THE MOUN 
 
 m 
 
NEW DEERFOOT SERIES 
 
 DEERFOOT IN THE 
 MOUNTAINS 
 
A Friend in Need. 
 
NEW DEERFOOT SERIES 
 
 Deerfoot in the 
 Mountains 
 
 BY 
 
 EDWARD S. ELLIS 
 
 Author of "Deerfoot in the Forest," "Deerfoot on the 
 Prairies," "An American King," "The Cromwell of 
 Virginia," "The Boy Pioneer Series," "Log Cabin 
 Series," Etc., Etc. 
 
 ]IIu0ttat*d 
 
 with Eight Engravings by J. Steeple Davis 
 
 PHILADELPHIA: 
 
 THE JOHN C. WINSTON CO. 
 
 1905 
 
THE FEW DEERFOOT JERIEJ 
 
 BY 
 
 EDWARD S. ELLIS 
 
 Illustrated by 
 J. STEEPLE DAVIS 
 
 No. 1. Deerfoot in the Forest 
 No. 2. Deerfoot on the Prairies 
 No. 3. Deerfoot in the Mountains 
 
 Each contains seven half-tone engravings and color frontispiece. \ 
 They make more real the fortunes and adventures of the heroic 
 little band that journeys through the wilderness and prairies from 
 the Ohio to the Pacific. It was in the time of daring when Lewis 
 and Clark were engaged in their thrilling expedition that the 
 adventures narrated by the distinguished author of boys' books? 
 are described as occurring. Our old friends, George and Victor, 
 of the "Log Cabin Series," are again met with in these pages, 
 and the opportunity of once more coming face to face with Deer- 
 foot will be welcomed by every juvenile reader. 
 
 The New Deerfoot Series is bound in uniform style in cloth, with 
 side and back stamped in colors. 
 
 Price y single volume - - $1.00 
 
 Price, per set of three volumes, in attractive box - 3.0O 
 
 COPYRIGHT BY 
 THE JOHN C. WINSTON Co., 1905 
 
4 7 
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 PAGB 
 
 CHAP. I. EASTWARD BOUND 9 
 
 CHAP. II. LOST, STRAYED OR STOLEN. . 23 
 
 CHAP. III. THE TRAIL NORTHWARD .... 37 
 
 CHAP. IV. THE LAND OF THE ASSINI- 
 
 BOINES 51 
 
 CHAP. V. A WELCOME SIGHT 65 
 
 CHAP. VI. COMRADES 'TRUE 79 
 
 CHAP. VII. A MISHAP 93 
 
 CHAP. VIII. ENEMIES AND FRIENDS 106 
 
 CHAP. IX. IN THE ROCKIES 121 
 
 CHAP. X. IN THE BLACKFOOT COUNTRY 135 
 
 CHAP. XI. IN WINTER QUARTERS 149 
 
 M637461 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 CHAP. XII. BLACKFOOT CITIZENS ... .. 161 
 
 CHAP. XIII. SUMMONED TO COURT 173 
 
 CHAP. XIV. A NEW BLACKFOOT CITIZEN 185 
 
 CHAP. XV. THE SPIRIT CIRCLE 197 
 
 CHAP. XVI. THE FIELD OF HONOR 211 
 
 CHAP. XVII. A MEMORABLE DUEL 221 
 
 CHAP. XVIII. DISCIPLINE IN THE RANKS.. 234 
 
 CHAP. XIX. "BEHOLD HE PRAYETH" .... 245 
 
 CHAP. XX. LIGHT IN DARKNESS 258 
 
 CHAP. XXI. HOMEWARD BOUND 267 
 
 CHAP. XXII. A MEMORABLE MEETING. ... 280 
 
 CHAP. XXIII. LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDI- 
 TIONS 292 
 
 CHAP. XXIV. OVERBOARD 304 
 
 CHAP. XXV. JACK HALLOWAY AGAIN .... 315 s 
 
 CHAP. XXVI. A TEMPERANCE AGITATOR . . 329 
 
 CHAP. XXVII. "GOOD-BYE" 343 
 
 CHAP. XXVIII. RETROSPECT 350 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 PACK 
 
 FRONTISPIECE : (COLOR PLATE) A FRIEND IN NEED 
 
 "THIS HORSE WAS WHIRLWIND" 72 
 
 "Now, WHIRLWIND, RUN HIM DOWN" n 2 
 
 DEERFOOT LOST IN REVERIE BY THE CAMP FIRE 136 
 
 AN OMINOUS INTERVIEW 177 
 
 A MEMORABLE DUEL 224 
 
 A VISIT FROM CAPTAINS LEWIS AND CLARK 289 
 
 '*!T WAS DEERFOOT, THE SHAWANOE" 301 
 
Deeffoof in tfje Mountains 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 EASTWARD BOUND. 
 
 DEERFOOT the Shawanoe, Mul-tal-la the 
 Blackfoot, and the twin brothers, George 
 and Victor Shelton, had completed their 
 long journey from the Ohio River to the Pacific 
 slope, and, standing on an elevation near the 
 Columbia, spent hours in looking out upon the 
 face of the mightiest ocean of the globe. They 
 feasted their vision on the magnificent scene, 
 with the miles of wilderness, mountain, vale, 
 river and Indian villages spread between their 
 feet and the ocean. 
 
 It was a picture worth journeying across the 
 continent to see. From beyond the convex 
 world a ship had sailed up to view, its snowy 
 
 9 
 
JO DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 sails looking at first like a tiny but growing 
 cloud in the soft sky. As the craft drew steadily 
 nearer, they saw it careening to one side under 
 the impulse of the wind against the bellying 
 canvas, while the curling foam at the bows 
 spread out like a fan and dissolved in the clear 
 waters beyond the stern. 
 
 Deerfoot had taken the glass after Mul-tal-la 
 was through, and he stood for a long time gaz- 
 ing at the waste of waters. None spoke, for 
 there was that in the scene and the occasion 
 which made all thoughtful. The grandeur, the 
 majesty, the vastness filled them with awe and 
 held them mute. Finally, the Shawanoe lowered 
 the instrument, and turning toward the boys, 
 said gravely, as he pointed first to the east and 
 then to the west: 
 
 "Yonder is the endless forest of wood, and 
 yonder the endless forest of water; they shall 
 all become the home of the white man. ' ' 
 
 "I don't doubt you are right," replied George 
 Shelton, "but it will be hundreds of years after 
 you and I are dead ; there is room between here 
 and the Ohio for millions upon millions, but 
 where will they come from! " 
 
 1 ' The white men will become like the leaves in 
 
EASTWARD BOUND. U 
 
 the forest and the sands on the seashore; no 
 one can count the numbers that will overspread 
 the land; they will be everywhere. " 
 
 "And what of your own people, Deerfoot?" 
 asked Victor. 
 
 The dusky youth shook his head, as if the 
 problem was beyond him. 
 
 "The two ought to live in peace side by side, 
 for such is the will of the Great Spirit. The 
 white man cannot become like the red man, but 
 the red man may grow into the ways of the pale- 
 faces, and all may be brothers, and so live till 
 time shall be no more." 
 
 The theme was too profound for the youths, 
 though it was manifest that the Shawanoe had 
 given much thought to it. He added nothing, 
 and while the day was young they walked back 
 to the Columbia, re-entered the canoe and 
 headed up stream. 
 
 Henceforward their work was different from 
 that which they faced when descending the 
 river. There were long stretches where, despite 
 the current, the dusky boatmen found no special 
 trouble in driving the craft eastward; but, as 
 they progressed, the labor became severer, for 
 the stream narrowed and the velocity of its flow 
 
J2 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 became greater. The portages were long and 
 toilsome, and, as the party advanced, many 
 places were met where these portages became 
 necessary on account of the rapidity of the cur- 
 rent alone. All, however, bent resolutely to 
 work, Victor and George taxing their strength 
 to the utmost. Deerfoot seemed tireless, but 
 he could never be inconsiderate to others. He 
 could have outworn Mul-tal-la, though not till 
 after the exhaustion of the boys, who agreed 
 between themselves that the job was the biggest 
 they had ever tackled ; and yet their adult com- 
 panions not only did the work the twins were 
 doing, but swung the paddles in addition. 
 
 Our friends stayed one night at the Echeloot 
 or Upper Chinook village, which they had 
 visited when coming down the river. You will 
 remember that it was there they first saw 
 wooden houses made by Indians. The explorers 
 were treated as hospitably as before, but, as 
 you will also recall, the natives were Flatheads, 
 and the sight of the misshapen skulls, towering 
 at the rear like the ridge of a roof, was so dis- 
 agreeable that the travelers were glad to turn 
 their backs upon them. 
 
 You have not forgotten the thrilling descent 
 
EASTVARD BOUND. J3 
 
 of the Falls of the Columbia, where all the skill 
 of Deerfoot and Mul-tal-la was needed to save 
 the canoe from being dashed upon the rocks. 
 
 "Are you going to paddle through them 
 again?" asked Victor. 
 
 "Deerfoot does not wish to see his brother 
 scared so bad as he was before." 
 
 "I was about to say that if you and Mul-tal-la 
 don't feel equal to the task, George and I are 
 ready to take it off your hands." 
 
 ' i The heart of Deerfoot is made glad to hear 
 the words of his brother," replied the Shawa- 
 noe, handing his paddle to the youth. Not 
 expecting that, Victor scratched his head and 
 looked quizzically at George. 
 
 ' ' Shall we show those fellows how to do such 
 things?" 
 
 "I don't think it is worth while; they won't 
 appreciate it. ' ' 
 
 "Deerfoot is sorry," was all that was said 
 by the Shawanoe, as the boat was drawn out of 
 the waters and hoisted upon the shoulders of 
 the party. 
 
 The Shawanoe gave another illustration of 
 his stern principles when, at the close of day, 
 the canoe was run into shore at the point where 
 
14 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 tEe travelers had encamped beside the pile of 
 lumber from which they were led to take what 
 fuel they needed through the misrepresentation 
 of the three Indians who called upon them. The 
 night was one of the coldest of several weeks, 
 and at their elbows, as may be said, was enough 
 fuel to make them comfortable for months. 
 
 The brothers looked longingly at the mass of 
 lumber, but did not dare touch it in the presence 
 of their friend. 
 
 "I wonder if we can't persuade him to look 
 the other way for a little while," said Victor 
 in a low tone to George. 
 
 "It wouldn't make any difference if he did 
 he would see us just the same ; the only thing to 
 do is to appeal to his common sense." 
 
 "You try it; he won't pay any attention to 
 me." 
 
 ' ' See here, ' ' said the shivering lad ; " it seems 
 to me, Deerfoot, that since we have already 
 stolen some lumber from that pile, it can't be 
 any harm to steal a little more; you see, with 
 your good sense, that it .will be only taking 
 two bites from the same apple." 
 
 The Shawanoe looked gravely at his young 
 friends, whom no one understood better than he, 
 and abruptly asked : 
 
EASTWARD BOUND. J5 
 
 "How much do two and two make?" 
 "As near as I can figure out/' interposed 
 Victor, "the answer to that problem is four." 
 
 "When we used the wood we thought we had 
 the right to take it; we should pay the owner 
 if we could find him. If we use any of it now 
 it will be a sin, as sure as two and two make 
 four, for we know it belongs to another; it is 
 better to freeze than to steal wood, Deerfoot 
 does not wish to hear his brothers say anything 
 
 more.' 
 
 "I suppose he is right," growled Victor, "but 
 doesn 't he draw it mighty fine 1 We may as well 
 prepare to spend one of the worst nights we 
 have had since leaving the Ohio." 
 
 The canoe was drawn up the bank and then 
 turned over, so as to shield the property 
 beneath. Then the blankets were spread so that 
 the four lay -near one another and thus secured 
 mutual warmth. The region 'had become 
 familiar to our friends because of their former 
 visit, and they knew that all the natives were 
 friendly. Deerfoot, therefore, said there was 
 no need of mounting guard. They had eaten 
 enough dried salmon to stay the pangs of 
 hunger, though the boys would have relished 
 something warm and more palatable. 
 
J6 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 All slept soundly, and the night passed with- 
 out the slightest disturbance from prowling 
 man or animal. Victor Shelton was the first 
 to awake. He was lying on his side with his 
 back against that of his brother, and his face 
 so covered by his blanket that only a small 
 orifice was left through which to breathe. His 
 first sensation was that of pressure, as if a 
 heavy weight was distributed over the blanket 
 and was bearing him down. He moved his arm 
 and found that the blanket, from some cause, 
 was really heavier than usual. A vigorous flirt 
 freed his shoulder from the wrapping, and he 
 then saw the cause of the peculiar feeling he had 
 noticed : the earth was covered with several 
 inches of snow. Anyone coming upon the camp 
 in the gray light of morning would have noted 
 nothing but the mass of lumber, the flowing 
 river, the overturned canoe and several white 
 mounds. The snowfall had ceased, and fortu- 
 nately there had been a considerable rise of 
 temperature. The snow was soft and wet, and 
 one could move about without extra protection, 
 and not suffer from cold. 
 
 Victor lay still for a minute or two, engaged 
 in thinking. Then he gently pushed the blanket 
 
EASTWARD BOUND. 17 
 
 off his shoulder and body, so as to leave his 
 limbs free. With the same stealth he rose to 
 his feet and looked around. There lay his three 
 friends, encased even to their heads and feet 
 in the warm protection. 
 
 "I think there couldn't be a better time for 
 me to settle my accounts with you fellows," 
 muttered the lad, looking down on the mounds. 
 
 " Master George Shelton, you have a bad 
 habit of making slurring remarks about my 
 walking pretty fast from the wounded antelope, 
 forgetting that by doing so I drew him on to his 
 own destruction. You need a lesson and I'm 
 going to give it to you. 
 
 "Mr. Mul-tal-la, you didn't say much at the 
 time I was explaining that little matter to 
 George, but I saw the grin on your face, and 
 I knew you were thinking a good deal more than 
 you had any right to think. You need to be 
 taught better manners. 
 
 "As for you, Mr. Deerfoot, you are the worst 
 of all. I can't forget the scandalous tricks you 
 have played on me. It will take a long time to 
 even matters between us, but I'm going to make 
 a good start to-day." 
 
 Knowing how lightly the Shawanoe slept, 
 
f DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 Victor picked his way with great skill until he 
 had taken a dozen or more steps. The down- 
 like carpet enabled him to do this absolutely 
 without noise, a fact which explains why Deer- 
 foot did not awake. 
 
 Victor now stooped and began silently manu- 
 facturing snowballs. He packed the soft sub- 
 stance as hard as he eould while circling it 
 about in his palms and rounding it into shape. 
 When the missile suggested a 12-pound shot 
 he laid it at his feet, with the whispered words : 
 
 "That's for you, Master George Shelton." 
 
 The second sphere was compressed and 
 modeled with the same pains and placed beside 
 the first. 
 
 "That's for you, Mr. Mul-tal-la, and you're 
 going to get it good ! As for you, Mr. Deerf oot, 
 you shall have a double dose." 
 
 Crooking his left arm at the elbow, Victor 
 laid three of the nicely molded snowballs in 
 the hollow, which served as a quiver serves for 
 arrows. The fourth missile was grasped in his 
 right hand, and he drew it slowly back and 
 sighted carefully at his brother. Victor was a 
 fine thrower, and when the ball flashed from his 
 hand it landed on the top of George's cap and 
 
EASTWARD BOUND. J9 
 
 burst into fragments. The sleeper was in the 
 midst of a dream in which Zigzag played a lead- 
 ing part, and the youth's first impression was 
 that he had received the full force of a kick on 
 his crown. 
 
 Paying no further attention to him, Victor 
 quickly let fly at Mul-tal-la, and the throw was 
 as good as the first. 
 
 The disturbance, slight as it was, roused 
 Deerf oot, who flung the blanket off his face and 
 raised his head. He was just in time to receive 
 the compact sphere between the eyes, and 
 before he could dodge the second it landed on 
 his ear, packed the passage full of snow and 
 plastered the side of his face with the snowy 
 particles. 
 
 1 ' I meant those for you and here 's another ! ' ' 
 shouted Victor, who, having exhausted his 
 ammunition, snatched up a handful of snow and 
 began hastily molding a new missile. 
 
 "You needn't scramble and claw about! I've 
 got you down and I'm going to pay you for 
 beating me at wrestling, for tickling my nose, 
 for stealing my clothes when I was swimming, 
 and"- 
 
 The reason why the lad ceased his remarks 
 
20 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 so abruptly was because a snowball, fired as if 
 from a cannon, crashed into his mouth that 
 instant and half strangled him. Before he could 
 pull himself together he knew his nose was 
 flattened by another missile and Deerfoot was 
 on the point of launching a third shot. This 
 was more than Victor had bargained for, and, 
 wheeling, he "ran for life," yelling at the top 
 of his voice for George and Mul-tal-la to come 
 to his help. 
 
 "Soak him, George! Give it to him, Mul- 
 tal-la; don't you see he's killing me?" 
 
 Now, there was no reason why the two thus 
 appealed to should heed the prayer, since each 
 had suffered at the hands of the youth who 
 was in extremity. Nevertheless, Mul-tal-la and 
 George attacked Deerfoot, observing which, 
 Victor was unprincipled enough to turn back 
 and join the assailants. Thus the Shawanoe 
 was forced to defend himself against three, 
 every one of whom was a good thrower. Eight 
 bravely did the dusky youth do his work never 
 yielding an inch, but driving his missiles right 
 and left, with the merciless accuracy and the 
 power of an arrow from his bow, or a bullet 
 from his rifle. So lightning-like were his throws 
 
EASTWARD BOUND. 2\ 
 
 that neither the man nor the boys were able to 
 dodge them, unless they widened the space 
 between themselves and their master. Deer- 
 foot's last missile cracked like a pistol when 
 the ball impinged against the side of Mul-tal-la's 
 head, and the latter gave up the contest. 
 
 This left only the boys. The Shawanoe hast- 
 ily fashioned a couple of balls, and with one in 
 either hand started for the brothers, who called 
 out, ' 'Enough I" and flung their own ammuni- 
 tion to the ground in token of surrender He 
 looked from one to the other and said : 
 
 "Let us not stop; Deerfoot is beginning to 
 like it. " 
 
 "That's the trouble," replied George; "you 
 like it too much; I don't want any more ; maybe 
 Victor does." 
 
 "I'll do my own talking," replied the latter; 
 "didn't you see me throw down my snowball? 
 What do you 'spose I did that for?" 
 
 "Didn't you throw it at Deerfoot?" asked 
 the Shawanoe. ' ' The shot came as near hitting 
 him as some of those you threw." 
 
 "We'll take up the fight again some time," 
 was the vague promise of Victor, panting from 
 his exertion. 
 
22 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 "Deerfoot hopes you will do so." 
 
 But the good-natured contest was never 
 renewed. Not again could the lads expect to 
 have such a golden opportunity, and their 
 defeat was so decisive that they knew better 
 than to repeat it. 
 
