen before, appeared. A groupcame in the night and attacked the pony herd, slaying and partlydevouring at least a dozen. All in the village were awakened by thestamping of the horses and in the bitter cold and darkness the bravechildren of the wild rushed to the rescue, the women snatching torchesand hurrying with them to furnish light by which their men could fight. 

The battle that ensued was fully as terrible as that with the wolves. The bears, although far fewer than the wolves had been, were thegreatest of all the American carnivora, and they resented savagely theattempt to drive them from their food, turning with foaming mouths upontheir assailants, who could not meet them now with bullets, but whofought with the weapons of an earlier time. 

Will plied the bow and arrow, and, when the arrows were exhausted, useda long lance. He and Xingudan were really the leaders, marshalling theirhosts with such skill and effect that they gradually drove the bearsaway from the ponies, leaving the animals to be quieted by the women andold men, while the warriors fought the bears. Among these men was Roka, now recovered from his wound, and using a great bow with deadlyaccuracy. He and Will at length drew up side by side, and the stoutIndian planted an arrow deep in the side of a bear. Yet the wound wasnot fatal, and the animal, first biting at the arrow, then charged. Willstruck with the lance so fiercely that it entered the animal's heartand, wrenched from his hands, was broken as the great beast fell. 

"Behold!" shouted Xingudan in Roka's ear, "he has saved your life evenas he saved mine!"

Not one of the bears escaped, but two of the men lost their lives in theterrible combat, and the strength of the village was reduced yetfurther. The two men, however, had perished nobly and the people felttriumphant. Will examined the bears by the numerous torchlights. He andXingudan and Inmutanka agreed that they were not the true grizzly of theMontana or Idaho mountains, but, like the first one, much larger beastscoming out of the far north. Will judged that the largest of them allweighed a full three-quarters of a ton or more, and a most terrificcreature he was, with great hooked claws as hard as steel and nearly afoot in length. 

"One blow of those would destroy the stoutest warrior, Waditaka, " saidXingudan. 

"Our bows and arrows and lances have saved us, " said Will. "I thinkthey've been driven out of the Arctic by the great cold, and havemigrated south in search of food. "

"Then they smelled the horses and attacked them. "

"Truly so, Xingudan, and they or other wild beasts will come again. Theponies are our weakest point. The great meat-eating animals will alwaysattack them. "

"But we must keep our ponies, Waditaka. We will need them in the springto hunt the buffalo. "

"Of course, Xingudan, we must save the ponies. "

"How, O Waditaka?"

The youth felt a thrill. The chief was appealing to him to show the wayand he felt that he must do it. He had already the germ of an idea. 

"I think I shall have a plan tomorrow, O Xingudan, " he said. 

When Will departed for their lodge with Inmutanka, Xingudan said toRoka:

"What think you now, Roka, of Waditaka, once Wayaka, a captive youth, but now Waditaka, the brave young Sioux warrior, the adopted son ofInmutanka, who is the greatest curer of sickness among us?"

"He was as brave as any, as well as the most skillful of all those whofought against the great beasts, " replied Roka, "and you spoke truly, Xingudan, when you said the village needed him. I make no demand thatthe command of Heraka be carried out. But can we keep him, Xingudan?Will he not go back to his own people when the chance comes?"

"That I know not, Roka, but it will be many a day before he has a chanceto return to them. The distance is great, as you know, and we concealedfrom him the way we came. The knowledge of the region in which thisvillage stands is hidden from him. "

Will's idea, as he had promised, was developed the next day. The corralfor the ponies, with one side of it against the overhanging cliff, wasstrengthened greatly with stakes and brush, and at night fires werelighted all about it, tended by relays. He knew that wild beasts dreadednothing so much as fire, and if any of them appeared the guards were tobeat the alarm on the war drum. There were enough people in the villageto make it easy for the watchers, and the fires would keep them warm. 

Xingudan expressed his full approval of the plan, and the watch was setthat very night, Will, at his own request, being put in charge of it. Heavily wrapped in his buffalo coat over his deerskin suit, with twopairs of moccasins on his feet, a fur cap on his head and thick earmuffs, he walked from fire to fire and saw that they were well fed. There was no need to spare the wood, the valley having a great supply oftimber. 

His assistants were small boys, old men and old women. The intelligence, activity and strength of these ancient squaws always surprised William. They were terribly weazened and withered, and far from beautiful tolook upon, but once having arrived at that condition they seemed able tolive forever, and to take a healthy interest in life as they went along. Owing to the lack of men in the village their importance had increasedalso, and they liked it. Under Will's eye they worked with remarkablezeal, and a band of living light surrounded the entire corral. Otherlights blazed at points about the village, as they intended to makeeverything safe. 

Will was chief of the watch, until about three o'clock in the morning. Often he went among the ponies and soothed them with voice and touch, for they were generally restless. Out of the darkness, well beyond thelight of the flames, came growls and the noises of fierce combat. Theyhad skinned all the bears, and also had taken away all the eatableportions of their bodies, but other beasts had come for what was left. The Indians distinguished the voices of bear, mountain lion and wolf. From the slopes also came fierce whines, and the old squaws, shuddering, built the fires yet higher. 