 The labor of the return grew heavier as they 
 progressed, and the time came when it was so 
 hard to make headway against the powerful 
 current that the effort was given up. The last 
 few miles became a real portage, though when 
 our friends were descending the river the pass- 
 age could not have been easier. 
 
 And so in due time the four reached the Nez 
 Perce village, where they had left their horses 
 and some of their property. Henceforth the 
 journey to the Blackfoot country was to be 
 made by land. The former task had proved one 
 of the severest of their lives, and glad indeed 
 were all when it was over. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 LOST, STRAYED OR STOLEN. 
 
 YOU have already learned something of the 
 Nez Perces, who in our times have pro- 
 duced one of the greatest Indian leaders 
 of the past century. He was Chief Joseph, who 
 gave the United States regulars such a brilliant 
 campaign as to excite their admiration. Per- 
 haps you saw the aged chief on his visit to the 
 East a short time since. He was chivalrous, 
 high-minded and a loyal friend of the whites, 
 and showed this when he handed his rifle to 
 Colonel Miles and said: "From where the 
 sun stands in yonder heavens, I fight the white 
 man no more. ' ' 
 
 You will recall that the Nez Perces are large, 
 fine-looking men, of dark complexion, and that 
 the women have attractive features. A century 
 ago they had a rough time of it. They were 
 forced to work hard during the summer and 
 autumn in gathering salmon and their winter 
 supply of edible roots. In winter they hunted 
 
 23 
 
24 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 deer on snow shoes, and, as spring advanced, 
 crossed the mountains to the headwaters of the 
 Missouri to traffic in buffalo robes. You will 
 see, therefore, that they were kept unusually 
 busy, and red men have never shown a fondness 
 for manual labor. But, beside this, they had 
 numerous fights with enemies from the west, 
 often losing some of their warriors and many 
 of their horses. 
 
 At the time of the visit by our friends, 
 Amokeat was principal chief of the Nez Perces. 
 He and Mul-tal-la the Blackfoot were attached 
 to each other, and the confidence of the latter 
 in the dusky leader was complete. Had he not 
 been so warm in his expressions of this faith in 
 Amokeat, Deerfoot would never have left the 
 stallion Whirlwind in his care while the 
 explorers were pressing their way down the 
 Columbia to tidewater. 
 
 As it was, the Shawanoe was troubled by mis- 
 givings from the hour he parted company with 
 his matchless steed. As the distance between 
 him and the Nez Perce village lessened, it was 
 hard for the dusky youth to suppress his nerv- 
 ousness. He was reserved, speaking only now 
 and then when necessary, and unconsciously 
 
LOST, STRAYED OR STOLEN. 24 
 
 hurrying his footsteps, until the brothers were 
 ready to drop from exhaustion. Had the vil- 
 lage been a mile farther off they would have 
 been obliged to beg for rest. 
 
 The arrival of the party caused less excite- 
 ment than would be supposed. The majority 
 of the men and women were away, assisting in 
 the harvesting of salmon, while fully a score of 
 the ablest warriors were off somewhere in the 
 mountains, either hunting or scouting, prepar- 
 atory to some movement the Nez Perces as a 
 tribe had in view. There were enough on hand, 
 however, to give our friends due attention and 
 to welcome them back. 
 
 The first inquiry of Deerfoot was as to the 
 horses. To the south of the main village 
 stretched an expanse of undergrowth, bushes, 
 succulent grass and herbage, where the animals 
 of the tribe were turned loose to roam at will 
 when not needed by their owners. The Nez 
 Perces, with gestures and the few words that 
 were understood by Mul-tal-la, said the horses 
 of their visitors would be found at the place 
 described. It was not far off, and Deerfoot 
 broke into a lope, his friends at his heels. 
 
 It required but a few minutes to reach the 
 
26 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 tract, which covered a number of acres. At 
 different points glimpses were caught of horses 
 cropping the grass and herbage. The first 
 animal recognized was Zigzag, who was so near 
 that the moment the party debouched into the 
 space he raised his head, looked at them and 
 gave a neigh of recognition. Then he resumed 
 his grazing, as if he felt that he had done all 
 the honors due from him. 
 
 "Yonder is Prince!" exclaimed Victor, run- 
 ning forward to greet his horse, while George 
 Shelton began searching hither and yon for 
 Jack. Mul-tal-la did not see Bug, and showed 
 more interest in Deerfoot's search than in his 
 own animal. 
 
 The Shawanoe had halted on the edge of the 
 pasturage ground, glanced quickly over his field 
 of vision, and then, placing a thumb and fore- 
 finger between his teeth, he emitted a blast like 
 that of a steam whistle. It was a signal he had 
 taught the stallion, and he knew that if the horse 
 was within a mile he would come toward him 
 on a full gallop. Deerfoot repeated the call 
 twice and then waited and looked and listened. 
 None of the horses so much as raised his 
 head, and the heart of the youth became like 
 lead. 
 
LOST, STRAYED OR STOLEN. 27 
 
 "Whirlwind is not here/' he said sadly to 
 the Blackf oot. George and Victor hurried back, 
 drawn by the signal whose meaning they under- 
 stood. In truth, when they left his side it had 
 been more for the purpose of hunting for the 
 stallion than for their own animals. Their 
 hearts ached for Deerfoot, whose face was the 
 picture of disappointment and grief. 
 
 "Call to him again, " suggested George. 
 
 "It can do no good. If he is near he would 
 have heard Deerfoot; he is gone." 
 
 "He may have wandered beyond reach of 
 your signal," said Victor. "You know he never 
 felt friendly toward other horses and always 
 kept by himself." 
 
 With a weak hope that his friend was right, 
 Deerfoot walked a hundred yards to where an 
 uprooted tree lay on its side, climbed upon the 
 trunk, and, facing the different points of the 
 compass in turn, whistled so shrilly that in the 
 afternoon stillness the sound awoke the echoes 
 for miles in every direction. Then he stood in 
 the attitude of intense attention. Certain that 
 the stallion had not gone far of his own accord, 
 he knew these calls would bring him dashing to 
 the spot, provided no person had had a hand in 
 his disappearance. 
 
28 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 But the minutes passed without anything of 
 this nature occurring, and the Shawanoe sprang 
 down from the slight elevation and came back 
 to where his sympathizing friends awaited him. 
 They were silent, for none could say aught to 
 comfort him. 
 
 "We will look for Amokeat," he quietly 
 remarked, leading the way to the village. There 
 the inquiries of Mul-tal-la brought the first 
 definite information of the missing horse. It 
 was of anything but a pleasant nature. 
 
 It has been said that about a score of Nez 
 Perce warriors were absent on a scouting or 
 hunting expedition. They were under the lead 
 of Amokeat, who rode away on the back of 
 [Whirlwind. They had been gone several days 
 and were liable to return at any hour, or they 
 might be absent for a week or more longer. 
 
 When Deerfoot gained this information he 
 was filled with indignation. Without speaking, 
 he turned his back upon his friends and walked 
 to and fro for several minutes. He was striving 
 to gain control of his emotions, and some time 
 passed before he could do so. When he suc- 
 ceeded he rejoined his comrades, several of the 
 Nez Perces gathering round and watching the 
 four with no little curiosity. 
 
LOST, STRAYED OR STOLEN. 29 
 
 " Amokeat did not ask Deerfoot that he might 
 ride .Whirlwind," said the Shawanoe, the flash 
 not fully gone from his eyes, and a slight tremu- 
 lousness showing in his voice. 
 
 "He had no business to do so," added the 
 impulsive Victor; "I wonder that the horse 
 allowed anyone to ride him except you." 
 
 George Shelton tried to soothe his troubled 
 friend. 
 
 "I understand how you feel, Deerfoot, but it 
 looks to me as if it will come out all right. The 
 Nez Perces rode off on their horses, with Whirl- 
 wind in the lead. Why should they not come 
 back the same way, with Whirlwind none the 
 worse? Amokeat did not expect you for some 
 time, and who can wonder that he wished to 
 ride such a steed?" 
 
 Deerfoot turned and looked in the face of the 
 lad. 
 
 ' ' Does my brother wish Deerfoot to sit down 
 and fold his hands and wait for days and weeks, 
 all the time not knowing whether Whirlwind 
 will come back again or not? Does not my 
 brother see that there is not a day nor an hour 
 to be wasted? Deerfoot would die many times 
 while waiting for Amokeat; he cannot do it." 
 
30 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 This was another way of declaring that the 
 young Shawanoe meant to set out to recover his 
 steed without an hour's unnecessary delay. All 
 felt in the circumstances that it was the best 
 thing to do. No one offered further suggestion. 
 Mul-tal-la, who had spoken hardly a word, now 
 told Deerfoot he would find out all that was to 
 be learned of Amokeat and his party. 
 
 Left alone with the lads, the Shawanoe 
 explained the plan he had formed. 
 
 ' ' Mul-tal-la will take my brothers to his home 
 among the Blackfeet, where they will stay until 
 spring comes; winter is too near for them to 
 travel any farther toward the Ohio. Mul-tal-la 
 will make them welcome and they will not want 
 for food and comforts." 
 
 " And what of you?" 
 
 "When Deerfoot meets Whirlwind, the two 
 will join his brothers and all will be together 
 till the sun begins to melt the snow on the sides 
 of the mountains. Then they will set out for the 
 Ohio which they left so many months ago." 
 
 "Will you make this search for Whirlwind 
 on horseback or on foot?" 
 
 1 1 On foot ; there is no horse that can help me. 
 Whirlwind would be offended if he saw me 
 
LOST, STRAYED OR STOLEN. 31 
 
 come after him on any other of these animals. 
 Deerfoot can travel better on foot than any 
 other way." 
 
 "You wish us to take our horses with us to 
 the Blackfoot country!" 
 
 The Shawanoe nodded. 
 
 "Take the four and keep them among the 
 Blackfeet; they will be needed by us when 
 spring comes." 
 
 "You have plenty of bullets and powder. Is 
 there anything of ours that you would like?" 
 asked Victor. 
 
 "Yes, that; it may be of help to Deerfoot." 
 
 The dusky youth pointed to the spyglass sus- 
 pended by a cord around the neck of George 
 Shelton. The owner instantly slipped the string 
 over his head. 
 
 "You are welcome to it and to anything else 
 of ours." 
 
 " Deerfoot thanks his brothers, but there is 
 nothing more he wishes. He has his rifle, his 
 powder horn, his bullet pouch, his flint and steel 
 and his hunting knife. Anything more would be 
 a burden, but his heart is warm with gratitude 
 to his brothers." 
 
 At this point in the conversation, Mul-tal-la 
 
32 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 returned with news of what he had learned by 
 his inquiries among the Nez Perces. 
 
 The knowledge amounted to little. Chief 
 !Amokeat had led his warriors northward three 
 days before, starting just as the sun appeared. 
 He gave no word as to when he would come 
 back, and none could do anything more than 
 guess, nor was the leader clear as to the nature 
 of the business on which he ventured. Perhaps 
 he himself did not know. 
 
 Still the task that Deerfoot had set himself 
 seemed possible of accomplishment. Knowing 
 the point at which the party left the village and 
 the course taken by them, he could strike the 
 trail, and to keep to it would not be more diffi- 
 cult than many feats he had performed amid 
 the forests and canebrakes of Kentucky and 
 Ohio. He made sure that there was no mistake 
 at the beginning. Then he bade his friends 
 good-bye. 
 
 Before doing so he talked for some minutes 
 with Mul-tal-la. The Blackfoot favored the 
 tourse Deerfoot had laid out for himself, though 
 it was not unlikely that the fact that opposition 
 was useless may have had its weight in the con- 
 clusion reached by Mul-tal-la. He told the 
 
LOST, STRAYED OR STOLEN 33 
 
 Shawanoe that he would proceed straight to the 
 Blackfoot country, and there await the coming 
 of his friend, who expected like the boys to 
 spend the winter in that northern region. 
 
 Deerfoot disliked "scenes" as much as did 
 George and Victor Shelton. The only ceremony 
 between him and the three was the shaking of 
 hands and the expression of good wishes. Thus 
 they parted. The dusky youth made his way 
 directly to the point where he had been informed 
 Amokeat and his party had left on their north- 
 ward excursion, and, without looking behind 
 him, found the trail and began his long journey. 
 
 Mul-tal-la waited for some minutes after his 
 departure and then gave the word for the 
 brothers to make ready. Accordingly, the 
 horses were brought to the village, the saddles 
 and bridles taken from the lodge of the chief- 
 tain, where they had been stored, together with 
 the superfluous articles left behind when the 
 explorers started on their canoe voyage down 
 the Columbia. To this property was added that 
 which had gone on the voyage. Everything was 
 carefully packed on the back of Zigzag, saddles 
 and bridles were put in place, all three mounted, 
 waved good-bye and thanks to the Nez Perces, 
 
34 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 most of those that remained behind having 
 gathered to see the visitors off. Then these in 
 turn began the journey which was to take them 
 through a pass in the Bocky Mountains and into 
 the extensive Blackfoot country. For a time 
 we will leave them to themselves and give our 
 attention to Deerf oot, who was never more reso- 
 lute of purpose than when he determined not 
 to rejoin his friends until he had recovered 
 Whirlwind, or at least gained tidings of him. 
 
 It may be said that the young ohawanoe was 
 hopeful of finding the stallion unharmed, and 
 he had reasonable ground for such hope. He 
 could not help feeling displeased with the action 
 of Amokeat, who certainly had presumed in 
 thus using the property of another. Still, if no 
 harm had befallen the steed, the Shawanoe 
 would check the reproof he had in mind. 
 
 Several facts caused Deerfoot uneasiness. 
 The beauty and nobleness of the stallion could 
 not fail to excite envy wherever and by whom- 
 ever seen. His owner believed that Amokeat 
 would steal him if he had the chance, but it 
 need not be explained that the circumstances 
 rendered that impossible. In venturing upon 
 this raid, the Nez Perces were sure to come in 
 
LOST, STRAYED OR STOLEN. 35 
 
 collision with hostile Indians. They had lost 
 warriors and horses before. Indeed, their 
 enemies had invaded the homes of the Nez 
 Perces and robhed them. Suppose Amokeat 
 and his companions got into a fight with some 
 of the northern tribes. As likely as not the 
 Nez Perces would be defeated. In that case, 
 Whirlwind would be first of the spoils gathered 
 in by the victors. 
 
 Suppose again the Nez Perces were victo- 
 rious. The possession of the matchless stallion 
 must be betrayed to their enemies, who would 
 leave no stone unturned to capture him. There 
 was every reason, too, to fear that the hostiles 
 would be successful ; for they would be in their 
 own country and have every advantage on their 
 side. With all the charity that Deerfoot could 
 feel, he could not help condemning the Nez 
 Perce chieftain for taking the great risk of 
 causing the loss of Whirlwind. 
 
 You need hardly be reminded that if Deerfoot 
 found this had taken place, he had no thought 
 of giving up the hunt. If it was conceivable 
 that the steed had fallen into the hands of the 
 Eskimos, and they had journeyed to the Arctic 
 circle with him, the Shawanoe would have kept 
 straight on until he overtook the despoilers. 
 
36 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 The Shawanoe gave a fine exhibition of his 
 consummate skill in tracking a party of horse- 
 men. When this party numbered a score, more 
 or less, it was no trouble to keep to the trail, 
 which was plainly marked; but had he done 
 this his progress would have been delayed, for 
 he would have had to follow every turning and 
 doubling, which would have made the journey 
 twice as lengthy as a straight line. 
 
 When Deerfoot was hardly a mile from the 
 Nez Perce village he followed the footprints to 
 the top of a ridge, where he paused and scanned 
 the broad, mountainous country spread out 
 "before him. He knew the Nez Perces must have 
 reached this point shortly after sunrise. He 
 noted the general direction of the trail as it 
 descended the slope in front, and accepted that 
 as the course which the horsemen intended to 
 follow. Then he iixed upon the point where 
 they would be likely to make their midday halt. 
 It was a clump ot trees and undergrowth on 
 the shores of a small lake, whose waters 
 gleamed in the sun. Paying no further atten- 
 tion to the trail itself, Deerfoot set out at a 
 swift lope for the body of water. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE TRAIL NORTHWARD* 
 
 THE small lake which was the destination 
 of Deerfoot seemed to be only two or 
 three miles distant, but he knew it was 
 all of twenty miles away. Being on foot, he 
 took the most direct course. The route of the 
 horses was of necessity so tortuous and difficult 
 that it must have been fully a half greater than 
 the direct one. The task was so easy for the 
 Shawanoe that he did not lope or run, but kept 
 up his swinging gait, which caused him not the 
 least fatigue. Now and then he was forced to 
 make a circuit around a mass of rocks, or a 
 densely wooded section, but these diversions 
 Were of little account. They might have been 
 twice as extensive and still he would not have 
 minded them. 
 
 When near the body of water he climbed 
 another ridge, upon whose crest the growth of 
 Vood was slight, and took a sweeping survey 
 of the surrounding country. The scenery was 
 
 37 
 
38 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 magnificent and impressive. Far to the north- 
 ward rose a towering range of mountains, 
 whose snowy peaks pierced the sky and sug- 
 gested enormous white clouds piled against the 
 horizon. To the west rose another range, one 
 of whose summits was loftier than any within 
 his range of vision. Seen in the far distance, 
 the soft air gave it a slight bluish tint, which 
 gradually dissolved into fleecy whiteness 
 toward the crest. To the eastward the land- 
 scape was made up of ridges, elevations and 
 valleys, with growths of pine, cedar, oak and 
 other species of wood. The lake's outlet was 
 toward the west, winding in and out among the 
 depressions until a curve hid it from sight fully 
 a score of miles away. 
 
 There was a biting sharpness in the air that 
 told of the nearness of winter, for the month 
 of November was come, and in that northern 
 latitude the rigorous season would soon set in. 
 A whiff of air which fanned the face of tbe 
 Indian brought the chill of snow and ice in it, 
 while here and there the leaves of some of the 
 deciduous trees drifted downward like the soft 
 falling flakes of snow. 
 
 Deerfoot raised the glass to- his eyes and 
 
THE TRAIL NORTHWARD. 39 
 
 slowly swept the field of vision. It was a strik- 
 ing proof of the solitude of this immense region 
 that he did not see the first sign of a human 
 being. No horsemen riding across the open 
 spaces or climbing the wooded heights formed 
 a part of the picture, nor in any direction could 1 
 he detect the faint smoke of a camp fire. "Wher- 
 ever the Nez Perces whom he was pursuing; 
 might be, they were still a long distance away. 
 
 But the diversified landscape did not lack 
 animal life. The most interesting sight was 
 that of two grizzly bears, that were frolicking 
 like a couple of puppies in an open space at the 
 foot of a slight elevation. Deerfoot held the 
 glass pointed at them for some minutes and 
 more than once smiled at the odd picture. The 
 great hulking brutes tumbled, rolled, pawed and 
 boxed each other, all the while pretending to 
 bite and yet taking care that neither tooth nor 
 nail did harm. Then one would start to run off, 
 as if frightened, with the other in hot pursuit. 
 When overtaken, and sometimes before, the 
 fugitive would wheel and cuff and bite at the 
 other, as if in a dreadful rage. You know how 
 amusing the antics of kittens and puppies are. 
 Imagine, if you can, two enormous bears dis> 
 
40 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 porting themselves in the same comical fashion, 
 and you will understand why the Shawanoe 
 watched the couple minute after minute, forget- 
 ting for the time the serious business on which 
 he was engaged. 
 