"Son of Inmutanka, " said Xingudan at last to Will, "go to your lodge andsleep. You have proved anew that you are a man and worthy to belong tothe great Dakota nation. The fires will be kept burning all through thenight and see you, Inmutanka, that no one awakens him. Let his sleep goof its own accord to its full measure. "

A year earlier Will would have been so much excited that sleep wouldhave been impossible to him, but the primitive life he was leading hadhardened all his nerves so thoroughly that he slumbered at once betweenthe buffalo robes. 

Old Inmutanka did not awaken him when the dawn came, although most ofthe people were already at work, curing the meat of the bears andscraping and drying the huge hides. They were also putting more brushand stakes around the great corral for the ponies, and many were alreadysaying it was Waditaka who had saved their horses for them the nightbefore. But the day had all the intense cold of extreme winter in thegreat mountains of North America. The mercury was a full forty degreesbelow zero, and the Indians who worked with the spoils had only chin, eyes and mouth exposed. Among them came old Inmutanka, very erect andstrong despite his years, and full of honest pride. He thumped himselftwice upon the chest, and then said in a loud, clear voice:

"Does anyone here wish to question the merit of my son, Waditaka? Is henot as brave as the bravest, and does he not think further ahead thanany other warrior in the village?"

Then up spoke old Xingudan and he was sincere. 

"Your words are as true as if they had been spoken by Manitou himself, "he said. "The youth, Waditaka, the son of Inmutanka, was the greatestwarrior of us all when the bears came, and his deeds stand first. "

Then up spoke the messenger, Roka, also. 

"It is true, " he said. "I witnessed with my own eyes the great deeds ofWaditaka. Our chief, Xingudan, must be proud to have such a brave andwise young warrior in his village. "

The two talked later on about the matter and Roka fully agreed withXingudan that the command of Heraka should be disregarded. Red Cloud, the great Mahpeyalute, would support them in it and, in any event, itwas quite sure that the village itself would not allow it. 

Will did not awake until the afternoon, and then he yawned and stretchedhimself a minute or two between the warm covers before he opened hiseyes. He saw a low fire of big coals burning in the centre of the lodge, neutralizing the intensely cold air that came in where the door of thelodge was left open for a foot or more. 

He surmised from the angle of the sun's rays that the day was faradvanced. Pemmican, strips of venison and some corn cakes lay by theedge of the fire and he knew that good old Inmutanka had left them therefor him. He began to feel hungry. He would rise in a few minutes andwarm the bread and meat by the fire, but he first listened to a chantthat came from the outside, low at first, though swelling gradually. Hisattention was specially attracted, because he caught the sound of hisown name in a recurring note. At length he made out the song, somethinglike this:

 Lo, in the night the great bears came Our horses they would crush and devour. Mighty were they in their size and strength And hunger fierce and terrible drove them on. Bullets we had none, only the edge of steel and bone, But the fires of Waditaka filled their souls with fear, Waditaka, the wise, the brave son of Inmutanka, Without him our herd would have been lost, and we, too. 

 Waditaka, the valiant and wise, showed us the way. Young, but his arrow sings true, his lance strikes deep, Waditaka, the thoughtful, the bold, the son of Inmutanka, Proud we are that he belongs to us and fights for us. 

Young Clarke lay back between the buffalo covers. The song, crude thoughit was, and without rhyme or metre in the Indian fashion, gave him astrange and deep thrill. It was in just such manner that the Greekschanted the praises of some hero who had saved them from great disaster, or who had done a mighty deed against dragons. From his early readingcame visions of Hercules and Theseus, of Perseus and Bellerophon. But hedid not put himself with such champions. He was merely serving aprimitive little village, carried by its primitive state farther backthan that world in which the more or less legendary Greek heroes lived. 

But it was pleasant, wonderfully pleasant, to hear the chant. This washis world and to know, for a time at least, that he was first among thepeople, was very grateful to young ears. Listening a while he rose, dressed, warmed his food, and ate it with the appetite of a young lion. 

CHAPTER XIV

THE DREADFUL NIGHT

When Will came out of the lodge he witnessed such a scene as one mighthave looked upon ten thousand years ago. The cold was bitter, but therewere many fires. Vast icicles hung from the slopes of the mountains, glittering in the sun like gigantic spears. The trees were sheathed inice, and, when the wind shook the boughs, pieces fell like silver mail. It was an icy world, narrow and enclosed, but it was a cheerful worldjust the same. 

The squaws were pounding the bear meat, much as the white housewifewould pound a steak, but with more vigor. Grizzly or any other kind ofbig bear was exceedingly tough, even after treatment, but, in the lastresort, the Indians would eat it, and, despite their great stores ofordinary food, Xingudan feared they would not last through the long andbitter winter now promised. 

The huge skins which had all the quality of fur were welcome. Willbelieved the bears were not grizzlies, and later, when he heard of themighty Alaskan bears, he was sure of it. Great portions of the animalscould not be used, and, as Xingudan knew that the odor would draw thefierce carnivora at night, he ordered it all carried to a point far upthe valley and dumped there. Then the night was filled with howlings asthe big wolves came down again and fought and ate. 

Will listened with many a shudder as, heavily clothed and armed, hehelped to keep the guard about the village and the corral, and, as helistened, he reverted by another great stage back into the primitive. Hewas with his friends, those who had fought beside him, those who caredfor him, and those who looked upon him as a leader. For the present, atleast, he was content. His hours were full of useful labor, ofexcitement, and of rewards. He knew that another of the great bearskinswould be placed in the lodge that belonged to himself and Inmutanka, andthat the best of the food would always be theirs if they were willing totake it. 

The most difficult of their tasks was to procure enough food for theponies, and they were continually turning up the snow in secludedalcoves in search of it. Once the weather moderated considerably for aweek, and the snow melting in vast volume freshened all the grass andfoliage. Heavy and continuous rains for several days renewed muchvegetation, apparently dead in this secluded valley, and the ponies, which were permitted to graze freely in the course of the day, althoughthey were driven back to the corral at night, regained much of theirlost flesh. The Indians also used this interval to gather and store muchforage for them. 

With the cessation of the rain however, the fierce cold returned. Everything froze up tight and fast again, and once more at night theyheard the fierce howlings of the wild beasts. The fires around thecorral were renewed and were never permitted to die, and it wasnecessary also to keep them burning continually about the village. Awolf stole in between the lodges, killed and carried off a little child. He was trailed by Will, Roka, now his fast friend, and a young warriornamed Pehansan, the Crane, because of his extreme height and thinness. But Pehansan's figure, despite its slenderness, was so tough that heseemed able to endure anything, and on this expedition he was theleader. They tracked the wolf up the mountain side, slew it with arrowsand recovered the body of the child, to which they gave proper burial, thus making sure of the immortality of its soul. 

The danger from the wild beasts remained. It was the theory of the oldand wise Xingudan that the pony herd drew them. The fierce winter madethe hunting bad, but the word had been passed on by wolves, mountainlions and bears that a certain valley was filled with fine, toothsomehorses, little able to protect themselves, and all of the fiercemeat-eaters were coming to claim their share. 

"We shall have to fight them until the spring, " said the wise old chief, "and since we have neither cartridges nor powder and lead, we must makehundreds and hundreds of arrows. "

This was hard and tedious labor, but nearly all in the village, who wereable, devoted most of their time to it. They used various kinds ofwood, scraping the shafts until they were perfectly round, and making onevery one three fine grooves which kept them from warping. The arrowswere of two different kinds, those for hunting and those for war. Thebarb of the war arrow was short, and it was not fastened very tightly tothe shaft. When it struck the enemy, it would become detached and remainin the wound, while the shaft fell away. A cruel device, but not worsethan has since been shown by highly civilized people in a universal war. 

The head of the hunting arrow was longer, more tapering and it wasfastened securely. The people of the village made these in much greaternumbers than the war arrows, as they certainly expected no fighting withmen before the spring, and then they would procure ammunition for theirrifles. The Sioux were not good marksmen at long range, but they shottheir arrows with amazing swiftness. Will noted that a man holding adozen arrows in his left hand could fire them all in as many seconds, and they could be discharged with such power that at very close rangeone would pass entirely through the body of a buffalo. 

While Will did not learn to shoot the arrows as fast as the Indians, hewas soon a better marksman at long range than anybody else in thevillage. Then Xingudan gave him the most beautiful bow he had ever seen. It was made of pieces of elkhorn that had been wrapped minutely and astightly as possible with the fresh intestines of a deer. When theintestines dried the bow became to all purposes a single piece ofpowerful horn, yet with the flexibility and elasticity that one horn didnot have. It was unbreakable, it did not suffer from weather, and it hadamong the Sioux the same value that a jewel of great price has amongwhite people. Will knew that old Xingudan considered it a fullequivalent for his repeating rifle, revolver and field glasses that theold chief kept in his lodge. 

Will and the Crane, otherwise Pehansan, formed a warm friendship, and hefound a similar friend in Roka, the stalwart warrior who had come withthe order for his death by torture. Soon after he received the gift ofthe great bow the three decided on a hunting expedition toward the upperend of the valley, all traveling on snowshoes. 

"Beware of the wild beasts, my son, " said Inmutanka. 

"We have heard nothing of them for a week past, " said Will. 

"The greater reason to expect them, because the word has been sent overa thousand miles of snow fields that we are here to be eaten. I know youare brave, watchful and quick, but take many arrows and see that Rokaand Pehansan do the same. "

Will was gay and light of heart, but he obeyed the injunction ofInmutanka and filled the quiver. He saw that Roka and Pehansan had anabundance, also, and the three, wrapped in furs, departed on theirsnowshoes. The Indians had not gone much toward the upper end of thevalley. The slopes were less precipitous there and the forest heavier, giving better hiding for the great wild beasts, and hence making themmuch more dangerous. But with his magnificent new bow on his shoulderand his stout comrades beside him Will was not afraid. 

The cold was less intense than it had been for some time and theexercise of walking with the snowshoes gave them plenty of warmth. Thesnow itself, which had now begun to soften at the surface, lay to adepth of about three feet, hiding the river save where the Indians hadcut holes through ice and snow to capture fish. 

Pehansan, an inveterate hunter who would willingly have passed athousand years of good life in such pursuits, had an idea that elk mightbe found in some of the secluded alcoves to the north. His mind was fullof such thoughts, but Will, exhilarated by motion, was looking at themountain tops which, like vast white pillars, were supporting a sky ofglittering blue. He swept his hand in a wide gesture. 

"It's a fit place up there for Manitou to live, " he said. 

"Beyond the blue the hunting grounds go on forever, " said Pehansan. 