 But this was not all that attracted him in 
 his surroundings. From out the undergrowth 
 on the northern side of the stream forming the 
 outlet of the lake came two or three hundred 
 buffaloes, their dusky bodies imparting a 
 strange appearance of agitation to that portion 
 of the landscape. They headed for the stream, 
 which was no more than a hundred feet in width, 
 ;and plunged in, pausing long enough to drink, 
 flirting their tails and tossing their heads, bel- 
 lowing and crowding one another. The water 
 was too shallow to force them to swim, but it 
 was splashed and flung in all directions. When 
 those at the front emerged they broke into a 
 gallop, with the others dashing tumultuously 
 after them. 
 
 Their course brought them within a few rods 
 of the base of the elevation on which Deerfoot 
 was standing. He walked down the slope until 
 quite near the head of the herd, when he brought 
 Ms rifle to his shoulder and sent a bullet just 
 
THE TRAIL NORTHWARD. 4J 
 
 back of the foreleg of one of the bulls. The 
 stricken beast made a single plunging dive and 
 then rolled over dead. Being on the fringe of 
 the herd he was not trampled upon, and none 
 of his companions paid any attention to him. 
 The bison is or rather was a stupid creature, 
 his own destruction often resulting from his 
 lack of ordinary intelligence. 
 
 Deerfoot waited until the last animal had 
 passed, when he went forward to where the 
 carcass of the game lay and deftly extracted its 
 tongue. He did not touch any other portion, 
 but, washing the delicacy in the stream, carried 
 it to the small grove of trees which he had fixed 
 upon in his mind as the place of the encamp- 
 ment of the Nez Perces, on their first day after 
 leaving their village. 
 
 Before he reached the shelter of the clump of 
 trees the quick eye of the Shawanoe saw the 
 imprints of hoofs, and signs of a party of horse- 
 men having halted at the spot. Chief Amokeat 
 and his Nez Perces had made their first meal 
 on fish drawn from the lake, as was shown by 
 the fragments of their feast scattered round. 
 Considerable ashes indicated the spot where a 
 fire had been kindled, in the usual primitive 
 
42 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 manner of spinning a light pointed stick, whose 
 sharpened end was thrust into another dry 
 branch. 
 
 Thus Deerfoot's calculations proved to be 
 right. He had reached the scene of the mid- 
 day halt of the Nez Perces by traveling about 
 two-thirds of the distance of his predecessors. 
 With his flint and steel he soon had a blaze 
 going. Over it he broiled the bison tongue, 
 cut into thin strips, and ate his fill. The meal 
 was a big one for him, and he would not go out 
 of his way to procure any more food for twenty- 
 four hours or more. Taking a long draught 
 from the cold, crystalline waters, he resumed 
 his journey, which was due north, his blanket 
 fastened about his shoulders, and his rifle some- 
 times resting in the crook made by bending his 
 left arm at the elbow, after the style of modern 
 sportsmen, held sometimes in a trailing posi- 
 tion, and again reposing upon his shoulder. 
 
 For two miles or more he kept to the trail, 
 inasmuch as it was direct and nothing was to 
 be gained by leaving it. With his senses alert, 
 he finally turned to the right, in order to take 
 advantage of a mass of rocks on ground so 
 elevated that a more extensive view than the 
 
THE TRAIL NORTHVARD. 43 
 
 former one could be secured. He climbed as 
 nimbly as a monkey to the top, glanced over the 
 many square miles spread out before his gaze 
 and then looked northward. 
 
 Ah ! he saw something suggestive. The glass 
 was pointed toward the spot and instantly con- 
 firmed the unaided eye. In the horizon, in the 
 mist of a stretch of wooded country, he observed 
 a faint, almost invisible line of vapor climbing 
 upward into the cold blue sky, and gradually 
 dissolving, until at the height of a hundred feet 
 or less all trace of it vanished. 
 
 The most careful scrutiny could not tell any- 
 thing more. The spot was between fifteen and 
 twenty miles away, with the roughest sort of 
 country intervening. It was a good day's jour- 
 ney distant, but in the same moment that Deer- 
 foot made his interesting discovery he resolved 
 to thread his way to the place without a 
 minute's halt on his part until he reached his 
 destination. 
 
 His quick mind instantly saw several explana- 
 tions of the "sign." It could not be the Nez 
 Perces riding north, for it was impossible that 
 they had lagged to such an extent on the road. 
 If it was Amokeat and his party, they must be 
 
44 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS 
 
 returning from their raid, or hunting expedi- 
 tion, or whatever had engaged their energies. 
 It would seem more likely that the Indians 
 belonged to some other tribe. Be that as it 
 may, the only means of answering the question 
 was by finding out for himself, and that Deer- 
 foot started to do with the grim, unshakable 
 resolution of his nature. 
 
 With all his matchless swiftness and endur- 
 ance, he would not have been able to travel the 
 distance until the night was well advanced ; for, 
 though there were numerous places where he 
 broke into his fleet lope, and more than once 
 rose to a higher pace, he was compelled to make 
 detours that greatly lengthened the distance 
 and added to the labor. Again, a moderate walk 
 was the best he could do. 
 
 About the middle of the afternoon he came 
 upon the bank of a deep, swift stream fully a 
 hundred yards wide. No doubt he could have 
 found a ford had he taken the time to search 
 for it, but the minutes were too valuable to 
 waste. With hardly a moment's hesitation he 
 took three steps over the flinty floor, and then 
 found he had to swim. He had not so much 
 as loosened the blanket looped about his 
 
THE TRAIL NORTHWARD. 45 
 
 shoulders and which threatened to interfere 
 with the movements of his arms. He held his 
 rifle above his head, so as to prevent any water 
 running into the barrel, either at the muzzle or 
 by percolation at the vent, and swam with his 
 other arm and his feet. For a portion of the 
 way he ' ' trod water, ' ' apparently with the same 
 ease that he walked upon solid earth. So he 
 overcame the powerful current and emerged 
 almost directly opposite the point where he had 
 entered. You will remember that in approach- 
 ing the stream he left the trail some time 
 before, but he knew it was not far off, and 
 doubtless would have led him to a ford. That 
 he would not dally long enough to hunt out the 
 more convenient crossing place was another 
 illustration of Deerfoot's indifference to his 
 own comfort. What though his garments were 
 dripping when he stepped upon solid earth 
 again, and the air was almost wintry in its chill, 
 he cared naught. The exercise threw his frame 
 into a glow and the moisture gradually left his 
 clothing. 
 
 A few miles farther and the Shawanoe solved 
 one question over which he had been speculat- 
 ing, In the distance he caught sight of a party 
 
46 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 of horsemen approaching from the direction of 
 the camp whose smoke he had noticed hours 
 before. They were no more than two or three 
 miles distant, and when first seen were coming 
 almost in a direct line for Deerfoot. 
 
 The first sight was that of a single horseman, 
 who had ridden up the farther side of a slope, 
 and came into view as he neared the top. With- 
 out pausing, he began the descent, and was fol- 
 lowed by others, all in single file, until seventeen 
 rode into the field of vision. Before Deerfoot 
 brought his glass into use he had recognized the 
 horsemen as Nez Perces. They were returning 
 from their expedition, and if the statement of 
 the number that had left home was correct, had 
 lost at least three. 
 
 The spyglass disclosed the chieftain Amokeat 
 to the Shawanoe, who, with his horse on a walk, 
 was riding at the head of the procession. The 
 instrument revealed another significant fact: 
 
 Neither Amokeat nor any of his warriors was 
 mounted on Whirlwind. 
 
 Deerfoot had to struggle to restrain his 
 indignation. Had he been within reach -of 
 Amokeat at that moment, it is not unlikely he 
 Would have dragged him from his horse and 
 
THE TRAIL NORTHVARD. 47 
 
 given him a lesson he could never forget. The 
 very thing the Shawanoe had feared from the 
 first had occurred : the stallion was either stolen 
 or dead. 
 
 But as Deerfoot advanced to meet the party, 
 who soon observed and identified him, he pulled 
 himself together. It would have taken one who 
 knew him intimately, like Simon Kenton, or 
 George or Victor Shelton, to read in the slightly 
 pale face and peculiar gleam of the dark eyes 
 the evidence of the emotion that the Shawanoe 
 held well under control. 
 
 It was in the depth of a broad valley, where 
 there was a semblance to a trail which had been 
 made by bison or other animals on their way 
 to water, that Chief Amokeat drew up and 
 awaited the approach of the Shawanoe. The 
 latter, as was his custom, made a half -military 
 salute, and, without any more preliminaries 
 came to the point. He used the Blackfoot 
 tongue, which was familiar to the Nez Perce. 
 
 ' ' Deerfoot seeks his horse. Where is he f ' ' 
 
 Amokeat must have expected the question, 
 for he shook his head and answered in the lan- 
 guage of the Blackfeet: 
 
 "Amokeat is grieved to tell Deerfoot he will 
 
48 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 never see the horse he loves again. It saddens 
 the heart of Amokeat, but he speaks with a sin- 
 gle tongue." 
 
 "Is my horse dead?" 
 
 1 1 That Amokeat does not know. Yesterday the 
 Assiniboines took him from us, and they are 
 now far on their way to their villages." 
 
 "tWhy did Amokeat take my horse from 
 where Deerfoot had left him? Why did he not 
 wait until he could see Deerfoot and ask him. 
 He has stolen my horse." 
 
 This was a pointed charge, but Deerfoot could 
 not wholly curb his anger. The chief, however, 
 did not seem to feel the sting of the words, 
 though more than one of his warriors, who had 
 drawn up their horses and were looking on and 
 listening, showed resentment. 
 
 Amokeat now proceeded to tell in his own 
 way what had befallen him and his companions. 
 He said they had started out for a hunt, though 
 expecting to have an encounter with some of 
 their enemies before their return. At a point 
 about a hundred miles to the northeast, while 
 riding through a canon, they were suddenly 
 attacked by fully a hundred red men, whom 
 they recognized as Assiniboines that were a 
 long way from their hunting grounds. 
 
THE TRAIL NORTHWARD. 49 
 
 While it is more than likely the Nez Perce 
 leader exaggerated the number of his assail- 
 ants, no doubt they were superior to the smaller 
 company. The latter put up a brave fight, but 
 before they could extricate themselves from the 
 trap five of their number were shot from their 
 horses. This statement showed that originally 
 the Nez Perces numbered more than a score. 
 
 Amokeat was on the back of Whirlwind, who 
 carried him off with such amazing speed that 
 he was soon separated from his warriors. Deer- 
 foot 's lips curled when he heard this statement, 
 for to him it was a proof of the cowardice of 
 the chief. The party had no time to recover 
 the bodies of their fallen comrades, who were 
 left to be scalped and despoiled by the victors, 
 the stray horses also passing into the hands of 
 the Assiniboines. 
 
 Amokeat was in full flight when, in dashing 
 through a mass of undergrowth, he suddenly 
 came face to face with eight or ten Assiniboines 
 (probably the number was less). He was 
 ambushed so cleverly that escape was out of the 
 question. He would have resisted, however, had 
 not one of his enemies called out that he wished 
 to have a parley with him. 
 
50 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 This warrior, who was the leader of the little 
 party, told Amokeat that if he would swap the 
 black stallion he rode for the pony of the Assini- 
 boines, the chief would not be harmed, but 
 would be left free to go to his own home. Had 
 the grinning Nez Perce put his conclusion in 
 English, it would have been something like this : 
 
 "I counted myself most fortunate, for what 
 was to prevent the Assiniboines from shooting 
 me from the back of the stallion and then taking 
 him away with them? So the trade was made 
 and he is now in the hands of the Assiniboines. " 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 THE LAND OF THE ASSINIBOINES. 
 
 AS Deerfoot listened to the story of the Nez 
 Perce leader his gorge steadily rose, for 
 the account was worse, if possible, than 
 he had expected to hear. Not only did he resent 
 the cool appropriation of his steed by Amokeat, 
 but he read the proof of the cowardice of the 
 chief, who had deserted his companions when in 
 peril and then, instead of making a brave 
 defence when cornered by the Assiniboines, had 
 eagerly passed over to them the property of 
 another in order to secure his own safety. 
 
 The Shawano^ could not trust himself any 
 further in the presence of Amokeat, who sat 
 on the back of his pony and looked serenely 
 down in his face, exulting over his own escape 
 from the revenge of an enemy. 
 
 "Amokeat is a dog!" exclaimed Deerfoot, 
 compressing his lips, turning around and walk- 
 ing from the presence of the chief and his party. 
 He was on the alert, for he half expected an 
 
 51 
 
52 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 attack from more than one of them. If they 
 had such action in mind, it was changed by the 
 command of the leader, who called to them to 
 follow him as he resumed the journey toward 
 his own village. 
 
 The Shawanoe had learned several important 
 facts. Whirlwind had passed from the hands 
 of the Nez Perces to those of a wandering band 
 of Assiniboines, whose villages and hunting 
 grounds lay well to the northeast, some below 
 and some above the boundary line in the coun- 
 try of the Saskatchewan. Thither the Shawanoe 
 would go, though knowing absolutely nothing 
 of the region or the people. In his contemptuous 
 scorn of Amokeat, Deerfoot did not so much 
 as look behind him until the afternoon was 
 nearly gone and night was closing in. Then, 
 when he turned his gaze to the rear, he saw 
 nothing of men or horses. 
 
 He was thinking hard. It was evident that 
 the only course which promised hope was for 
 him to keep to the trail left by the Nez Perces 
 until he reached the scene of the fight. From 
 that point he would be guided by the footprints 
 of the Assiniboine animals. Of course there 
 was no distinguishable difference between those 
 
THE LAND OF THE ASSINIBOINES. 53 
 
 of Whirlwind and the impressions made by any 
 other of his species, but there ought to be little 
 difficulty in keeping to the main trail until he 
 ran the party down. 
 
 You will understand that a number of puz- 
 zling complications threatened. It might be 
 that the Assiniboines would continue their hunt- 
 ing or raiding excursions for days, turning off 
 and pushing to the south or east or west, with 
 a view of attacking some of the tribes within 
 United States territory. The Shawanoe hoped 
 that such would be the course of the raiders, for 
 it would simplify the situation. He would have 
 a small party to operate against, instead of a 
 whole village or tribe. 
 
 A singular difficulty presented itself. Deer- 
 foot relied upon entering the Assiniboine set- 
 tlements or joining the raiders without rousing 
 any suspicion of his real errand. Then he 
 would content himself in patience and await a 
 chance of slipping off with Whirl wind. The like- 
 lihood of gaining such opportunity would be 
 almost destroyed if his errand became known. 
 Now, the danger of betrayal was in the stallion 
 himself. He could not be made to understand 
 the need of cunning and silence, but was sure 
 
54 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 to show his joy at sight of his owner. When 
 this was observed by his captors, they would 
 be certain to connect it with the long journey 
 of the stranger, who would then have all he 
 could do to guard his own life. 
 
 Keflecting over this probable phase of the 
 situation, Deerfoot decided what his own con- 
 duct should be. He resolved that if Whirlwind 
 made a rush for him, thereby revealing the 
 truth, he would leap upon his back, throw him- 
 self forward, and send the steed flying off at the 
 highest speed. There would be imminent risk 
 of both being shot before they could pass 
 beyond range, but the danger would be no 
 greater than the Shawanoe had faced many 
 times, and still he did not bear a scar upon his 
 body. 
 
 His plan, however, was to rely upon subtlety. 
 If he could succeed in locating his pet, he would 
 keep out of the animal's sight until the crisis 
 came. He knew Whirlwind was alive, and was 
 not very far off. Less than two days previous 
 he had passed over the same spot, and the trail 
 left by him and his companions could be readily 
 followed. 
 
 So it was that the young Shawanoe pressed 
 
THE LAND OF THE ASSINIBOINES. 55 
 
 forward with long, swift strides until the gloom 
 shut out all sight of the footprints. He could 
 calculate quite closely from the different land- 
 marks the course followed by the Nez Perces, 
 hut he determined to run no chances. Time 
 was too precious, and he was resolved not to go 
 astray. 
 
 He was in a wild, mountainous country, inter- 
 spersed with ridges, isolated peaks and lofty 
 ranges. There were numerous valleys, canons, 
 gorges and ravines, with stretches of wood and 
 stunted undergrowth. The sound of falling 
 waters, cascades and rapids was hardly ever 
 absent. Naturally the horsemen had sought 
 the most favorable route, keeping mainly to the 
 valleys, but occasionally riding over elevated 
 portions. Thus the course was easier for Deer- 
 foot than it would have been had the party been 
 on foot like himself. The Assiniboines were not 
 likely to make haste, for they had no reason for 
 doing so. With his long strides, his lope and 
 occasional running, as the ground offered the 
 chance, the pursuer knew he was gaining upon 
 those whom he was so anxious to overtake. 
 
 When night had fairly come, Deerfoot sought 
 out a place among the rocks in which to sleep. 
 
56 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 He did not look for food, nor did he so much 
 as drink from the mountain stream that he 
 heard rippling near at hand. It took some time 
 to find a suitable spot for a bed. He fixed upon 
 a cavity large enough for him to stretch out 
 with his blanket wrapped about him. He could 
 have readily kindled a fire, but preferred not to 
 do so, since it was liable to draw the attention 
 of wild animals, or possibly of those of his own 
 race who might be in the vicinity. As it was, a 
 prowling wolf or bear might threaten, but the 
 youth felt no misgiving when, after spending 
 a brief time in prayer, he lay down and speedily 
 sank into slumber. 
 
 At the first streakings of light he was on his 
 feet. Praying again, he fastened his blanket 
 about his shoulders, knelt at the mountain 
 stream, drank deeply, bathed face and hands 
 and was off once more. No move was made 
 toward procuring the morning meal, which most 
 folks in his situation would have found indis- 
 pensable. 
 
 The trail was clearly marked, but before 
 resuming his pursuit Deerfoot climbed to the 
 highest elevation near at hand and spent a few 
 minutes in studying the surrounding country. 
 
THE LAND OF THE ASSINTOOINES. 57 
 
 The main features were similar to those already 
 described, except perhaps in the increase of the 
 ruggedness of the scenery. He was within the 
 Rocky Mountain district, but kept mainly to 
 the foothills, where journeying was easier than 
 among the mountains themselves. 
 
 Noting that the general course of the trail 
 he was following up was from the northeast, he 
 scanned with special interest the country in that 
 direction. He picked out a point some twenty 
 miles distant as the place where the Nez Perces 
 were most likely to have made one of their 
 camps. While he might have shortened the time 
 by keeping a direct line to it, he stuck to his 
 resolution not to turn aside from the trail. 
 
 Though he did not catch sight of any horse- 
 man, he saw that which roused his curiosity. 
 Hardly a mile away he observed a single Indian 
 coming toward him on foot. It may be said 
 the stranger leaped into view, for Deerf oot was 
 looking over a certain spot at the country 
 beyond when a peculiar, flitting movement 
 caused him to depress his glass to learn the 
 cause. 
 
 The Indian seemed to have been following a 
 roughly marked path, when he came to a huge 
 
58 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 boulder, which, instead of passing around, he 
 climbed, walked across the top, and then 
 dropped to the ground again. It was this action 
 which caused Deerfoot to turn his gaze upon 
 him . 
 
 Under the glass the stranger was seen with 
 as much distinctness as if he were only a few 
 rods distant. When looking at him the 
 Shawanoe, for the first time in his life, saw a 
 dwarf belonging to his own race. The man had 
 broad shoulders and body and sturdy legs, but 
 his height could not have been more than four 
 and a half feet. Moreover he was very bow- 
 legged, was a hunchback, had 3 broad mouth, 
 a flat nose and small twinkling eyes. His long 
 black hair dangled loosely about his shoulders, 
 he was clad in a hunting dress similar to that 
 worn by the Shawanoe, except that he was with- 
 out a blanket, and his clothing was much shab- 
 bier. He carried a bow fully double his own 
 length, and advanced with a curious sidelong, 
 wabbling gait, which accented more strikingly 
 his difference from those of his own people. 
 
 When the astonished Deerfoot had noted 
 these peculiarities, he scanned the vicinity of 
 the dwarf for his companions. None was seen, 
 
THE LAND OF THE ASSINIBOINES. 69 
 
 and our friend decided that the fellow was 
 entirely alone. It was impossible to make a 
 guess as to the tribe to which he belonged, 
 though Deerfoot suspected, without any par- 
 ticular reason, that he was an Assiniboine. As 
 to how he came to be by himself, and traveling 
 southward, no theory could be formed by the 
 astute Shawanoe. 
 
 The latter lowered his glass, and, standing 
 in full view, watched the hunchback as he drew 
 near with his crab-like, wabbling gait. Although 
 the Shawanoe was a much more conspicuous 
 object on the landscape, it was evident the other 
 did not discover him until he was almost within 
 a hundred yards. No better proof could have 
 been asked that the stranger was afflicted with 
 poor eyesight. 
 
 Suddenly he descried the form on the rocks 
 and stopped short. He was startled. Then he 
 began hurriedly drawing an arrow from the 
 bundle hung behind his shoulder. It was a 
 curious coincidence, which caught Deerfoot 's 
 notice, that the dwarf was left-handed like him- 
 self. The latter laid his gun at his feet and 
 raised both hands above his head, a sign of 
 friendship. The stranger paused in his warlike 
 
60 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 preparations, but seemed in doubt whether to 
 launch a missile or to accept the sign of comity. 
 Deerfoot picked up his weapon, held his other 
 hand over his head, and began carefully 
 descending the elevation. He kept a close 
 watch on the other, for he half expected he 
 would let fly with his arrow, and it would have 
 been unpleasant, to say the least, to act as a 
 target, even at a considerable distance. The 
 dwarf stood motionless, closely watching the 
 Shawanoe as he came toward him, evidently 
 doubting and hesitating, but Deerfoot kept up 
 his signs of goodwill, which the other could not 
 fail to understand. 
 
 It is not unreasonable to believe that the per- 
 sonality of Deerfoot had much to do with remov- 
 ing the misgivings of the stranger, for the smil- 
 ing face of the Shawanoe as he drew near would 
 have impressed anyone, though Deerfoot him- 
 self would never have admitted anything of the 
 kind. Be that as it may, the meeting was 
 friendly, though Deerfoot did not offer his hand 
 in greeting, for he thought it unlikely that the 
 other would have understood the meaning of 
 the salutation. 
 
 He addressed the stranger in the Blackfoot 
 
THE LAND OF THE ASSINIBOINES. 61 
 
 tongue, only to receive a shake of the head in 
 reply. The dwarf did not understand a sylla- 
 ble. In response, he used a language that was 
 "all Greek " to the Shawanoe. There was no 
 common ground, except that of signs, upon 
 which the two could meet, and that was of slight 
 service. 
 
 "Assiniboine? Assiniboine f ' ' asked Deer- 
 foot, with a marked rising inflection. Another 
 shake of the head might indicate a denial of 
 such tribal relation, or what was more likely, a 
 failure to comprehend the question. Deerfoot 
 repeated the word "Nez Perce," and was 
 replied to as before. 
 
 The first bit of information that the Shaw- 
 anoe could gather for a time was that the Indian 
 of abbreviated stature came from the north. 
 That was clearly established, as was the direc- 
 tion which he was following, but nothing was 
 brought to light as to the nature of his errand 
 in the south. 
 
 The thought had been in the mind of our 
 friend from the first that this misshapen red 
 man had seen the party of Assiniboines who 
 held Whirlwind. How was the question to be 
 asked? 
 
62 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 Deerfoot stepped to a tree resembling the 
 water maple that grew a few feet to the right 
 of them. Its diameter was a foot or more. With 
 his hunting knife he cut out a square some six 
 inches in diameter and carefully peeled it off, 
 the other attentively watching him all the time. 
 
 Deerfoot now proceeded to trace on the filmy 
 inner side of the bark with the point of his knife 
 the outlines of a horse with unusually long tail 
 and mane. This done, he depicted a warrior 
 sitting on him with no saddle except a blanket 
 and without bridle. When the crude but sym- 
 metrical picture was finished, he handed the 
 piece of bark to the other. The dwarf studied 
 it a minute or two with close interest, Deerfoot 
 meanwhile watching his countenance. 
 
 Suddenly the homely visage lit up. The 
 stranger recognized the figure of the beautiful 
 stallion. He had seen him ! 
 
 With a thrill of hope the Shawanoe pointed 
 north, his gesture clearly meaning that he 
 wished to know whether it was there the animal 
 had been met. The stranger shook his head. 
 Deerfoot was disappointed, fearing his mean- 
 ing had not been understood. It seemed to him 
 that the Assiniboine horsemen must be journey- 
 
THE LAND OF THE ASSINIBOINES. 63 
 
 ing in that direction, and the negative motion 
 of the other's head might indicate that he did 
 not catch the drift of the question. 
 Deerfoot now pointed toward the rising sun, 
 only to be answered by another shake of his 
 head. He next indicated the northeast. The 
 dwarf nodded vigorously several times. Then 
 he gazed steadily into the handsome face and 
 began circling one of his hands rapidly around 
 his head, pointing to his moccasins and then 
 to the sky. These peculiar gestures were 
 repeated a number of times, when they ceased 
 as abruptly as they began. 
 
 The Shawanoe could not form the first idea of 
 what the man was trying to say, nor did he 
 ever learn. 
 
 The dwarf perceived that he could not make 
 himself understood, gave up the effort, and with 
 an awkward good-bye resumed his tramp south- 
 ward. Uncertain of what whim might suddenly 
 take possession of him, Deerfoot, while also 
 moving in the opposite direction, kept a furtive 
 watch to the rear. He did not see the dwarf 
 look behind him and it is not probable that he 
 meditated any wrong. 
 
 The Shawanoe was not satisfied with what 
 
64 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS, 
 
 had occurred. Glancing down at the trail and 
 as far ahead as it could be traced, he saw that 
 its course was due north. He 'believed that it 
 led for a long way toward that point of the 
 compass. If such proved the fact the hunch- 
 back had tried to deceive the inquirer by making 
 him believe that Whirlwind was to be sought 
 to the northeast. The Shawanoe could no longer 
 doubt that the nature of his inquiry had been 
 understood, and the reply of the dwarf was 
 clear. Deerfoot was inclined to believe the 
 strange creature really belonged to the Assini- 
 boine tribe and was trying to shield his country- 
 men. 
 
 Moreover, the Shawanoe knew little of this 
 people. He understood in a vague way that 
 their homes were well to the northward, and 
 partly in another country than the United 
 States. The true direction, however, was to the 
 northeast. Thus the Indian of abbreviated 
 stature had indicated the right course after all. 
 
 Adhering to his policy, Deerfoot wasted no 
 time. While these thoughts were passing 
 through his mind, he was loping forward with 
 the trail still as his guide, and had not gone two 
 miles when he came upon the scene o* the fight 
 between the Assiniboines and the Nez Perces. 
 
"This Horse was Whirlwind 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 A WELCOME SIGHT. 
 
 THE first sign that caught the eye of the 
 Shawanoe was the mute forms of the 
 five Nez Perces, stretched here and 
 there over a space of an eighth of a mile. All 
 had been scalped and mutilated. But he had 
 seen such shocking sights before, and he did not 
 go near the bodies nor give them further atten- 
 tion. It was no great task for him to transfer 
 his interest from the trail of one party to that 
 of another, and he was speedily loping forward 
 as rapidly as before. 
 
 To his astonishment he had gone only a little 
 way when he discovered a marked change of 
 course. The Assiniboine footprints pointed to 
 the northeast. The information gained from the 
 dwarf was reliable ; the horsemen were heading 
 for their own villages. 
 
 The Shawanoe called all his consummate 
 woodcraft into play to determine how much 
 time had passed since the party rode over this 
 
 65 
 
66 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 ground. He figured that it must have been on 
 the previous day, though such conclusion did 
 not fully accord with what was told him by the 
 chieftain Amokeat. His opinion of that leader, 
 however, made him ready to believe anything 
 ill of him. 
 
 If the horsemen had twenty-four hours the 
 start of their pursuer, and kept up their rapid 
 flight, he could hardly expect to come up with 
 them for several days. Deerfoot believed he 
 could steadily gain, but he was on foot and they 
 were mounted. Such gain, in the most favorable 
 circumstances, must be gradual. Had they 
 halted for any length of time, or diverged from 
 the regular course, the prospect would be all 
 the more favorable for him. 
 
 With this theory, Deerfoot now made a 
 change of policy. Instead of keeping to the 
 trail with all its windings (made in order to 
 accommodate the horses), he adopted his other 
 recourse that of reasoning out the route most 
 likely to be followed by the warriors, and, fixing 
 upon a camp far in advance, making his way 
 thither by the most direct course. Provided he 
 fell into no error, he would thus save miles of 
 distance and hours of time. 
 
A VELCOME SIGHT. 67 
 
 It was still early in the day when he forded 
 a narrow, rapid stream, in which the water rose 
 to his waist, and climbing the nearest elevation, 
 which was a ridge crowned with rocks and a 
 few stunted cedars, he paused to make a study 
 of the country spread before him. 
 
 Naturally his first scrutiny was directed to 
 the northeast. In that direction the surface 
 was rolling, with numerous valleys and moun- 
 tain spurs, but none of the latter was of great 
 height. The towering peaks rose more to the 
 north and west. There was variety and yet 
 sameness in the vast undulating expanse, with 
 it wealth of wood, of rocks, some bleak and dark 
 of color, and others fringed with vegetation, of 
 swelling hills, many of which elsewhere would 
 have been called mountains, and beautiful val- 
 leys, with numerous streams hidden through 
 most of their flow, all seeking an outlet in the 
 Atlantic or Pacific, hundreds of miles away. 
 
 The bed of one mountain torrent could be 
 traced for a long distance by the mist that 
 hovered over it, though the spectator could not 
 catch the first sight of the water itself. At 
 another point to the right the Shawanoe saw 
 what appeared to be a curved streak of silver, 
 
66 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 fifty feet in height and but two or three feet 
 wide. It looked to be absolutely motionless, 
 and yet it was a waterfall, from whose foamy 
 base little clouds of steam floated upward or 
 were wafted aside by the wisps of wind, 
 
 Deerf oot refrained from using the instrument 
 until he had done all he could with his unaided 
 vision. His reason for this was his wish to 
 place himself in the same situation as the 
 Assiniboine party None of them knew what 
 a spyglass is, and he tried to reason from what 
 he saw upon what point they would be likely 
 to fix as their halting place. 
 
 Had he known the precise minute or hour 
 when the horsemen had ridden past the spot 
 near where he was standing, the problem would 
 have been easy of solution, but no Indian or 
 white hunter ever lived who could settle such a 
 question without more definite data. We hear 
 stories of achievements of that nature, but most 
 of them are mythical, though the woodcraft of 
 many a trailer has enabled him to do things 
 which to others were impossible. 
 
 The Shawanoe believed the Assiniboines had 
 ridden past at a moderate pace about the mid- 
 dle of the preceding day. Acting on that sur> 
 
A WELCOME . IGHTc & 
 
 position, lie selected a point somewhat more 
 than a dozen miles to the northeast as the one 
 where they would have been likely to encamp 
 for the night. The trouble was that there was 
 little in the wooded place, near a small body of 
 water, bearing a striking resemblance to the 
 lake of the previous day, to favor it above others 
 in the neighborhood. They might have halted 
 several miles beyond or that much nearer the 
 standpoint of the Shawanoe. 
 
 At the best it was guesswork; but having 
 made his conjecture, Deerfoot now raised the 
 glass to his eyes and centered his attention upon 
 the spot. As he did so he was thrilled by a 
 discovery which set his nerves at once on edge. 
 
 On the edge of the trees, near the lake itself, 
 he saw two Indians, standing as if in conversa- 
 tion. When he lowered the glass it was impos- 
 sible to make them out at so great distance, but 
 the instrument revealed them clearly. Sud- 
 denly one of the couple came forward to the 
 boay of water, lay down on his face and drank. 
 The other walked part of the way and then 
 stopped, and was rejoined by the former. It 
 looked as if they resumed their converse over 
 some subject in which they were unusually 
 interested. 
 
70 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 Deerfoot was almost certain that the two 
 were members of the party for whom he was 
 hunting. If such were the fact, something must 
 have occurred to cause them to linger on their 
 return to their villages. 
 
 While he was speculating as to whether this 
 was probable, smoke began filtrating through 
 the tops of the pines, behind the couple. A fire 
 had been started, though the hour of day was 
 one when the party naturally would have been 
 in motion. 
 
 The question remained as to whether the 
 horsemen intended to stay where they were 
 until the morrow or would soon resume their 
 journey. The last supposition seemed the most 
 likely. 
 
 The decision of the Shawanoe was to lessen 
 the distance between him and the horsemen 
 while such a fine opportunity offered. Flinging 
 the glass over his shoulder he set out to over- 
 take the party in advance, doing his best to 
 decide upon the right policy, now that the impor- 
 tant information had come to him. 
 
 The most puzzling phase of the situation has 
 been explained. But for the certain recognition 
 that Whirlwind would make of his master, the 
 
A WELCOME SIGHT. 71 
 
 latter would have gone direct to the Assiniboine 
 camp and watched for his opportunity; but as 
 nearly as he could determine there must be fully 
 a score if not more of the warriors. To "cut 
 out" the stallion from among them when the 
 sun was shining was clearly an impossibility, 
 though, as has been intimated, Deerfoot was 
 ready to make the attempt if no other chance 
 offered. 
 
 Discretion warned him to keep out of sight 
 of the party until nightfall. He could then 
 reconnoiter the camp with good prospect of get- 
 ting Whirlwind away. If the Assiniboines 
 placed a sentinel on duty, Deerfoot was confi- 
 dent he could get the better of him in the dark- 
 ness. The raiders would not be looking for any 
 attack, though when on the war trail they were 
 sure to adopt the usual precautions. 
 
 The Shawanoe, therefore, had not gone far 
 when he decided upon his plan of action. He 
 would stay out of sight of men and animals 
 until the gloom gave him his opportunity. 
 Meanwhile it was well to decrease the inter- 
 vening distance so far as was prudent. 
 
 It was yet early in the afternoon when the 
 interval was cut in half. While doing this he 
 
72 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 stopped and made frequent surveys of the lake 
 and wood. It would have made no great dif- 
 ference had he been observed by the horsemen, 
 for it was impossible for them to suspect his 
 identity or his business. Still, it was just as well 
 to have his presence in the neighborhood 
 unknown and unsuspected. 
 
 All this time the vapor was climbing through 
 the tree tops. Those who had kindled the fire 
 were still there, for they could not leave by the 
 "back door" without being seen by the vigilant 
 Shawanoe. He was surprised that none showed 
 himself during these hours. The couple who 
 had first caught his eye had disappeared long 
 before in the wood and remained out of sight. 
 
 His interest led Deerfoot to continue edging 
 forward until, by the close of the afternoon, he 
 was within a mile of the camp. He had accom- 
 plished this by taking advantage of all the pro- 
 tection possible. Since plenty offered, and the 
 Assiniboines were not apprehending anything 
 of that nature, the task was not so hard as it 
 might seem. 
 
 The weather remained clear, though still keen 
 and cold. The Shawanoe had not eaten food for 
 a long time, but he gave no thought to that. He 
 
A WELCOME SIGHT. 73 
 
 was ready to wait until the morrow before satis- 
 fying .his hunger. His one resolution was to 
 regain Whirlwind, if such a feat was within the 
 range of human possibility. 
 
 The young Shawanoe did not forget that he 
 was acting upon a theory that might prove a 
 rope of sand. The camp which he was recon- 
 noitering with such care might be that of 
 another party, even though they were Assini- 
 boines. The probabilities, however, justified 
 him in believing he was on the right track. 
 
 A curious feature of the situation was that 
 he had not as yet seen a , single horse. When a 
 company of Indians stopped to rest, even for 
 a short time, they were accustomed to allow 
 their animals to graze. Between the margin 
 of wood and the lake the dull green of grass 
 was plainly perceptible. Perhaps there was 
 some open spot among the trees which offered 
 better pasturage for the horses. Deerf oot could 
 not feel clear in his own mind as to the explana- 
 tion of the absence of all sight of the animals. 
 
 He was speculating as to the cause of this 
 singular fact when six horses issued from 
 among the timber and came frolicking and 
 cavorting down to the water's margin, where 
 
74 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 they thrust their noses into the lake to drink. 
 No Indians showed themselves, the training of 
 the animals making it unnecessary to guard 
 them. 
 
 One of the steeds emerged from a point 
 several yards to the right of the others and kept 
 apart from them, as if he felt too proud to 
 associate with those of common blood. When 
 he lowered his head he was fully a couple of 
 rods from his companions. This horse was the 
 stallion Whirlwind. 
 
 The sight of his peerless creature threw the 
 Shawanoe into a flutter, and it required all his 
 self-control to restrain himself from running 
 forward and calling to Whirlwind to meet him, 
 but he resolutely held his ground, sheltered 
 behind the projection of the boulder he had used 
 as a screen in keeping the camp under surveil- 
 lance. The situation was so critical that Deer- 
 foot perhaps was over-cautious. 
 