"I can understand and appreciate your belief, " said Will in hisenthusiasm. "Think of it, Pehansan, to be strong and young forever andforever; never to know wounds or weariness; to hunt the game overthousands and tens of thousands of miles; to find buffaloes and bearsand elk and moose twice, yes, three times as big as any here on earth;to discover and cross rivers and lakes and seas and always to come backsafe! To sleep well every night and to wake every morning as keen forthe chase as ever! to have your friends with you always, and to strivewith them in the hunt in generous emulation! Aye, Pehansan, that wouldbe the life!"

"Some day I shall find the life of which you speak so well, Waditaka! Ahappy death on the battlefield and lo! I have it!"

"Think you that the snow is now too soft to bear the weight of thewolves?" asked Roka, breaking into plain prose. 

"Not yet, " replied Pehansan, the mighty hunter, "but it may be soon. Hark to their howling on the slopes among the dwarf trees!"

Will heard a long, weird moaning sound, but he only laughed. It was thevoice of the great wolves, but they and the bears had been defeated sooften that he did not fear them. He swung the magnificent bow jauntilyand was more than willing to put it to deadly use. 

As the bird flies, the valley might have had a length of twenty miles, but following its curves it was nearer forty, and as the three had noreason for haste they took their time, traveling over the river bed, because it was free from obstruction. At noon they ate pemmican, and, after a rest of a half hour, pushed on again. The valley at this pointwas not more than two miles wide, and Pehansan had his eyes set on adeep gorge to the left, where the cedars and pines sheltered from thewinds seemed to have grown to an uncommon size. 

"May find elk in here, where snow is not deep. Best place to look. Don'tyou think?" he said. 

"I agree with you, " replied Will. 

"Pehansan speaks well, " said Roka. 

Then they left the river bed and, bearing away toward the west, approached the gorge which Will could now see was very deep, and with acomparatively easy slope. He had an idea that many of the greatcarnivora came into the valley by this road, but he did not speak of itto the other two. 

About an hour after noon they came to the edge of the forest andPehansan, searching in the snow, found large tracks which were evidentlythose of hoofs. 

"Elk?" said Will, "and a big one, too, I suppose. "

"No, " replied Pehansan, "not elk. Something bigger. "

"What can it be? Moose, then?"

"No, not moose. Bigger still!"

"I give it up. What is it?"

"A mountain buffalo, a bigger beast than those we find in the greatherds on the plains, which you know, Waditaka, are very big, too. "

"Then this giant is ours. He has come in here for food and shelter, andwe ought not to have much trouble in finding him. Lead on, Pehansan, andI'll get a chance to use this grand bow sooner than I had thought. "

The tracks were deep sunken in the snow, but he was not yet expertenough to tell their probable age. 

"How old would you say they are, Pehansan?" he asked. 

"Made to-day, " replied the Indian, bending his glowing eyes upon thetrail. "Two, three hour ago. He not far away. "

"Then he's ours. A big mountain buffalo fresh on the hoof will bewelcome in the village. "

"Be careful about the snowshoes, " said Roka. "The buffalo will be amongthe trees and bushes and when we wound him he will charge. The snowshoesmust not become entangled. "

Will knew that it was excellent advice and he resolved to be exceedinglycautious. He could walk well on the snowshoes though he was not asexpert as the Indians, but he held himself steady and made no noiseamong the bushes as they advanced, Pehansan leading, with Roka next. 

"Very near now, " whispered Pehansan, looking at the deep tracks, hiseyes still glowing. It was a great triumph to kill a mountain buffalo, above all at such a time, and it was he, Pehansan, who led the way. Ifthe other two shared in the triumph so much the better. There was nojealous streak in the Crane. 

Pehansan knew also that the quest was not without danger. Wounded, thebuffalo could become very dangerous and on snowshoes, among the thickbushes, it would be difficult for the hunters to evade the crashingcharges of that mighty beast. 

He came to a wide and deep depression in the snow. 

"He lie down here and rest a while, " he said. "Just beyond he dig in thesnow for bunches of the sweet grass that grow here in summer and thatkeep alive under the snow. "

"Then he is not a half hour away, " said Roka. 

"Not more than that, " said Pehansan. "We barely creep now. "

Will began to feel excitement. He had killed big buffaloes before, butthen he had his repeating rifle, now he was to meet a monster of themountains only with the bow and arrow. Even in that moment he rememberedthat man did not always have the bow and arrow. His primitive ancestorswere compelled to face not only buffaloes but the fierce carnivora withthe stone axe and nothing more. 

The great trail rapidly grew fresher. Among the pines and cedars, thesnow was not more than a foot deep and the three hunters had muchdifficulty in making their way noiselessly where the brush was so dense. But the footprints were monstrous. The great hoofs had crushed downthrough the snow, and had even bitten into the earth. Will had a curiousidea that it might not be a mountain buffalo, large as they grew, butsome primordial beast, a survivor of a prehistoric time, a mammoth ormastodon, the pictures of which he recalled in his youthful geography. If America itself had so long passed unknown to the white man, why couldnot these vast animals also be still living, hidden in the secludedvalleys of the great Northwest?

Pehansan paused and turned upon the other two eyes that glowed frominternal fires. He, too, had been impressed by the enormous size of thehoof prints, the largest that he had ever seen, but there was no fear, nor even apprehension in his valiant soul. 

"It is the king of them all, " he said. "Pteha (the buffalo) in thesemountains has grown to twice the usual size, and attacked by cold andhunger he has the temper of the grizzly bear. He is but a littledistance away, and we need rifles to go against him, but we do not turnback! Do we, Roka? Do we, Waditaka?"