 He reasoned keenly. A mile separated steed 
 and master. The latter could have no thought 
 that the youth from whom he had been sepa- 
 rated for weeks was near. If Deerfoot emitted 
 his piercing whistle the call would not be rec- 
 ognized on the instant, and the animal would be 
 
A VELCOME SIGHT. 75 
 
 confused. The dress of Deerfoot and his 
 appearance were so similar to those of other 
 Indians that Whirlwind would not be likely to 
 identify him until they came considerably 
 nearer each other. The Assiniboines were in 
 camp. They, too, would hear the signal and be 
 quick to discover what it meant. Rather than 
 have' the black stallion escape from their pos- 
 session they would shoot him as he ran. A red 
 man always prefers to slay a captive rather than 
 surrender him. With the horse shot Deerfoot 
 would be forced to have it out with the war- 
 riors at such disadvantage that only one result 
 could follow, for the Assiniboines were not only 
 armed with guns at least several were thus 
 equipped but they were daring and resolute. 
 
 It was these fears which caused the young 
 Shawanoe to decide to remain in hiding until 
 nightfall, which was now at hand. It is quite 
 probable that the plan of calling Whirlwind to 
 him would have succeeded, as the youth after- 
 ward admitted; but it certainly would have 
 been attended with risk of failure, and he never 
 regretted the decision he made within the same 
 minute that he caught sight of his equine friend. 
 
 Like the king that he was, the stallion, having 
 
76 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 drank his fill, wheeled and with dignified step 
 passed back among the trees, keeping apart 
 from the others, who would have felt (as had 
 Zigzag felt) the impact of the fiercely driven 
 heels had they ventured upon any familiarity. 
 
 So it came about that Deerfoot the Shawanoe 
 stayed in concealment until the gathering gloom 
 shut out the grove and its occupants. There 
 was no moon, but the star-gleam was strong and 
 gave him all the light he wished. He preferred 
 that to stronger illumination. 
 
 During the slow passing minutes that the 
 youth waited he reached the conclusion that the 
 Assiniboines in the timber were only a part of 
 the horsemen that had overthrown the Nez 
 Perces. Some cause had led them to divide, and 
 a half dozen or so were waiting for the others 
 to rejoin them. Why this separation had taken 
 place Deerfoot could not understand, nor did he 
 allow himself to be interested in the question. 
 The reason for his belief lay in the number of 
 horses that had issued from among the trees. 
 In the circumstances, all the animals would have 
 gone for water at the same time. 
 
 Deerfoot was cool, calm and perfectly poised 
 when he stepped from behind the boulder and 
 
A WELCOME SIGHT. 77 
 
 began his stealthy approach to the Assiniboine 
 camp. He loosed his blanket from the fastening 
 which held the fold together in front and laid 
 it over his right arm. He confidently expected 
 a fight and did not mean to have his limbs ham- 
 pered. Instinctively he slipped his hand down 
 to his girdle. The knife was there. He had 
 examined his rifle long before. The charge and 
 priming were as they should be, and he grasped 
 the weapon with his left hand. He gave no 
 thought to the fact that more than twenty-four 
 hours had passed since he had eaten food. He 
 was accustomed to such abstinence and the sit- 
 uation drove away all appetite. He would not 
 have taken a dozen paces to the right or. left to 
 pick up nourishment. 
 
 A complication was threatened by the return 
 of the other Assiniboines, but aside from that 
 Deerfoot did not mean to wait a half hour 
 longer than was necessary. His stealthy 
 approach was continued until in the gloom he 
 made out the dim outlines of the timber. The 
 western terminus of the lake lay just to the left, 
 so that in order to reach the camp he had to 
 diverge for some rods in that direction. But the 
 way was clear and the brief circuit brought him 
 
78 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 to the edge of the wood, with the calm sheet of 
 water stretching for a half mile to the east, 
 which was on his right hand. 
 
 The first step was to locate the Indians and 
 their horses, for the wise general acquaints him- 
 self with the battle ground upon which the 
 momentous issue is to be decided. The twinkle 
 of light that glimmered among the trees guided 
 the Shawanoe, and with little trouble he gained 
 a position from which, unsuspected by the 
 Assiniboines, he had a perfect view of them. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 COMRADES TRUE. 
 
 THE picture upon which Deerfoot looked 
 recalled many similar ones in Ohio and 
 Kentucky. There were six warriors 
 seated on the ground, most of the party in loll- 
 ing postures, three smoking long-stemmed 
 pipes, and all had evidently partaken of food a 
 short time before, for a faint odor of broiling 
 venison or bison meat was in the air, and the 
 signs within the camp showed that a meal had 
 been prepared and eaten. 
 
 The burning sticks were piled against the 
 base of a tree more than two feet in diameter 
 and were burning so vigorously that the circle 
 of light reached well beyond the group and 
 pierced the shadows among the pines and 
 cedars. A brief survey of the group left no 
 doubt that they were awaiting the arrival of 
 friends, as they had been doing for hours past, 
 and might continue to do through the remaining 
 night. 
 
 79 
 
80 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 There was no reason why the Shawanoe 
 should lose any time in surveying the Assini- 
 boines, for he felt no interest in them. He was 
 surprised to note that every one had a rifle, none 
 being armed with the primitive bow and arrows. 
 He tarried only long enough to decide in his 
 mind who was the leader, and therefore the new 
 proprietor of Whirlwind. Deerfoot had no 
 special enmity against him, for it was Amokeat, 
 the Nez Perce chieftain, who was responsible 
 for the loss of the stallion. 
 
 The Shawanoe had straightened up and was 
 silently withdrawing from his advanced posi- 
 tion, holding the sheltering tree between him 
 and the camp fire, when he was startled by a 
 whinny from some point in the gloom close at 
 hand. Turning his head he caught the dim out- 
 lines of Whirlwind making his way among the 
 trees toward him. The sagacious stallion, 
 through that wonderfully acute sense of smell 
 which his species often show, had discovered the 
 proximity of his master and had set out to find 
 him. The space between the two was so brief 
 that Deerfoot had hardly paused and looked 
 behind him when the silken nose of Whirlwind 
 was thrust against his face, and after his old 
 
COMRADES TRUE. 8f 
 
 fashion he touched his tongue to the cool cheek 
 of his master and then affectionately rested his 
 head on his shoulder. 
 
 It was a critical situation, for the steed had 
 already warned the Assiniboines that something 
 unusual was going on, but the delight and grati- 
 tude of the Shawanoe were so deep that he could 
 not deny himself the pleasure of caressing his 
 steed. He touched his lips to his nose, patted 
 his forehead and neck and murmured: 
 
 "Whirlwind! Deerfoot 's heart is thankful! 
 He is happy ? for he has found his best friend. 
 No one shall part us again ! ' ' 
 
 But in that joyful moment the delicate situa- 
 tion could not be forgotten. Instead of leaping 
 upon the back of the horse where the trees and 
 limbs would interfere with a rapid flight, in 
 addition to placing the rider at a disadvantage 
 in case of attack, Deerfoot told Whirlwind to 
 pass out of the timber and wait for him. The 
 horse promptly obeyed, for he understood the 
 whispered words. Then the youth placed him- 
 self directly behind the horse, ready to fight 
 off any and all assailants, and followed the 
 steed, thus forming his rear guard. 
 
 Between Deerfoot and the camp fire loomed 
 
82 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 the form of an Assiniboine warrior. His sensi- 
 tive ear had heard the soft neigh, and even the 
 low voice of Deerfoot. He knew that a thief 
 was in the grove he must have thought he was 
 a Nez Perce and was making off with Whirl- 
 wind, who was held in higher esteem than all 
 the other horses together. 
 
 The Shawanoe saw that a fight was inevitable. 
 He passed his rifle to the right hand, over whose 
 arm his blanket was resting, and drew his hunt- 
 ing knife. Even in that crisis the chivalry of 
 the Shawanoe would not allow him to take full 
 advantage of the situation. He could have 
 struck down his enemy without the least risk 
 to himself. He chose rather to give his antagon- 
 ist warning. 
 
 "Dog of an Assiniboine ! ' ' he muttered in the 
 Blackfoot tongue. "The Shawanoe fears you 
 not!" 
 
 The warrior leaped forward like a crouching 
 tiger. He had caught sight of the lithe form in 
 the faint glow of the firelight, and he assailed 
 it with all the vicious vigor of his nature. The 
 lightning-like blow of his knife made a hissing 
 sound as it cut the air and buried its point in 
 the blanket which Deerfoot thrust forward to 
 
COMRADES TRUE. &3 
 
 receive it. Then the Shawanoe delivered his 
 blow. Enough said. 
 
 Brief as was the terrific encounter, it occurred 
 too close to camp for the other Assiniboines to 
 remain in doubt for a moment. Moreover, when 
 the victim of the Shawanoe 's prowess went 
 down not to rise again he uttered an ear-split- 
 ting screech which echoed through the grove. 
 
 Deerfoot turned and ran among the trees 
 after Whirlwind. From some cause the stallion 
 had changed his direction and was waiting on 
 the edge of the wood several rods from where 
 his master emerged. The latter glanced hastily 
 around in the gloom without seeing him. He 
 uttered a low signal which the horse instantly 
 obeyed, and with another neigh of delight 
 trotted to his master. 
 
 Deerfoot was about to vault upon his back, 
 but hesitated. The sounds indicated that the 
 whole five Assiniboines had rushed to the spot 
 and were already within arm's reach of master 
 and stallion. They would be so near when 
 Whirlwind made his dash that they would fire 
 a volley which was certain to kill one or the 
 other, and not unlikely both rider and animal. 
 
 Nor could anything be gained by turning at 
 
84 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 bay and fighting the whole five, though the 
 Shawanoe would not have hesitated to do that 
 had no other recourse been left to him. With 
 that quick perception which approached the 
 marvelous in him he ordered Whirlwind to gal- 
 lop along the side of the timber and again wait 
 for him. Then Deerf oot dived among the trees 
 as if in fear of the fierce warriors closing in 
 upon him. His aim was to draw the attention 
 of the party from the stallion to himself, and he 
 succeeded. 
 
 For three or four minutes he dodged in and 
 out, where in the gloom he could not escape 
 more than one collision with the limbs. The 
 whole party plunged after him. They knew 
 that the audacious stranger had slain one 
 of their number and were determined he should 
 not escape their vengeance, for with him dis- 
 posed of the black stallion could be recovered 
 at leisure. 
 
 All the time that Deerf oot was whisking here 
 and there, leaping to the right and left, and get- 
 ting forward as fast as he could, he held his 
 knife grasped and ready to use on the instant 
 the emergency arose. He was so handicapped 
 by the obstructions and the darkness that he 
 
COMRADES TRUE. 85 
 
 could do little more than hold his own. His 
 enemies were too near for him to hide himself 
 from them. Had he attempted to do so the 
 whole lot would have descended upon him like 
 an avalanche. 
 
 There was no chance to select his route; all 
 he could do was to drive ahead and avoid being 
 driven at bay. He took care not to pass near 
 the fire, where the glow would have betrayed 
 him. He feared his foes would shoot, though 
 everything was so obscured that they were 
 likely to wait in the hope of capturing him or 
 gaining a fairer aim. 
 
 A faint lighting up in front showed that he 
 was nearing the edge of the wood. Two bounds 
 carried him clear, and then, with the utmost 
 speed of which he was capable, he ran along 
 the margin to a slight turn in the conformation 
 of the grove, when he leaped out into the open 
 air and was off with as great fleetness as he 
 displayed on the home- stretch in his race with 
 Ealph Genther, after the turkey shoot at Wood- 
 vale. 
 
 By his dodging and trickery he had gained 
 an important start, but not enough to put him 
 beyond sight of the Assiniboines,who debouched 
 
86 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 from the timber at the moment the form of the 
 Shawanoe was fast dissolving in the gloom. 
 They were fleet of foot, and in the belief that 
 they could speedily run the fugitive to earth 
 they made after him. Hardly had the singular 
 race opened when the astounded pursuers saw 
 no fugitive before them! He had been swal- 
 lowed up in the darkness like an arrow launched 
 from a powerful bow. The Assiniboines must 
 have come to the belief that whoever the 
 stranger was he knew how to run. You and I 
 came to that belief long ago. 
 
 One of the chagrined pursuers fired in the 
 direction of the flying fugitive. The bullet prob- 
 ably passed within fifty feet of him, certainly 
 not near enough for Deerf oot to hear the whistle 
 of the missile. 
 
 The Shawanoe was too wise to maintain his 
 flight in a direct line, for there was no saying 
 how long his enemies would hunt for him. He 
 made a wide detour to the right and passed 
 around the head of the lake, moving as silently 
 as a shadow and issuing no call to Whirlwind 
 to join him. Beaching the point he had in mind 
 he stopped, peered around in the gloom and 
 carefully located himself. Then he placed his 
 
COMRADES TRUE. 87 
 
 thumb and forefinger between his teeth and 
 pierced the stillness with that peculiar whistle 
 which could have been heard a mile away. 
 
 Meanwhile, if we can believe that animals 
 are capable of reasoning, Whirlwind must have 
 had some uncomfortable thoughts. He was 
 listening for the next orders of his master and 
 could make nothing of the tumult going on near 
 him. He would have been eager to lend a help- 
 ing hand, or, rather, hoof, but did not know how 
 to lend it. He might make matters worse by the 
 attempt. He had received his commands and 
 it only remained for him to obey them. 
 
 While thus waiting, the Assiniboine leader 
 he who claimed him as his particular property 
 assumed form in the starlight and drew near. 
 Whirlwind snuffed suspiciously. He could not 
 understand matters, but he had seen his master 
 and comrade and resented any impertinence 
 from others. 
 
 The Assiniboine hurried up and extended one 
 hand to grasp the forelock of the stallion, in 
 order to lead him back to his place on the other 
 side of the camp. At that moment the signal 
 of Deerf oot rang out. 
 
 Perhaps the Assiniboine suspected the mean- 
 
88 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 ing of the call, for he darted forward and seized 
 the forelock. Whirlwind instantly reared, and 
 with a single blow of his hoof knocked the red 
 man senseless. He did not kill him, but it is 
 safe to conclude that when the Assiniboine 
 regained his senses he knew a good deal more 
 than he ever knew before. 
 
 The waiting Shawanoe heard the sound of 
 hoofs, and a minute later saw the form of the 
 stallion as he galloped up and paused with his 
 nose thrust forward, asking for another caress. 
 
 He received it and in his mute way expressed 
 his own pleasure at being with his master again. 
 The danger was not yet over, and the Shawanoe 
 deferred further petting until the opportunity 
 was more fitting. Besting one hand upon the 
 neck of the stallion he leaped lightly astride 
 of him, still keeping the blanket about his own 
 shoulders, for the night was keen and the horse 
 did not need the protection. 
 
 .Whirlwind yearned to stretch his limbs and 
 speed away with his master on his back. But 
 it would have been unsafe. After leaving the 
 vicinity of the lake the country was rough, and 
 in the darkness the surest-footed horse was 
 liable to fall. Moreover, there was no need of 
 baste. 
 
COMRADES TRUE. 89 
 
 So the stallion passed out into the night at 
 his usual graceful walk, while his rider for the 
 time listened and peered into the darkness 
 behind him for sound or sight of the Assini- 
 boines who would have given much for a chance 
 to revenge themselves upon the daring youth 
 that had outwitted them. 
 
 At the end of half an hour Deerfoot slipped 
 from the back of his steed and pressed his ear 
 to the earth. If the Assiniboines were following 
 and were near he would learn the fact through 
 this better conductor of sound. He heard noth- 
 ing and once more vaulted upon Whirlwind. 
 
 Relieved for the time of all cause for fear, 
 Deerfoot now gave grateful attention to the 
 proud stallion that was bearing him southward. 
 He first tested his recollection of the words of 
 command which he had taught him, and which 
 you will remember were in a peculiar language 
 known only to the two. Whirlwind proved his 
 excellent memory by promptly responding to 
 every order addressed to him. Then the Shaw- 
 anoe guided him by pressure of his knees, and 
 by a certain manner of striking the heels of his 
 moccasins against his sides. The result could 
 not have been more satisfactory. 
 
90 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 "Whirlwind is a bad horse," said Deerfoot, 
 feeling that it was time to have a little sport 
 with him. "He ran away from Deerfoot on 
 purpose. If he had had any sense he would 
 have left the Assiniboines and set out to find 
 Deerfoot instead of making Deerfoot travel so 
 far to find him. ' ' 
 
 It would be absurd to pretend that a horse, 
 even with the rare intelligence of Whirlwind, 
 could grasp the meaning of these words. How- 
 ever, he understood the sharp pinch which his 
 master gave him on the side of his neck, fol- 
 lowed by a brisk slap with his hand. The stal- 
 lion reached his head around and nipped at the 
 leg of Deerfoot, who drew it back and flipped 
 the nose of the animal. 
 
 Then Whirlwind flung his head around his 
 other shoulder and snapped at the leg on that 
 side, which was hardly snatched out of the way 
 in time to escape. Deerfoot gently smote the 
 nose to remind the steed that with all his 
 strength and wisdom the youth was still his 
 master. Thus they parried and played and 
 plagued each other until Deerfoot, with that 
 curious refinement of cruelty which we often 
 show to those we love most, pretended to be 
 offended. 
 
COMRADES TRUE. *> 
 
 "If Whirlwind wishes to bite Deerfoot he 
 may do so." 
 
 And to show he meant what he said he 
 reached forward and placed his hand between 
 the lips of the horse. The latter instantly 
 opened his jaws, so as to inclose the hand with 
 his teeth. A slight effort would have crushed 
 the fingers out of all semblance of symmetry 
 and beauty. Whirlwind did bring his jaws 
 nearly together, but took good care that the 
 pressure was not sufficient to harm a fly. 
 
 Deerfoot 's heart smoke him. He could not 
 stand this cruelty to as true a friend as ever 
 lived. Besting his rifle across his thighs, so as 
 to leave his hands free, he leaned forward, and, 
 inclosing the satin neck in his grasp, gave the 
 noble creature as fervent an embrace as wooer 
 ever gave to sweetheart. 
 
 "Deerfoot loves Whirlwind, and his heart 
 would have been sad all his life if he had not 
 found him. None shall take him away from 
 Deerfoot again. Deerfoot knows that we shall 
 meet in that land that our Father is saving for 
 those who do His will, and then Deerfoot and 
 Whirlwind shall hunt and roam the forests and 
 prairies forever/' 
 
92 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 If the meaning of the words was vague to the 
 stallion, he could not mistake the meaning of the 
 embrace and the reposing of the side of the 
 Shawanoe's face in the luxuriant mane. He was 
 fully repaid for the indignities he had suffered 
 and the grief that had come to him because of 
 the separation of the two. Had Whirlwind been 
 able to put his ideas in words it is conceivable 
 that he would have reproached the Shawanoe 
 for deserting and leaving him among strangers. 
 Had he not done so, no search with its attendant 
 dangers would have been forced upon the youth. 
 
 And had this rebuke been given to Deerfoot, 
 surely he would have admitted the justice of the 
 charge, for we know how he reproached himself 
 for his conduct. But we blame others for ills 
 which we know are caused by ourselves, and we 
 chide unjustly those whom we love most, know- 
 ing all the time how unjust we are, and that if 
 we loved less the reproof would not be given at 
 all. 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 A MISHAP. 
 