"We do not, " whispered Roka. 

"Not thinking of such a thing, " whispered Will. 

They pushed their way farther, crossed a small ravine and, resting amoment or two on the other side, heard a puffing, a low sound but ofgreat volume. 

"Pteha, " whispered Pehansan. 

"Among the cedars, scarce fifty yards away, " said Roka. "Now suppose weseparate and approach from three points. It will give us a better chanceto plant our arrows in him, and he cannot charge more than one at atime. "

"Good tactics, Roka, " whispered Will. 

Roka, as the oldest, took the center, Pehansan turned to the right andWill to the left. The white youth held his great elkhorn bow ready andthe quiver of arrows was over his shoulder, but, after the Siouxfashion, he carried five or six also in his left hand that he might firethem as quickly as one pulls the trigger of a repeating rifle. Thefigures of Roka and Pehansan were hidden from him almost instantly bythe bushes and he went forward slowly, picking his dangerous way on thesnowshoes, his heart beating hard. He still had the feeling that he wascreeping upon a mammoth or mastodon, and the low puffing and blowingincreased in volume, indicating very clearly that it came from mightylungs. 

The feeling that he had been thrown back into a distant past grew uponWill. He was in the deep snow, armed only with bow and arrows, aroundhim were the huge, frozen mountains, desolate and awful in theirmajesty, and before him, only a few yards away, was the great beast, thepuffings and blowings of which filled his ears. He fingered the elkhornbow and then recalled his steadiness and courage. A few steps fartherand he caught a glimpse of a vast hairy back. Evidently the animal waslying down and it would give the hunters an advantage, as they couldfire at least one arrow apiece before it rose to its feet. 

Another long, sliding step on the snowshoes and he saw more clearly thebeast, on its side in a great hollow it had made for itself in the snow. But as he looked the huge bull lurched upward and charged toward theright, from which point Pehansan was coming. Evidently a shift of thewind had brought it the odor of the Crane, and it attacked at once withall the ferocity of a mad elephant. 

Will had a clear view of a vast body, great humped shoulders, and sharp, crooked horns. But now that the danger had come his pulses ceased toleap and hand and heart were steady. The arrow sang from the bow andburied itself deep in the great bull's neck. Another and anotherfollowed until a full dozen were gone, every one sunk to the feather inthe animal's body. Roka and Pehansan were firing at the same time, sending in arrows with powerful arms and at such close range that notone missed. They stood out all over his body and he streamed withblood. 

But the bull did not fall. No arrow had yet touched a vital spot. Bellowing with pain and rage, he whirled, and catching sight of Will, who was only a few yards away, charged. Pehansan and Roka utteredwarning shouts, and the youth, who in his enthusiasm had gone too near, made a convulsive leap to one side. Had he been on hard ground and inhis moccasins he might easily have escaped that maddened rush, but thelong and delicate snowshoes caught in a bush, and he fell at full lengthon his side. Then it was the very completeness of his fall that savedhim. The infuriated beast charged directly over him, trampling on thepoint of one snowshoe and breaking it, but missing the foot. Will wasconscious of a huge black shape passing above him and of blood drippingdown on his body, but he was not hurt and he remembered to cling to hisbow. 

The raging bull, feeling that he had missed his prey, turned and wasabout to charge again. Will would not have been missed by him a secondtime. The youth would have been cut to pieces as he struggled for hisbalance, but Pehansan did a deed worthy of the bravest of the brave. Farmore agile on the snowshoes than Will, he thrust himself in front of theanimal, waved his bow and shouted to attract his attention. The bull, uttering a mighty bellow, charged, but the brave Crane half leaped, halfglided aside, and his arrows thudded in the great rough neck as thebeast rushed by. 

When the monster turned again, Will, although he was compelled to leanagainst a bush for support, had drawn a fresh sheaf of arrows from thequiver, and he sent them home in a stream. Roka from another point wasdoing the same and Pehansan from a third place was discharging a volley. The great beast, encircled by stinging death, threw up his head, uttereda tremendous bellow of agony and despair and crashed to the earth, wherehe breathed out his life. 

Will, trembling from his exertions and limping from the broken snowshoeapproached cautiously, still viewing that huge, hairy form with wonderand some apprehension. Nor were Roka and Pehansan free from the samenervous strain and awe. 

"What is it?" asked Will, "a mammoth or a mastodon?"

"Don't know mammoth and don't know mastodon, " replied Pehansan, shakinghis head, "but do know it is the biggest of all animals my eyes haveever seen. "

"It is a woods or mountain buffalo that has far outgrown its kind, justas there are giants among men, " said Roka. 

"If this were a man and he bore the same relation to his species hewould be thirteen or fourteen feet tall, " said Will, his voice stillshaking a little. "Why, he'd make most elephants ashamed to be so punyand small. "

"He, too, like the bears, came out of the far North, " said Pehansan. "Maybe there is not another in the world like him. "

"That hide of his is thick with arrows, " said Will, "but in so big askin I don't think the arrow holes will amount to much. We ought to haveit. We must carry so grand a trophy back to the village to-night. "

Roka shook his head. 

"Not to-night, " he said. "We three be strong, but we cannot move thebody of this mighty beast, and so we cannot take off the skin. "

"I will go to the village and bring many people, " said Pehansan. 