 SO Deerfoot the Shawanoe rode into the 
 night, his heart aglow with gratitude 
 because of the success of his venture. 
 Whirlwind was his and he felt no misgiving 
 over losing him again, and the steed himself 
 would fight against recapture. 
 
 The animal kept to a walk, for to go faster 
 would have been imprudent if not dangerous. 
 He was not traveling over the course followed 
 by Deerfoot in threading his way to the Assini- 
 boine camp. The road was rough and strange 
 to both horse and rider. All that the youth 
 knew of a certainty was that he was journeying 
 southward. He could tell that much by observ- 
 ing the stars that had served him so often as a 
 compass. 
 
 Nor was there any necessity for haste. It 
 was impossible for the Assiniboines to trail him 
 until the sun appeared in the sky, when Whirl- 
 wind would easily leave the fleetest of their 
 
 93 
 
94 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 ponies out of sight. So no fear remained in the 
 heart of the dusky youth. Speaking now and 
 then to the animal, patting his neck and 
 shoulder, or playfully pinching the glossy skin, 
 he rode onward for several hours. He was not 
 in need of sleep, and Whirlwind had been given 
 nearly a whole day of rest. It was no task 
 therefore for either to maintain the journey. 
 
 Deerfoot 's intention was to ride until mid- 
 night, when the two would rest, resuming their 
 journey at sunrise and pushing hard until they 
 reached the villages of the Blackfeet. It was 
 late when the stallion splashed through a small 
 brook at the foot of a ridge, where Deerfoot 
 decided to dismount for the remainder of the 
 night. Slipping from the back of the horse he 
 pressed his ear to the earth, but heard nothing 
 to cause him disquiet. If the Assiniboines were 
 hunting for him they were too far off to cause 
 concern. 
 
 While Deerfoot was thus employed, Whirl- 
 wind stood as motionless as a statue, waiting 
 for his commands. The Shawanoe was in the 
 act of rising to his feet when the steed emitted 
 the slightest possible sniff. He was looking 
 toward the top of the ridge immediately in 
 
A MISHAr. 95 
 
 front, standing like a pointer dog, with his ears 
 pricked forward and head high in air. 
 
 Glancing in the same direction, Deerfoot saw 
 the figure of a buck that had come up the other 
 side of the ridge and halted on the crest, as if 
 he scented something amiss. He could not see 
 the two below him, but his own form was thrown 
 into relief against the starlit sky. The beautiful 
 creature with the branching horns, the delicate 
 ears, the shapely head and body, looked as if 
 (Stamped in ink in the dim star-gleam. 
 
 Deerfoot touched the shoulder of Whirlwind 
 as a warning for him to keep still. The intelli- 
 gent animal maintained his statue-like pose, 
 and the youth began stealing toward the buck, 
 his cocked rifle grasped with both hands and 
 ready to bring to a level and fire on the instant. 
 The space between the two was fifty or sixty 
 yards, which would have been nothing by day- 
 light. The youth wished to decrease it as much 
 as he could because of the darkness, so as to run 
 no risk of missing his aim. 
 
 It may not sound poetical, but it is only 
 simple fact that with the sight of the buck 
 unconscious of his danger the dominant emotion 
 of the Shawanoe was a sense of ravening 
 
96 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 hunger. It was a long time since he had par- 
 taken of food and his appetite was worthy of 
 Victor Shelton. He meant that that buck 
 should fill the aching void that vexed him. 
 
 A phantom gliding over the ground would 
 have given out no more noise than was made 
 by the moccasins of the Shawanoe ; but the timid 
 animal snuffed danger and wheeled to dash 
 away. At the instant of doing so, Deerf oot fired, 
 sending the ball into the body just back of a 
 fore leg. The cervus species rarely or never 
 fall, even when stricken through the heart, 
 knowing which, Deerf oot dashed up the slope, 
 knife in hand, and made after the wounded buck, 
 which could be heard threshing among the 
 stones and underbrush. He was still flounder- 
 ing and running when overtaken by the youth, 
 who quickly ended his suffering. 
 
 The next act of Deerf oot was to reload his 
 rifle, after which he cut a goodly piece from the 
 side of the game and carried it back to where 
 Whirlwind was waiting. The venison was 
 washed and dressed, after which the youth 
 groped about for fuel with which to start a fire. 
 This proved quite a task, but he succeeded after 
 a time, and then made one of the most substan- 
 
A MISHAP. 97 
 
 tial meals he had eaten in a long while. When 
 it was completed hardly a fragment was left, 
 and he felt he was provided for in the way of 
 nourishment for a day or two to come, though 
 he saw no reason to fear any such deprivation 
 of food. 
 
 The Shawanoe could never forget his caution. 
 While there was little probability of any of the 
 Assiniboines being in the neighborhood, yet it 
 was possible there were, and it might be they 
 had observed the twinkle of the fire he had 
 kindled and then allowed to die out. He 
 remounted his horse and headed more to the 
 westward, for he had a long way to travel to 
 reach the Blackfoot country on the other side 
 of the Rocky Mountains. 
 
 The youth was riding forward, glancing to 
 the right and left, on the lookout for a suitable 
 place for camping, when he noticed that while 
 the ground over which he was passing was more 
 level than usual, a high ridge loomed up on the 
 left, rising in some places to a height of several 
 hundred feet. After a time a similar formation 
 appeared on the right. This showed that he was 
 passing through a valley-like depression, but 
 he had gone a comparatively short distance 
 
 7 
 
98 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 when he observed that the two mountain ranges, 
 if such they might be considered, gradually 
 converged. He turned to the left and at the 
 base of the ridge dismounted. 
 
 ' ' Here we will stay for the rest of the night, ' ' 
 he said to Whirlwind. "Deerfoot feels that 
 hard work is before us and it is wise to save our 
 strength." 
 
 Since there was no saddle or bridle to be 
 taken from the stallion, his master turned him 
 loose, first kissing his nose and affectionately 
 patting his neck. The horse wandered off a 
 few steps to spend the hours by himself, while 
 the youth laid his blanket on the ground and 
 wrapped himself in it. No water was near, nor 
 was there enough grass growing for Whirlwind 
 to crop, but neither cared for a little thing like 
 that. 
 
 Deerfoot slept soundly till roused by the lick- 
 ing of his cheek by his faithful friend, who was 
 standing at his head and looking down in his 
 face as revealed in the dim morning light. The 
 night was gone and it had brought no alarm to 
 either. Casting aside the blanket, Deerfoot 
 sprang to his feet and surveyed his surround- 
 ings. 
 
A MISHAP. 99 
 
 That which first attracted his attention was 
 the convergence of the massive walls to the 
 southeast. Less than half a mile away they 
 came within a hundred feet of each other, thus 
 forming one of the canons that are common in 
 mountainous countries. The question which 
 Deerfoot asked himself was whether it was 
 probable the two joined. If so, he was entering 
 a pocket from which he would be forced to with- 
 draw. The middle of the valley showed that at 
 certain times, perhaps when the snows melted, 
 a stream coursed its way through the canon, 
 but the water came from the front and flowed 
 toward the horseman into the open country to 
 the rear. Had it taken the opposite course 
 there would have been no hesitation on his part, 
 for he would have known that an outlet was in 
 advance through which Whirlwind could pass. 
 On the other hand, it might be that the ridges 
 united and the torrent had its source in the 
 water which poured over the rocks at the head. 
 If this proved to be the fact, Deerfoot would be 
 obliged to retreat and make a change of course. 
 
 His belief was that the ridges did not join 
 and it was therefore prudent for him to go on. 
 Two causes led him to this conclusion: the 
 
tOO DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 ground was favorable for the hoofs of his horse, 
 and the course of the canon was the direction 
 he wished to follow. It was a small matter any- 
 way, for an hour or two loss of time could make 
 no special difference. He spoke to Whirlwind, 
 who stepped off with his usual proud stride. 
 Now that daylight had come and the ground was 
 inviting, the steed of his own accord broke into 
 an easy gallop, which his rider did not check. 
 
 Arriving at the farthest point visible at the 
 moment of starting, Deerf oot found that though 
 the walls drew somewhat closer they did not 
 meet for at least a half mile in front, where 
 again a change of course hid the actual truth. 
 He was now following the black, sandy bed of 
 a stream, packed so hard that it gave an ideal 
 floor for a horse's hoofs. 
 
 The Shawanoe had not reached the turn in the 
 canon when he made an alarming discovery. 
 Looking to the rear he discovered fully a dozen 
 horsemen coming toward him on a walk. They 
 were probably a half mile off, and no doubt were 
 pursuing him. He would not have felt any mis- 
 giving but for the instant suspicion that these 
 Indians were Assiniboines and the other divi- 
 sion of the party from whom he had retaken 
 
A MISHAP. W 
 
 Whirlwind. They must have recognized the 
 black stallion, and, if so, of course knew he had 
 been captured by the Nez Perce, as they sup- 
 posed him to be. On no other supposition could 
 their action be explained. 
 
 Without checking his steed, Deerfoot turned 
 and pointed his glass at the red men. One 
 glance was sufficient. They were Assiniboines, 
 and no doubt those for whom the other group 
 were waiting in the grove miles distant. 
 
 Where they had come from with such sudden- 
 ness was more than the Shawanoe could guess. 
 It mattered naught since they were there, and 
 his situation was not only unpleasant, but likely 
 to prove dangerous. If the canon closed he was 
 fairly caught and would have to make a des- 
 perate fight to extricate himself. If it was open 
 in front he had little to fear. 
 
 He spoke to Whirlwind, who instantly 
 increased his speed. The Assiniboines seemed 
 to make no effort to lessen the distance between 
 themselves and the fugitive. This looked bad, 
 for it indicated that the Shawanoe was riding 
 toward a shut door and would fall into their 
 power like ripe fruit shaken from a limb. 
 
 When Deerfoot reached the next curve in the 
 
102 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 canon he perceived that only a little way in 
 front it curved again. He decided at once to 
 settle the doubt in his mind, for, if the canon 
 was a blind one, every rod of advance added to 
 his danger. The walls drew steadily nearer and 
 he began to fear that they really met not far 
 off. If obliged to turn back he should do so 
 without further delay. 
 
 Checking Whirlwind he slipped to the ground 
 and ran to the side of the ravine. He left his 
 blanket on the back of the horse, and leaned his 
 rifle against the base of the rocks, up which he 
 began climbing with the nimbleness of a sailor 
 ascending the rigging of a ship. His intention 
 was to reach the level ground above, from 
 which he could gain a view that would tell him 
 whether it was safe to go any farther into the 
 canon or whether he must make instant retreat. 
 
 From the foot of the mountain wall to the 
 top was fully forty feet, and it was perpendicu- 
 lar all the way ; but the face was so rugged that 
 he went up without trouble, only turning a little 
 to the right now and then to gain a better sup- 
 port for his hands and feet. The stallion stood 
 motionless and watching him with what must 
 have been wondering interest. 
 
A MISHAP. 103 
 
 As he ascended Deerfoot glanced down the 
 ravine and saw the Assiniboines still coming 
 with their horses on a walk. This pointed to 
 the probability that the Shawanoe had really 
 entered a pocket and his enemies saw no need 
 of haste, since they felt sure of their victim. 
 And yet with all his acumen the Shawanoe erred 
 in explaining the deliberation of his pursuers. 
 
 At last the agile climber reached the upper 
 edge of the ravine, and it only remained for him 
 to lift himself a foot farther to gain the view 
 which would reveal the truth of the situation. 
 He extended his hand upward to secure the grip 
 that was to raise his head above the level. As 
 he did so he rested it on something cold and 
 soft, which he instantly recognized as a coiled 
 rattlesnake. 
 
 Deerfoot shared the shivering disgust which 
 nearly every person feels for crawling reptiles. 
 Nothing was so hideous to him as the crotalus, 
 and when he caught sight of one he rarely 
 allowed it to escape. An electric shock thrilled 
 through him as he snatched back his hand in 
 time to avoid the sting, for the snake must have 
 been as much astonished as he by its disturb- 
 ance. In the horror of the contact the Shaw- 
 
i!04 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 anoe forgot everything else for the instant, and 
 letting go his hold, dropped to the bottom of the 
 gorge. 
 
 He realized his mishap the instant it took 
 place and tried desperately to seize some 
 obstruction that would check his descent, but 
 could not do so. He struck the bottom of the 
 canon, landing on both feet, with a twinge of 
 pain that was like a dagger thrust in his ankle. 
 
 But brief as was Deerfoot's descent, he had 
 seen something terrifying while it was going 
 on. The rattlesnake so rudely disturbed as it 
 lay in coil (though it sometimes strikes when 
 not in that position), darted its gaping mouth at 
 the hand which flashed out of its reach. Strange 
 as it may seem, it was lying on the very edge 
 of the gorge, so close indeed that the blow which 
 struck vacancy carried it over, and it came 
 tumbling, looping and writhing after Deerf oot, 
 at whose feet it fell, bruised and stunned by the 
 impact. Before it could strike again he had 
 seized his rifle and crushed out its life. 
 
 The excitement of the moment sustained him, 
 but with the blow he sank to the ground as if 
 shot through the heart. His left ankle had been 
 severely wrenched and could not support an 
 
A MISHAP. JOS 
 
 ounce of his weight. The pain was so intense 
 that but for his iron will he would have swooned. 
 With wonderful pluck and self-control he care- 
 fully raised himself and stood on the right foot, 
 with the other leg bent at the knee and its foot 
 held clear of the ground. A red-hot needle 
 driven into and through the ankle could not have 
 caused more agony. 
 
 But though his face and compressed lips were 
 pale, not a murmur of complaint escaped him. 
 Looking up at his steed he said, with his old, 
 winning smile : 
 
 "Will Whirlwind take care of Deerfoot, for 
 lie cannot take care of himself V 9 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 ENEMIES AND FRIENDS. 
 
 THE black stallion knew his master was in 
 trouble. Stepping forward he thrust 
 forward his nose and licked his fac6. 
 Deerfoot rested one arm on his mane, the other 
 hand holding his rifle. Then Whirlwind, with- 
 out a word, kneeled on one knee, so as to lower 
 his shoulders. With a single hop the young 
 Shawanoe leaped upon his back and the steed 
 immediately stood on all-fours. 
 
 "Now, my friend, show them what you can 
 do in the way of running. ' ' 
 
 The incident had taken only a few moments, 
 but brief as was the time it had allowed the 
 Assiniboines to decrease the space between 
 them and the Shawanoe. Singular as it seemed, 
 they still failed to hurry. They held their 
 horses at a walk, and Deerfoot for the first time 
 began to suspect the truth. 
 
 Whirlwind was off with the speed of the wind. 
 His motion gave pain to the rider, but it was 
 
 106 
 
ENEMIES AND FRIENDS. J07 
 
 less than when he stood with one foot on the 
 ground. So long as he had the steed under him 
 he felt little cause for fear. 
 
 The theory which had suddenly assumed 
 shape in the mind of Deerfoot was that the pur- 
 suers wished to hold him in the ravine while 
 another party passed around to the other 
 entrance. He would thus be placed hetween 
 two fires and his position made tenfold more 
 perilous than ever. It may be said that if this 
 trick succeeded the doom of both Deerfoot and 
 Whirlwind would be sealed. 
 
 And it was precisely the stratagem which the 
 Assiniboines had attempted. 
 
 It will now be understood why the Shawanoe 
 sent his steed flying up the gorge at such a 
 tremendous burst of speed that he rapidly drew 
 away from the group behind him. He meant 
 to get out of the ravine before he was shut off 
 in front. No doubt longer remained that it was 
 open at no great distance in advance. 
 
 The space was less than a third of a mile after 
 making the last turn. Deerfoot would have 
 been glad had it been greater, for that much 
 more opportunity would be given for the use of 
 the stallion's fleetness. 
 
108 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS 
 
 The Shawanoe descried the open door. The 
 walls fell away, leaving an interval of a hundred 
 yards between, the bottom of the ravine slightly 
 ascended, the ridges gradually dropped to the 
 level of the earth, and the country was spread 
 out as before he rode into the canon the night 
 previous. 
 
 From the back of the flying steed Deerfoot 
 kept his eye on the space, expecting every 
 moment to see the other Assiniboines dash into 
 view and sweep down upon him. He had fixed 
 his line of action. He would charge straight at 
 them, even if they numbered a dozen, using first 
 his rifle and then his knife, should a chance 
 present itself to bring the latter into play. 
 
 With every bound of Whirlwind the hopes of 
 his rider rose. It looked as if the race had been 
 won by the superb stallion. A few more strides 
 and all his enemies would be thrown to the rear. 
 
 The next moment Whirlwind burst out of the 
 ravine into the open country, and in the same 
 instant came face to face with another horse- 
 man. He was the Assiniboine chieftain, who 
 alone had ridden hard along the side of the 
 canon on the ground above, in order to head off 
 the flying fugitive, and had arrived just in time 
 
ENEMIES AND FRIENDS. J09 
 
 to do so. He scorned to take any companion 
 with him, for he feared no living man and was 
 sure of overcoming the audacious stranger that 
 had roused his fury. 
 
 The Assiniboine must have heard the thunder 
 of the approaching hoofs, for he had checked 
 his own horse, on which he sat awaiting the 
 appearance of the Shawanoe. When the latter 
 caught sight of his face he had his rifle at his 
 shoulder and was in the act of pressing the 
 trigger. 
 
 Deerfoot saw he had no time to use his own 
 weapon, for quickly as he might aim it the other 
 would be discharged first. In the language of 
 the modern West, the Assiniboine "had the 
 drop" on the Shawanoe. 
 
 There was but one thing to do, and Deerfoot 
 did it in the twinkling of an eye. He flung his 
 body to the other side of his steed, sustaining 
 himself by bending his toes over the base of the 
 stallion's neck. When I add that the foot with 
 which he performed this remarkable bit of 
 horsemanship was the one with the sprained 
 ankle, you may faintly imagine the wrenching 
 torture he suffered. Only by a superhuman 
 effort did he keep control of his senses. 
 
X10 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 The Assiniboine fired at the moment of the 
 lightning-like shift of position, and Deerfoot 
 heard the zip of the bullet as it sped across the 
 space covered less than a second before by his 
 body. 
 
 There is a lurking devil in the most saintly 
 disposition, and that which slumbered in the 
 breast of the young Shawanoe now flamed to a 
 white heat. Swinging back to the upright 
 posture he called : 
 
 1 1 Now, Whirlwind, run him down ! ' ' 
 
 The stallion felt the pressure of the knees, 
 understood the command, and ablaze with rage, 
 charged like a cyclone for the other horse. In 
 a flash he crashed into the animal, hurling him 
 sidelong to the earth and rolling him completely 
 over from the terrific force of the impact. 
 
 But his rider was a fine horseman and leaped 
 to the ground before the collision. Whirling 
 about he faced the Shawanoe, with knife drawn, 
 for there was no time to reload his gun. 
 