Again the wise Roka shook his head. 

"No, " he said, "we three will stay by the bull. You are fast on yoursnowshoes, Pehansan, and you can shoot your arrows swift, hard and true, but you would never reach the village, which is many miles from here. The fierce wild animals would devour you. We must clear the snow away asfast as we can and build fires all about us. The beasts have alreadyscented the dead bull, and will come to eat him and us. "

The shadows of the twilight were falling already, and they heard thefaint howls of the meat-eaters on the slopes. Will and his comrades, taking off their snowshoes, worked with frantic energy, clearing awaythe snow with their mittened hands, bringing vast quantities of the deadwood, lighting several fires in a circle about the bull, and keepingthemselves, with the surplus wood, inside the circle. Then, while Willfed the fires, Roka and Pehansan carefully cut the arrows out of thebody. 

"We may need them all before morning, " said Roka. 

"It is so, if the growling be a true sign, " said Pehansan. 

The two warriors partly skinned the body and cut off great chunks ofmeat, which they broiled over the fires, and all three ate. Meanwhile, Will, bow and arrows ready, watched the bushes beyond the circle offlame. If his situation had been nearly primitive in the day it waswholly primitive at night. The mighty bull buffalo was to him truly amammoth, and beyond the circle of fire, which they dreaded most of allthings, the fierce carnivora were waiting to devour the hunters andtheir giant prize alike. When a pair of green eyes came unusually nearWill fired an arrow at a point midway between them, and a terrifichowling and shrieking followed. 

"It was one of the great wolves, I think, " said Roka, "and your arrowsped true. The others are devouring him now. Listen, you can hear hisbig bones cracking!"

Will shuddered and threw more wood on the fires. What a blessed thingfire was! It saved them from the freezing night and it saved them fromthe teeth of the wild beasts, which he knew were gathering in a greatcircle, mad with hunger. The flames leaped higher, and he caughtglimpses of dusky figures hovering among the bushes, wolves, bears andhe knew not what, because imagination was very lively within him thenand he had traveled back to a primordial time. 

The night became very dark and the snow hardened again under the coldthat came with it. Will, crouched by one of the fires with his bow andarrows ever ready in his hands, heard the sounds of heavy bodies, eithersinking into the snow or crushing their way through it. The wind roseand cut like a knife. Despite his heavy buffalo robe overcoat he moved alittle closer to the fire, and Pehansan and Roka almost unconsciouslydid the same. They were all sitting, and the great body of the slainbull towered above them. The sound of the wind, as it swept through thegorges, was ferocious like the growling of the beasts with which itmingled. 

"The spirits of evil are abroad to-night, " said Roka. "The air is fullof them and they rush to destroy us, but Manitou has given us the firewith which to defend us. "

A long yell like that of a cat, but many times louder, came from a pointbeyond and above them, where a tree of good size grew about fifty yardsaway. Roka seized a piece of burning wood and held it aloft. 

"It's a monstrous mountain lion stretched along a bough, " he said. "Lookclosely, Waditaka, and you will see. At a long distance you are the bestbowman of us all. Can you not reach him with an arrow from your greatelkhorn bow?"

"I think so, " replied Will, concentrating his gaze until he could makeout clearly the outlines of the giant cat. "He's a monster of his kind. All the animals in this region seem to be about twice the size ofordinary types. "

"But if the arrow touches the heart the big as well as the little willfall. "

"True, Roka, and while you hold that torch aloft I can mark the spot onhis yellowish hide beneath which his heart lies. Steady, now, don't letthe light waver and I think I can reach the place. "

He fitted the arrow to the string, bent the great bow and let fly. Thearrow sang a moment through the air, and then it stood out, buried tothe feathers in the body of the lion. The wounded beast uttered a screamso fierce that all three shuddered and drew a little closer together, and then launched itself through the air like a projectile. It struck inthe snow somewhere, disappeared from their sight, and they heardterrible sounds of growling and fighting. 

"Your arrow went straight to its heart, " said Roka. "The spring was itslast convulsion of the muscles and now the other beasts are fightingover its body as they eat it. "

"I don't care how soon this night is over, " said Will. "All themeat-eating wild beasts in the mountains must be gathering about us. "

"It is not a time for sleep, " said Roka gravely. "While Manitou hasgiven us the fire to serve as a wall around us, he tells us also that wemust watch every minute of the night with the bows and arrows always inour hands, or we die. "

"Aye, " said Pehansan, "there is one that comes too near now!"

He sent an arrow slithering at a bulky figure dimly outlined not morethan ten yards away. At so short a distance a Sioux could shoot an arrowwith tremendous force, and there followed at once a roar of pain, a rushof heavy feet, and a wild threshing among the bushes. 

"I know not what beast it was, " said Pehansan proudly, "but like theother it will soon find a grave in the stomachs of the great wolves. "

They did not see any more figures for an hour or two, but a dreadfulhowling came from the great beasts, from every point in the completecircle about them. The three watched closely, eager to speed morearrows, but evidently the carnivora had taken temporary alarm and wouldnot come too near lest the flying death reach them again. Roka cut freshpieces from the buffalo and roasted them over one of the fires. 

"Eat, " he said to his comrades. "It is as wearing to watch and wait asit is to march and fight. Eat, even if you are not hungry, that yourstrength may be preserved. "

Will, who at any other time would have found the meat of the bull tootough before pounding, ate, and he ate, too, with an appetite, Roka andPehansan joining with vigor. 

The odor of the cooking steak penetrated the darkness about them andthey heard the fierce growling of bears and the screaming of great cats. Will was growing so much used to these terrible noises, he felt so muchconfidence in their ring of fire that he laughed, and his laugh had alight trace of mockery. 

"Wouldn't they be glad to get at us?" he said, "and wouldn't they liketo sink their teeth in the giant bull here? Why, there's enough of himto feed a whole gang of 'em!"

"But he'll feed our people down in the village, " said Pehansan, who wasalso in good spirits. "Still the wild beasts are coming nearer. It isgreat luck that we have so much wood for the fires. "

He and Will built the fires higher, while Roka sent two or three arrowsat the green or yellow eyes in the dark. The roars or fierce yellsshowed that he had hit, and they heard the sound of heavy bodies beingthreshed about in the dusk. 

"We are not eaten but some of our enemies are, " said Will. "It would bea good plan, wouldn't it, to slay them whenever we can in order thatthey may be food for one another?"

"It is wisely spoken, " said Roka. "We will shoot whenever we see atarget, but we will never neglect the fires because they are moreimportant even than the arrows. "

All through that dark, primordial night, in which they were carriedback, in effect, at least ten thousand years, they never relaxed thewatch for a moment. Now and then they sent arrows into the dusk, sometimes missing and sometimes hitting, and the growling of the bearsand wolves and the screaming of the great cats was almost continuous. The darkness seemed eternal, but at length, with infinite joy, they sawthe first pale streak of dawn over the eastern mountains. 

"Now the fierce animals will withdraw farther into the forest, " saidRoka. "Beyond the reach of our arrows they will be, but they will notdepart wholly. "

"Someone must go to the village for help, " said Will, "help not only forus, but to take away two or three tons of this good meat. Why, the bulllooks even bigger this morning than he did last night. One of mysnowshoes is broken, but, if Pehansan will lend me his, I'll make thetrip. "

"You will not, " said Roka. "Despite your skill with the bow and arrowyou would be devoured before you had gone a mile. The fierce beastswould be in waiting for you and you would no longer have a ring of fireto protect you. "

"Then what are we to do, Roka? We can't stay here forever within thering of fire, living on steaks cut from the bull. "

"Waditaka has become a great young warrior and he thinks much. Few asyoung as he is think as much as he does. "

"I don't grasp your meaning, Roka. "

"Perhaps it would be better to say that no one thinks of everything. "

"I'm still astray. "

"We'll call the people of the village to us. "

"If you had the voice of old Stentor himself, of whom you never heard, you couldn't reach the village, which you know is more than twenty milesaway. "

"We will not call with our voices, Waditaka. Behold how clear themorning comes! It is the light of bright winter and there is no lightbrighter. The sun is rising over the mountains in a circle of burninggold and all the heavens are filled with its rays. "

"You're a poet, Roka. The spell has fallen upon you. "

"Against the shining blaze of the sky the smallest object will show, anda large object will be seen at a vast distance. Bring our blankets, Pehansan, and we will spread them over the little fire here. "

Will laughed at himself. 

"The smoke signals!" he exclaimed. "How simple the plan and how foolishI was not to think of it!"

"As I told you, " said Roka, "one young warrior, no matter how wise, cannot think of everything. We will talk not with our mouths but withthe blankets. "

In this case the signals were quite simple. Pehansan passed the blankettwice rapidly over the fire, allowing two great coils of smoke to ascendhigh in the air, and then dissipate themselves there. After five minuteshe sent up the two smoky circles again. The signal meant "Come. "

"We will soon see the answer, " said Roka, "because they are anxiousabout us and will be looking for a sign. "

All three gazed in the direction of the village, the only point fromwhich the reply could be sent, and presently a circle of smoke, thentwo, then three, rose there. Pehansan, in order to be sure, sent up thetwo circles again, and the three promptly replied. 

"It is enough, " said Roka joyfully. "Now they will come in great forceon their snowshoes, and we will be saved with our huge prize. "

They waited in the utmost confidence and at times Pehansan sent up thetwo rings again to guide the relief band. But the people from thevillage had a long distance to travel, and it was noon when they saw thedark figures among the undergrowth and hailed them with joyous cries. Atleast thirty had come, a few young warriors--there were few in thevillage--but mostly old men, and the dauntless, wiry old squaws. 

They exclaimed in wonder and admiration over the mighty beast the threehad killed, and among the bushes about the campfire they found greatskeletons, all eaten clean by the huge mountain wolves. 

"Truly you were saved by fire, " said old Xingudan, who had himselfheaded the relieving party. 

With so many to lift and pull they were able to remove the entire robefrom the giant buffalo, the finest skin that many of them had ever seen. It was so vast that it was a cause of great wonder and admiration. 

"It belongs, " said Xingudan, "to Waditaka, Pehansan and Roka, the threebrave warriors who slew the buffalo. "

"The three live in different lodges and they will have to pass it one toanother for use, " said Inmutanka. 

Will glanced at Roka, who understood him, and then he glanced atPehansan, who also understood him. 