 He was now at the mercy of Deerfoot, whose 
 weapon was loaded. But for the disabled limb 
 he would have leaped to the earth and assailed 
 the other. He would have done the same had 
 there been two enemies before him; he would 
 
ENEMIES AND FRIENDS. m 
 
 have done the same had there been three; but 
 he was not the fool to engage in a fight when he 
 had but a single leg to stand upon. 
 
 The panic-stricken horse, having clambered 
 to his feet, dashed away. Whirlwind assumed 
 his statue-like pose and Deerf oot brought his 
 rifle to a level, with the Assiniboine staring into 
 the muzzle. 
 
 The fight had been of the cyclone order, but, 
 brief as it was, Deerfoot had become himself 
 again. He was the Christian who could not 
 shed the blood of one that was unable to defend 
 himself, even though that one was his deadly 
 enemy. 
 
 The Assiniboine had dropped his gun when 
 assuming his position at bay, and it lay several 
 feet away on the ground. Lowering his own 
 weapon, Deerfoot pointed after the fleeing horse 
 and said sternly in the tongue of the Blackf eet : 
 
 "Bun! run after the horse!" 
 
 The gesture, as much as the words, explained 
 the command. It was so unparalleled, so utterly 
 unexpected, that the Assiniboine stood in a 
 daze. Deerfoot knew that the report of the 
 gun would speedily bring the warriors to the 
 spot, and there was not a minute to spare. He 
 
U2 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 repeated his order more sharply than before 
 and accompanied it with a threatening lifting of 
 his gun to a level. 
 
 The other could not misunderstand the sig- 
 nificance of voice and gesture. He stepped for- 
 ward to pick up his rifle. 
 
 "Stop!" shouted the Shawanoe, before the 
 other could stoop. " Leave it where it is! Fol- 
 low the horse. " 
 
 The hammer of the leveled rifle was at full 
 cock. Still unable fully to comprehend all that 
 had taken place, the chieftain faced about and 
 broke into a lope after his horse, which acted as 
 if it would keep up its pace for the remainder 
 of the day. 
 
 Deerf oot waited till the chief had gone a hun- 
 dred paces, when heading the other way he gave 
 the word to Whirlwind, whom, however, he held 
 down to a walk. The rider wished to witness 
 developments. 
 
 Looking back he saw the Assiniboine motion- 
 less and gazing after him with emotions that 
 can hardly be imagined or described. He stood 
 thus for a minute, when he started on a run to 
 recover his rifle from where it lay on the ground. 
 Just before reaching the spot the party of 
 
ENEMIES AND FRIENDS. JJ3 
 
 horsemen emerged from the mouth of the canon 
 and pansed while their leader rejoined them. 
 
 It would be interesting to know how he 
 squared matters with his warriors. It would 
 have required a vivid imagination and a genius 
 in the way of invention to explain how it was 
 his horse was just vanishing in the distance; 
 how the chief was in the act of recovering his 
 weapon, and more than all, how it came about 
 that the youthful warrior of a strange tribe, 
 who had already slain one Assiniboine though 
 that was yet unknown to this party was riding 
 leisurely off on the back of the special pet of 
 the chieftain. If the Assiniboine was wise he 
 made a clean breast of it, and insisted that the 
 dusky stranger was a marvel in his way whom 
 it was exceedingly unwise to push into a corner. 
 
 The chagrin of the Assiniboine party was not 
 soothed by the action of Deerfoot, who, having 
 spared the life of an enemy, felt himself justi- 
 fied in "rubbing it in," so to speak. He faced 
 Whirlwind toward the group, held him motion- 
 less, and, swinging his rifle over his head, 
 indulged in a series of tantalizing shouts that 
 were anything but soothing to the chief and his 
 friends. How they ached to get the terrible 
 
m DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 young warrior into their power ! What exquisite 
 vengeance they would have wreaked upon him ! 
 
 But such bliss was impossible. They knew 
 what speed the black stallion possessed, and it 
 was not suppo sable that his rider meant to chaL 
 lenge all of them to combat. So they main* 
 tained a glum silence as he rode from view. 
 
 Meanwhile, Deerfoot found he must give 
 attention to the ankle, whose condition had been 
 aggravated by the fight with the Assiniboine 
 leader. It was much swollen and the pain was 
 torturing. Still his bravery and self-command 
 prevented anything in the nature of murmuring. 
 In truth, he would have suffered death without 
 outcry. 
 
 The remarkable youth found a strange con- 
 solation. He was familiar with the story of the 
 Saviour's death on the cross and remembered 
 the nails that were driven through the hands 
 and feet. 
 
 "He suffered from four wounds, besides hav- 
 ing a spear thrust into his side. Deerfoot has 
 only one hurt in his foot and that does not bleed. 
 He had the weight of the world's guilt crushing 
 his heart. What are Deerfoot 's sufferings com- 
 pared with His? It is my Father's will and 
 therefore the heart of Deerfoot is glad." 
 
ENEMIES AND FRIENDS. U5 
 
 Failing to see a sign of strangers in the 
 neighborhood, the Shawanoe drew Whirlwind 
 down to a walk and halted at the first mountain 
 stream, which happened to be no larger than 
 the one where he had broiled his supper the 
 night before. 
 
 The moment Whirlwind saw that his master 
 wished to dismount he sank upon both knees. 
 His sympathetic act touched Deerfoot, who, 
 stepping carefully upon the well limb, patted 
 the neck of the steed and thanked him. 
 
 "Deerfoot would be helpless but for Whirl- 
 wind. They must now stick together as never 
 before." 
 
 Hopping to the brook the youth slipped off 
 his moccasin and removed the stocking. The 
 swollen ankle was as sensitive as a boil. Dip- 
 ping the stocking in the icy water he rang it 
 almost dry and rubbed the limb, gently at first 
 and then more vigorously until it was in a glow. 
 This was soothing and gave partial relief, but 
 much pain remained. An injury of that nature 
 takes a long time to subside. 
 
 Having never suffered from illness or wounds, 
 the Shawanoe was without any remedy at com- 
 mand, nor did he know aught of the many medi- 
 
H6 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 laments which his race, as well as the white 
 people, use. Had the hurt been a simple cut 
 or wound he would have given it no heed, but 
 his sprain forced itself upon his notice. 
 
 He finished rubbing the ankle and carefully 
 drew on the stocking, with Whirlwind sympa- 
 thetically watching him, and doubtless longing 
 for some method of giving relief. I wonder 
 whether the creature recalled that day, many 
 weeks before, when his young master rubbed his 
 injured knee so tenderly and ministered to him 
 until he had fully recovered. We cannot fathom 
 the mysteries of the brain in animals of a high 
 order of intelligence, and it is not for us to 
 deny that such might have been the fact. 
 
 Suddenly the stallion turned toward a pile 
 of rocks to the left and emitted his faint, warn- 
 ing neigh. Deerfoot was up in a twinkling, 
 despite the additional suffering caused by his 
 action, and seized his rifle resting near. As he 
 did so an Indian appeared from behind the 
 rocks and came toward him. A glance showed 
 him to be the dwarf with whom Deerfoot had 
 had his singular meeting when journeying 
 northward. 
 
 The red man of short stature took long wab- 
 
ENEMIES AND FRIENDS. U7 
 
 bling strides, made numerous gestures and 
 grimaces and rapidly uttered words, not one of 
 which was understood by the Shawanoe. Still 
 chattering, gesticulating and grinning he came 
 forward, without heeding the black steed, flung 
 his long bow to the ground, and kneeling down, 
 gently lifted the foot of Deerfoot, who had not 
 yet drawn on his moccasin. The visitor saw 
 that the limb was injured and tenderly rested 
 the foot upon his knee, the owner thereof making 
 no objection, gently turned down the stocking 
 and spent a minute or two in inspecting the 
 swollen ankle. Then with a sympathetic aspira- 
 tion he slowly stroked it with his hand. In 
 doing so he drew downward each time and never 
 rubbed the surface upward. 
 
 There is something in magnetism, and Deer- 
 foot was sure of a slight cessation of the pain, 
 though the relief was not marked. When the 
 caressing had been repeated a number of times, 
 the dwarf softly laid the foot on the ground 
 and rose to his feet. Another vigorous dis- 
 charge of unintelligible words followed, and he 
 wabbled rapidly off beyond the rocks from 
 behind which he had come a short time before. 
 
 Since he left his bow lying on the ground 
 
U8 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 where he had flung it, Deerfoot knew he had 
 gone in quest of some remedy and would soon 
 return. He therefore kept his seat on the 
 ground and patiently awaited the other's 
 coming. 
 
 In a few minutes the dwarf reappeared, bear- 
 ing in his hand a bunch of green leaves. The 
 twigs were pinnated, and at the base of each 
 leaflet, where it joined the common peticle, was 
 a single crimson berry, resembling the common 
 wintergreen, but the genus was unknown to the 
 Shawanoe, though he knew something of 
 medicinal herbs. 
 
 Dividing the twigs with their leaves and ber- 
 ries into halves, the good Samaritan laid one 
 pile on the ground, pointing to it, and still chat- 
 tering. Deerfoot knew he wished to direct his 
 attention to the healing plant, and he nodded 
 his head to signify he understood and would 
 remember his request. 
 
 Then, as deftly as a girl, the dusky friend 
 picked the berries from the twigs in the other 
 bunch. They filled the palm of one hand, which 
 he held out for Deerfoot to inspect. The Shaw- 
 anoe nodded again. The other wabbled back to 
 the rocks, but did not pass out of sight. Picking 
 
ENEMIES AND FRIENDS. U9 
 
 up a bit of stone, he began crushing the berries 
 upon a projection of the rocks. It took but a 
 brief time to turn them into a yellow, sticky 
 mass which emitted a slightly aromatic odor. 
 Beturning to the patient, he skillfully spread 
 the poultice on several of the larger leaves, laid 
 them over and around the swollen ankle, and 
 then, as gently as a mother with her babe, drew 
 the stocking over it, so as to hold the poultice in 
 place. 
 
 Deerf oot leaned back, resting his body on his 
 elbows, and heaved a long, grateful sigh. The 
 relief was bliss itself. For a. minute or two 
 he believed the injury was fully healed, but a 
 slight movement of the foot proved that this 
 was not the fact. Nevertheless, the effect of 
 the crushed berries was magical. As he looked 
 up in the homely, twisted countenance, his 
 expression spoke his gratitude. The dwarf 
 grinned. The language of thankfulness needs no 
 interpreter. Deerfoot came to the upright pos- 
 ture, and, reaching forward, took one of the 
 stranger's hands in his own and patted it, mur- 
 muring his thanks. 
 
 The dwarf pointed to the twigs and berries 
 remaining untouched and said something, which 
 
J20 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 was made clear by the rapid flitting of his fore- 
 finger from them to the wounded member. The 
 meaning was plain. The patient was to use 
 them as the others had been used. Deerfoot 
 signified in his usual way that he understood 
 the direction. 
 
 The dwarf stood for a few minutes silent, with 
 his eyes on the face of the Shawanoe seated 
 before him. Then he spoke again, and Deerfoot 
 would have given much to have understood the 
 words, but he could not form the remotest idea 
 of their meaning. The visitor stopped and 
 picked up his bow from the ground, turned and 
 swung with his awkward gait up the slight 
 slope, passed from sight behind the pile of rocks, 
 and the Shawanoe never saw or heard of him 
 again. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 IN THE ROCKIES. 
 
 THEEE was wonderful virtue in the 
 remedy used by the dwarf Indian. You 
 and I know that in many a mountaineer's 
 cabin and barbarian's wigwam are found cura- 
 tives which surpass anything known to what we 
 call medical science. The proofs of this fact are 
 too numerous to be questioned. 
 
 As Deerfoot rode away with Whirlwind on a 
 walk, he knew his hurt had been greatly bene- 
 fited. With his foot hanging, the flow of blood 
 downward tended to increase the pain, but there 
 was not only less of it than at any time since his 
 mishap, but it was perceptibly decreasing. The 
 swelling was going down, for the stocking was 
 becoming looser. He timidly tapped the ribs of 
 the stallion with his heel and was delighted to 
 find it caused less of a twinge than he expected. 
 
 At the first water he paused, but would not 
 allow Whirlwind to kneel to help him dismount. 
 He let himself down rather gingerly and did 
 
 121 
 
J22 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 not suffer therefrom. At the side of the little 
 stream he examined his injury. The swelling 
 was markedly less and he was able to press it 
 without wincing. He had brought away the 
 surplus berries, but, instead of using them, 
 moistened the old binding and replaced it. It 
 might be that he would not be able to find more 
 of the remedy, and it was prudent to husband 
 the supply. Observant as he was, he did not 
 recall ever having seen the shrub growing, and 
 was certain it was not found in Ohio or 
 Kentucky. 
 
 One potent factor in the rapid recovery of the 
 Shawanoe must not be overlooked; that was 
 his own superb health and condition. You need 
 not be reminded that when anything goes amiss 
 with us physically, nature sets to work at once 
 to right it, and the most that medical skill can 
 do is to sit by and watch for contingencies and 
 give assistance as opportunity offers, which is 
 less frequent than many think. A system that 
 has not been weakened by dissipation or the 
 violation of the laws of health will do wonders 
 in the way of repairing disease or injury. 
 
 It was not yet noon when Deerf oot became so 
 hopeful and curious that he suddenly slipped 
 
IN THE ROCKIES. J23 
 
 from the back of his horse without checking his 
 walk. Whirlwind must have been startled, for 
 he instantly stopped and turned his head to 
 learn what it meant. 
 
 " Don't worry," said his master with his 
 familiar chuckle. "Deerfoot is almost well and 
 will soon be himself again. ' ' 
 
 He ventured to bear a part of his weight on 
 the weak leg. It caused a twinge, and he 
 instantly shifted to the other foot, but with the 
 transference of weight the pain departed, which 
 was one of the best of signs. 
 
 The days of miracles passed long ago, and 
 with all the virtues that may linger in the Thom- 
 sonian system of medicine, no possibility existed 
 of the Shawanoe regaining the full use of his 
 limb for several days to come. None the less, 
 his recovery was astonishingly rapid, for, as I 
 have said, his perfect vigor and healthfulness 
 of body greatly aided in such recovery. Added 
 to this was the intelligence he used. While he 
 frequently tested and experimented with the 
 injury, he did not venture too far. Now and 
 then he carefully shifted a part of his weight 
 to his left limb, then he hobbled a few steps, but 
 stopped immediately at the first warning twinge. 
 
124 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 It may be said he encouraged the ankle to do its 
 best to get well. 
 
 It was a little past meridian when he reached 
 a place which showed a considerable growth of 
 grass, and letting himself down to the ground, 
 he told Whirlwind to attend to his own dinner. 
 As for himself, he preferred to wait until night- 
 fall, or the next day. At present all his atten- 
 tion was given to his hurt. 
 
 He decided, after inspecting the bandage, to 
 replace it with a new one. He therefore flung 
 the old one aside and mashed the berries and 
 applied them as the dwarf had done. But the 
 injured limb had so decreased in size that the 
 stocking failed to hold it in place. The motion 
 of the horse caused the bandage to slip over the 
 foot. This was remedied by taking some of 
 the threads of fringe from the skirt of his hunt- 
 ing shirt and tying them round the poultice. He 
 expected the increased pressure to hurt, but to 
 his pleased surprise the opposite effect resulted. 
 
 It had been in his mind to construct a crude 
 crutch to aid in hobbling around, but he decided 
 not to do so. If his recovery continued without 
 relapse he could do well enough without such 
 aid. 
 
IN THE ROCKIES. J25 
 
 On the journey from the Ohio to the Pacific, 
 as well as during their intimacy in the new 
 State, Deerfoot and Mul-tal-la had talked so 
 much about the home of the latter that the 
 Shawanoe felt himself well informed. A hun- 
 dred years ago that tribe numbered several 
 thousand, and they lived in villages, some of 
 which were long distances from one another. 
 The country over which they roamed covered 
 thousands of square miles of mountain, prairie 
 and stream. Mul-tal-la described his own vil- 
 lage as consisting of more than a hundred 
 lodges, located near the middle of the Blackfoot 
 territory. The tepees were strung along the 
 eastern bank of a stream of considerable size, 
 and was the dwelling-place of Taggarak, the 
 most famous of the Blackfoot war chiefs and 
 the head of the other sachems, most of whom 
 lived in different villages. Deerfoot had formed 
 so clear a picture in his own mind that he 
 believed he could identify the Indian town at 
 first sight, though it might be its resemblance 
 to others would prevent such recognition. 
 
 The Blackfoot country lies to the east of the 
 Eocky Mountains, while he was on the west of 
 the stupendous range. It was necessary, there- 
 
J26 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 fore, to make his way through and over the 
 backbone of the continent, in order to rejoin his 
 friends. Inasmuch as the land of the Assini- 
 boines was not only farther east, but many 
 leagues to the northward, it will be understood 
 that the party that had tried to run off Whirl- 
 wind had ventured on a most extensive raid, 
 which brought them no reward except that of 
 having slain several of Chief Amokeat's Nez 
 Perces. 
 
 A requirement for getting through the moun- 
 tains was an avenue, since the passage could be 
 effected in no other way except by flying, and 
 Deerfoot was not yet ready to try that means. 
 
 Using all the woodcraft of which he was 
 master, he spent the remainder of the day in 
 searching for such a pass. He scanned every 
 part of his field of vision, but the day was draw- 
 ing to a close before anything like success came 
 to him. He had learned that the warriors to the 
 east and west of the Rockies made journeys now 
 and then back and forth. Sometimes these were 
 raiding expeditions, at other times were merely 
 rambles or visits, when the red men proved 
 themselves capable of hospitality and friend- 
 ship. 
 
IN THE ROCKIES. 127 
 
 These people must be acquainted with the 
 readiest means of travel, and wherever they 
 walked or rode they left inevitable signs to 
 guide others. The sun was still two hours above 
 the horizon when Deerf oot came upon a plainly 
 marked trail, leading almost due east and west, 
 Without hesitation he turned into it. Instead of 
 being a comparatively narrow passage, how- 
 ever, like that traversed by Mul-tal-la and 
 George and Victor Shelton when they thought 
 they were embroiled with the Shoshones, it was 
 two or three miles wide, and even wider in some 
 places. The ground was so depressed that it 
 partook of the nature of a valley, through the 
 middle of which a considerable stream of water 
 had flowed, fed no doubt, as was the rule, by 
 the melting snows and ice of the mountains. 
 
 The surface of this pass varied greatly. 
 There were portions where boulders, rocks and 
 ravines seemed to bar all progress, but these 
 obstructions, upon a closer approach, revealed 
 passages which could be easily traversed by 
 horse or animal. Then came long stretches of 
 fairly level land, where grass, trees and shrub- 
 bery were abundant. The mountains towered 
 on the right and left, and now and then directly 
 
J28 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 in front, some of the peaks piercing the sky far 
 above the snow line. 
 