"It is the wish of the three of us, " said the youth, "that this greatskin be accepted by the brave and wise Xingudan, whose knowledge andskill have kept the village unhurt and happy under conditions that mightwell have overcome any man. "

A look of gratification, swift but deep, passed over the face ofXingudan, but he declined the magnificent offer. Nevertheless the threeinsisted, and old Inmutanka observed wisely that the skin should go onlyin the lodge of the head chief. At last Xingudan accepted, and Will, although he had not made the offer for that purpose, had a friend forlife. 

The band began to cut up the vast body, which, when the flesh was wellpounded and softened by the squaws, would alone feed the village forquite a period. The task could not be finished that day, but they builtsuch a ring of great fires for the night that the fierce carnivora didnot dare to come near. The next day they reached the village with thegreat bull, carried in many sections. 

Will's nerves had been attuned so highly during the terrible siege thathe collapsed to a certain extent after his return to the village, but hesuffered no loss of prestige because of it, as everybody believed thathe and his comrades had been besieged by evil spirits, and Pehansan andRoka as well were compelled to take a long rest. He remained in thelodge a whole day, and Inmutanka brought him the tenderest of food andthe juices of medicinal herbs to drink, telling him it was said on everyside that the prophecy had come true, and his craft and skill had savedthe village in the terrible winter. 

The second day he was in the village, where the women and old men werepounding and drying the flesh of the buffalo, but only the most skilfulwere permitted to scrape the vast skin, which, when it was finallycured, would make such an ornament as was never before seen in the lodgeof a Sioux chief. But Will, Pehansan and Roka were not allowed to have ashare in any work for a long time. They were three heroes who had foughtwith demons and who had triumphed, and for a space they were looked uponas demi-gods. 

Nevertheless, they had their full share in the hunt. The wise oldXingudan, backed by the equally wise old Inmutanka, forbade anyexpeditions far from the village unless they were made in great force, and their judgment was soon proved by the fact that many bears, wolvesand mountain lions of the greatest size were slain. Numerous fires, however, made the region immediately about the lodges safe, and as theriver flowed almost at their feet the women could break the thick iceand catch fish, without fear of the wild beasts. 

It was during this interval that Will began to think again very much ofthe faithful white friends whom he had lost, the redoubtable scout, thewhistling and cheerful Little Giant, and the brave and serious Brady. Heraka had told him that they were dead, but he could not believe it. Hebegan to feel that he would see them again, and that they would renewthe great quest. He had preserved the map with care, but he had notlooked at it for a long time. Yet he remembered the lines upon it aswell as ever. As he had reflected before, if it were destroyed, he couldeasily reproduce it from memory. 

Then his three lost friends became vague again. The months that hadpassed since his capture seemed years, and he was so far away from allthe paths of civilization that it was like being on another planet. Hehad never yet learned exactly where he was, but he knew it must be inthe high mountains of the far north, and therefore toward the Pacificcoast. 

Then all these memories and mental questions faded, as the life of thevillage became absorbing again. Frightened herds of elk and moose, evidently chased by the great carnivora or in search of food, came intothe valley and the Indians killed as many as they needed. They mighthave killed more, but Xingudan forbade them. 

"Let them take shelter here, " he said, "and grow more numerous. It isnot to the interest of our people that the big deer should decrease innumbers, and if we are wise we will let live that which we do not needto eat. "

They saw the wisdom of Xingudan's words and obeyed him. Perhaps therewas not another Indian village in all North America which had greaterplenty than Xingudan's in that winter, so long and terrible, in thenorthern mountains. Big game was abundant, and fish could always beobtained through holes in the thick ice that invariably covered theriver. Their greatest difficulty was in keeping the horses, but they metthe emergency. Not only did the horses dig under the snow with theirsharp feet, but the Indians themselves, with Will at their head, uncovered or brought much forage for them. 

Will understood why such sedulous care was bestowed upon the ponies, which could be of little use among the great mountains. When spring wasfully come they would go eastward out of the mountains, and upon thevast plains, where they would hunt the buffalo. Then he must escape. Although he was an adopted Sioux, the son of Inmutanka, and had adaptedhimself to the life of the village, where he was not unhappy, he felt attimes the call of his own people. 

The call was especially strong when he was alone in the lodge, and thesnow was driving heavily outside. Then the faces of the scout, theLittle Giant and the beaver hunter appeared very clearly before him. Hisplace was with them, if they were still alive, and in the spring, whenthe doors of ice that closed the valley were opened, he would go, if hecould. 

But the spring was long in coming. Xingudan himself could not recallwhen it had ever before been so late. But come at last it did, withmighty rains, the sliding of avalanches, the breaking up of the ice, floods in the river and countless torrents. When the waters subsided andthe slopes were clear of snow Xingudan talked of moving. The lodges werestruck and the whole village passed out of the valley. The tall youth, dressed like the others and almost as brown as they, who had been knownamong white people as Will Clarke, but whom the Indians called Waditaka, wondered what the spring was going to bring to him, and he awaited thefuture with intense curiosity and eagerness. 

 +-------------------------------------------------------+ | Transcriber's Note: | | | | Inconsistent hyphenation and spelling in the | | original document have been preserved. | | | | Typographical errors corrected in the text: | | | | Page 14 hutner changed to hunter | | Page 55 commisariat changed to commissariat | | Page 166 wondered changed to wandered | | Page 181 double-barrelled changed to double-barreled | | Page 191 which added after "weapon with" | | Page 266 Wll changed to Will | | Page 325 Pahansan changed to Pehansan | +-------------------------------------------------------+