 Deerfoot would not have dared to attempt 
 this passage but for the proofs that it had been 
 traversed before by others. In fact, shortly 
 after he made the change of direction he came 
 upon a spot where a large party had encamped 
 not long previous. It was too early in the day 
 to halt for the night, and he allowed the stallion 
 to pass on. 
 
 An hour later, when casting about for a suit- 
 able camping site, he descried an Indian party 
 not far in advance, but a fourth of a mile to the 
 left. While they were using the same pass with 
 himself, they were traversing another portion 
 and pursuing the same direction as he. 
 
 Not convinced that it was well to seek their 
 company, the Shawanoe brought his glass to 
 bear and surveyed the motley group that were 
 straggling eastward. The sight was interesting 
 even to him, for the Indians were composed of 
 warriors, squaws, children and pappooses, evi- 
 dently migrating to a new home. They had 
 eight or ten scraggly ponies, each walking 
 between two poles that served as shafts and 
 extended so far to the rear that they dragged 
 
IN THE ROCKIES* 129 
 
 on the ground. Thus they served as runners or 
 crude sleds. Held in place by thongs and cross- 
 pieces, the primitive wagon gave a resting place 
 for tired squaws and children, their lazy hus- 
 bands, or the furs and luggage of the party. 
 The primitive contrivances left a peculiar trail. 
 
 The Indians numbered perhaps fifty or three 
 score, and had nothing attractive in their 
 slouching, untidy appearance, which suggested 
 so many dusky tramps on their way to quarters 
 that offered a better opportunity for begging. 
 Deerfoot had no wish to gain a closer acquaint- 
 ance and kept well to the south, so as to be sure 
 of passing without mingling with the company. 
 As the ground was favorable he put Whirlwind 
 at a moderate gallop. 
 
 The dusky strangers showed their keenness 
 of vision by observing the stranger almost as 
 soon as he descried them. He saw several of the 
 warriors who were on foot point toward him. 
 They seemed to expect Deerfoot to come for- 
 ward, but, when he did not do so, showed no 
 further interest in him. 
 
 The wish to keep clear of the uninviting 
 throng caused the youth to ride on until the 
 gathering gloom told him night was at hand. 
 
130 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 He then saw he had come to another place that 
 had served as a camp for those who had traveled 
 the way before him. There were the little 
 stream of icy water, the rank grass, the scat- 
 tered undergrowth and the houlders and rocks 
 of every size and variety. 
 
 The air was so chilly that Deerfoot began 
 gathering wood for a fire, though he had noth- 
 ing in the nature of food for an evening meal. 
 I have shown, however, that that was a matter 
 of small account to him. There was more than 
 enough for Whirlwind, who, leaving his master 
 to himself, began edging up the pass, cropping 
 the choicest grass on the way. The Shawanoe 
 had to grope in many places before he collected 
 enough fuel. He heaped a part against the cold 
 bare face of the rock, several paces from the 
 winding brook, whose waters were not only 
 clear, but of the temperature of ice itself. 
 
 With his usual deftness, Deerfoot soon had 
 the fire blazing. He had not seen living man 
 or animal since his sight of the migrating 
 Indians, and he did not think it likely he would 
 meet any before morning. The past day and 
 night had been so stirring that the present rest 
 was grateful. He assumed an easy posture, 
 
IN THE ROCKIES, J3S 
 
 half reclining on his blanket, and, supporting 
 the upper part of his body on one elbow, he 
 drew out his Bible and held it so that the fire- 
 light fell on the printed page. 
 
 He read for a full hour. Many of the pas- 
 sages were familiar to him, and he could repeat 
 them as he often did when riding or walking 
 alone without glancing within the volume. He 
 read some of the chapters a second and third 
 time, dwelling on certain verses, as if to make 
 sure he lost nothing of their wonderful signifi- 
 cance and beauty. Finally, he closed the book 
 and placed it back in its usual resting place. 
 
 The fire was sinking and he flung more wood 
 on the blaze. Then moving beyond the circle of 
 light, he gathered his blanket about his 
 shoulders, and, finding his ankle free from pain, 
 leaned back against the face of the rock and 
 gave himself over to meditation upon the fasci- 
 nating and yet awesome mysteries of the Word 
 and of the Author of them all. 
 
 Everything favored the sweet, solemn reverie. 
 He was utterly alone, so far as any of his kind 
 was concerned. He could hear the soft impact 
 of Whirlwind's hoof now and then as he shifted 
 his position and continued nibbling the grass. 
 
J32 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 The night wind sighed around the massive rock, 
 fanning the blaze, and sometimes rising to a 
 moan as it careered upward and swirled about 
 the stupendous peaks towering near at hand. 
 Far aloft he caught the faint honk of the wild 
 geese hurrying southward from the Arctic 
 winter that would soon lock the world in its 
 rigid fetters. The dismal howl of a mountain 
 wolf sounded far off in the solitude and seemed 
 to linger tremblingly in the air. The silence was 
 all the more impressive because of these dis- 
 turbances which belonged to the time and place. 
 
 Leaning back against the rugged rock, in 
 which a slight warmth was perceptible from 
 the contact farther away with the blaze, Deer- 
 foot's thoughts drifted to other places, scenes 
 and persons. He recalled his rambles with Ned 
 Preston, Jo Springer, Jim Turner and the 
 quaint negro youth known as "Blossom," when 
 all passed through many stirring experiences, 
 as you learned long since in the "Boy Pioneer 
 Series ;" and of Jack Carleton and Otto Bel- 
 staub in the "Log Cabin " stories. Fred Lin- 
 den and Terry Clark were to come later. 
 
 Deerfoot had known many men who later 
 gained a place in history. You will recall the 
 
IN THE ROCKIES. 133 
 
 high esteem in which he was held by General 
 W. H. Harrison, Governor of Indiana Territory, 
 and afterward President of the United States. 
 It was he who declared, when a Senator in 
 Washington, that he looked upon the young 
 Shawanoe as the greatest Indian in many 
 respects that ever lived, with natural abilities 
 superior to those of the renowned Tecumseh, 
 who, nevertheless, holds the most exalted posi- 
 tion in the estimate of those that came after 
 him. 
 
 Daniel Boone, the renowned pioneer, regarded 
 the youth highly, while Simon Kenton, himself 
 one of the best judges of men, was as unstinted 
 in his praise as Governor Harrison. The 
 acceptance of Christianity by this remarkable 
 youth shut out forever the political fame and 
 power that he would have assuredly won had 
 he refused the true faith and been an Indian in 
 his traits, tastes and ambitions. But the sweet, 
 soul-satisfying happiness that was always his 
 he would not have exchanged for the highest 
 honors the world can give. 
 
 The musings of Deerfoot took a daintier, 
 softer, tenderer tint. His thoughts flew across 
 the thousands of miles of forest, river, mountain 
 
J34 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 and prairie to one whose image was never 
 absent from his heart, and whom he hoped to see 
 again and all in good time eall wife. He talked 
 to none of her, for the theme was too sacred to 
 be shared with another, but next to his religion 
 it was the sweetest, dearest consolation of his 
 life. 
 
 "In the rainbow-tinted forest, 
 
 Where the sleepy waters flow, 
 Eoamed I with a dark-haired maiden, 
 
 In an autumn long ago ; 
 And her dimpled hand was resting 
 
 Timidly within mine own, 
 And her voice to mine replying, 
 
 In a whispered undertone." 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 IN THE BLACKFOOT COUNTRY, 
 
 ONE keen, sunny afternoon in autumn, a 
 certain Indian youth executed a war 
 dance among the foothills to the east of 
 the Eocky Mountains. The only spectator of 
 the fantastic performance was a superb black 
 stallion, who, so far as can be judged, found a 
 good deal of entertainment in the sight. It was 
 long before the days of kodaks and their snap- 
 shots, which add so much to our enjoyment of 
 everyday incidents. 
 
 Although Deer foot did not waste any time, 
 it took him a fortnight to thread his way 
 through that immense range which ribs the 
 western part of our continent. After using the 
 last of the crimson berries that benefited his 
 sprain so much, he spent several hours in hunt- 
 ing for the herb; but search high and low as 
 much as he might, he not only failed to find it, 
 but was never able to discover the fruit in any 
 part of the West. 
 
 135 
 
J36 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 On the morning following his first encamp- 
 ment in the mountain pass he found himself 
 strong enough, by using care, to walk upon the 
 hurt ankle. He was too wise to push matters too 
 fast, which fact, added to his perfect physical 
 condition and the effect of the herb, carried 
 him swiftly along the road to recovery. At the 
 end of a week not a trace of lameness remained. 
 He was cured. 
 
 His prudence restrained him until he emerged 
 from the mountain proper into the foothills, 
 when, knowing he was as strong as ever, he 
 indulged in the exuberant outburst. Leaving 
 his blanket upon the back of Whirlwind, but 
 holding his rifle in one hand, Deerfoot leaped 
 into the air, spun around first on one foot and 
 then the other, sent his shapely legs flying seem- 
 ingly in a dozen different directions at the same 
 moment, swung his arms, bent his body, 
 cavorted and made contortions that would have 
 honored a professional acrobat. Not only that, 
 but he punctuated the extravagant display by a 
 series of whoops such as had nerved the Shaw- 
 anoe warriors many a time to rush into battle. 
 
 All this time Whirlwind stood calmly watch- 
 ing the performance. It is reasonable to believe 
 
IN THE BLACKFOOT COUNTRY. J37 
 
 he was interested, and had he possessed the 
 power of laughter he would have thrown bact 
 his head and "cracked his sides" at the sight. 
 What a pity that George and Victor Shelton 
 could not have peeped out from some conceal- 
 ment. They would have remembered the pic- 
 ture all their lives. 
 
 Only by this grotesque exercise could the 
 young Shawanoe find vent for his overflowing 
 spirits. There is nothing in all the world that 
 can take the place of physical vigor and health 
 a truth which unnumbered thousands do not 
 realize until too late. Temperance, right living, 
 obedience to the laws of hygiene, and a clear 
 conscience, never fail to bring their reward and 
 to give to this life a foretaste of the blessed one 
 to come. 
 
 Deerfoot had chosen an open space, walled 
 in by rocks, boulders and stunted undergrowth 
 for his physical outburst. When the perform- 
 ance had gone on for some time, he danced up 
 to the side of Whirlwind and planted one of his 
 feet against his ribs so sharply that the stallion 
 was forced back for a step. Instantly he 
 wheeled, partly reared and struck at his 
 insulter, but he was so afraid of hitting him 
 
J38 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 that the blow was awkward and missed the 
 Shawanoe by a goodly distance. As he dropped 
 on his feet, Deerfoot darted under his belly 
 and repeated the blow from the other side. The 
 white teeth of the steed snapped within a few 
 inches of the shoulder of the youth, who slapped 
 the nose before it could be withdrawn. 
 
 iWhirlwind wheeled to face his master, who 
 landed lightly on his back and pounded his sides 
 with his heels. The contest recalled that other 
 struggle between the two, months before on the 
 prairie, when it was a battle royal indeed. But 
 the great difference lay in the fact that the 
 present one was good-natured on both sides, 
 and it is easy to believe that the stallion wished 
 the youth to prove himself once again his 
 master. An intelligent animal loves to obey 
 him who has proved his superiority. 
 
 There is no telling all that was done by the 
 Shawanoe. He sharply pinched the glossy hide. 
 He griped the nostrils of the steed as if to shut 
 off his breath, but was too considerate to con- 
 tinue this long, since the horse seems unable to 
 breathe through his mouth. He placed his hand 
 and forearm over the eyes of Whirlwind as if 
 he meant to play blind-man's buff with him. 
 
IN THE BLACKFOOT COUNTRY. J39 
 
 He yanked the forelock and reproached him as 
 being of no account. 
 
 The stallion did his part in the way of defense 
 and retaliation, but he was continually handi- 
 capped by his dread of hurting his master. And 
 yet it would seem that, recalling that other con- 
 flict, he ought to have had no such apprehension, 
 for he had done his best on that occasion to 
 kill the Indian youth, who was not harmed at 
 all, and overcame the creature that possessed 
 ten times his strength. 
 
 Whirlwind showed signs of fatigue before 
 Deerfoot did. A comparatively clear path 
 stretched in front. Dropping from the back 
 of the horse, the Shawanoe challenged him to 
 a race. Bounding off at his highest bent, the 
 youth dashed across the country with the speed 
 of the wind. He ran as he did when on the 
 second half of his race with Balph Genther. 
 
 Ah, Whirlwind had him now ! No danger of 
 hurting his audacious master, except so far as 
 his feelings were concerned, and the stallion 
 did not spare them. Despilte the favorable 
 ground, more than one boulder or bunch of 
 matted undergrowth had to be leaped, and the 
 two went over them like a couple of flying birds. 
 
J40 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 But the steed steadily drew away from the fleet 
 Shawanoe, whcr at the end of two or three hun- 
 dred yards, finding himself hopelessly to the 
 rear, gave up. 
 
 "Deerfoot is only a child when he races with 
 Whirlwind ; have mercy on him. ' ' 
 
 Hearing his call, the steed ceased his running, 
 wheeled about and waited for his master to come 
 up. Deerfoot patted him affectionately and 
 vaulted upon his back, happy as he could be 
 over the triumph of his matchless animal that 
 was as well pleased as he. 
 
 The journey through the Eocky Mountains 
 was accompanied by many interesting experi- 
 ences which cannot be dwelt upon. It need 
 hardly be said that so peerless a hunter as the 
 young Shawanoe never lacked for food. That 
 region is still a royal one for game, and it was 
 such to a more marked degree a century ago. 
 Antelope, deer, bison and the famous Eocky 
 Mountain sheep were often seen, and when 
 Deerfoot felt the need of the food it was simple 
 sport to obtain it. 
 
 One day, while walking in front of Whirlwind, 
 he came upon an enormous grizzly bear that 
 seemed disposed to dispute their way. The 
 
IN THE BLACKFOOT COUNTRY. 141 
 
 stallion trembled with fear, but his master 
 soothed him and prepared for a desperate fight. 
 Deerfoot never killed an animal in wantonness, 
 and, though he did not doubt that he could over- 
 come this colossal terror, he preferred to make 
 a detour of the broad pass and leave him 
 undisputed monarch of the solitude. 
 
 But, if the youth showed mercy to animals, 
 he was not so considerate of reptiles especially 
 when they crawled the earth. He detested a 
 serpent with unspeakable disgust, and believed 
 he was doing good work in reducing, as oppor- 
 tunity presented, the noxious pests. His experi- 
 ence with the rattlesnake which caused his 
 wrenched ankle did not lessen this hatred of the 
 species. When, therefore, a warning rattle 
 told him one afternoon that he had disturbed 
 another of the venomous things beside the path, 
 his enmity flared up. No fear of the Shawanoe 
 being caught unawares, as when climbing the 
 wall of the canon, for he had slain too many of 
 the reptiles in his distant home not to under- 
 stand their nature. Whirlwind, like all of his 
 kind, had a mortal dread of every species of 
 serpents, and he showed his timidity the moment 
 the locust-like whirring sounded from the bush 
 at the side of the path the two were following. 
 
J42 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 Deerfoot caught sight of the hideous reptile, 
 which was evidently gliding over the earth 
 when it detected his approach. It instantly 
 threw itself into coil, and with its flat triangular 
 head upraised and slowly oscillating back and 
 forth, waited for the intruder to come within 
 reach of its deadly fangs. 
 
 Deerfoot uttered an expression of astonish- 
 ment, for it was the largest specimen upon 
 which he had ever looked, and he had seen many 
 of enormous size. He stood for a few minutes, 
 surveying the horrible thing, a single bite from 
 which would have been fatal to man or animal. 
 
 It would have been easy to clip off its head 
 with a rifle shot from where he stood, but he 
 scorned to waste powder and ball upon its 
 species. Three stones, almost the size of his 
 fist, did the work effectually. When no sem- 
 blance of life remained, Deerfoot approached 
 nigh enough to count the rattles. They were 
 twenty-eight in number. The time was near for 
 serpents and bears to take to winter quarters, 
 and the fate of this extraordinary crotalus 
 forcibly illustrated the truth that delays are 
 often dangerous. 
 
 Several times on the road, Deerfoot met those 
 
IN THE BLACKFOOT COUNTRY. 143 
 
 of his own race. Sometimes they were war- 
 riors riding their ponies, and again they were 
 on foot. The Indian seems to be migratory by 
 nature, and many of these families were shift- 
 ing their homes, apparently in obedience to the 
 yearning for change which is not confined to 
 uncivilized people alone. It is worthy of note 
 that the Shawanoe not once had any trouble 
 with these strangers. They were hospitable and 
 made their meaning known by the universal sign 
 language. Whirlwind could not fail to draw 
 much admiration, and Deerfoot saw more than 
 one envious eye cast on the stallion. It may 
 have been due to the Shawanoe 's caution and 
 tact that no attempt was made to rob him of his 
 treasure. 
 
 Winter was near, and, though only one or two 
 flurries of snow were encountered, the tempera- 
 ture often sank below the freezing point. Soon 
 after entering the foothills a driving storm of 
 sleet set in which stopped progress on the part 
 of the Shawanoe and his horse. The youth 
 sought out the most sheltered nook he could find 
 among the rocks and kept a fire going. While 
 he felt no discomfort himself, his companion 
 suffered considerably. He often slept on his 
 
J44 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 feet, but now and then lay down. Deerfoot com- 
 pelled him to share his blanket, and this, with 
 the warmth of the blaze, did much to make the 
 steed comfortable. It was difficult at times for 
 him to obtain grazing, and Deerfoot gave him 
 aid, as he did months before, when suffering 
 from his lamed knee. 
 
 Several days later the youth left the side of 
 the stallion and climbed to the top of a rocky 
 elevation, which commanded an extensive view 
 in every direction. His eye had roved over the 
 expanse but a few minutes when it rested on an 
 Indian village that lay a dozen miles to the 
 northeast. Adjusting the spyglass he carefully 
 studied the collection of tepees, which numbered 
 about a hundred, scattered over several acres. 
 At the rear stretched a forest, and in front 
 flowed a large, winding stream that eventually 
 found its outlet in some of the tributaries of the 
 Missouri. 
 
 The question with the Shawanoe was whether 
 or not this was the village he was seeking. 
 Since he had never seen it before, and since it 
 was the custom of all Indian tribes to locate 
 near running water, he could not make certain 
 on that point from the description given by 
 Mul-tal-la. 
 
Deerfoot Lost in Reverie by the Camp Fire. 
 
IN THE BLACKFOOT COUNTRY- ><& 
 
 The glass was an excellent one, and through 
 its aid he could discern the figures of people 
 moving aimlessly hither and thither. He saw 
 two men enter a canoe, formed from a hollowed 
 log, and paddle to the other side of the stream, 
 where they stepped out and advanced into a 
 rocky wood. He thought one of these warriors 
 carried a gun and the other a bow, but could 
 not assure himself on that point. At the rear 
 of the village, in a large open space, fully a score 
 of boys and girls were playing with as much 
 vigor as if they were civilized. They seemed 
 to have, a ball that was knocked to and fro and 
 chased by the happy contestants, who often 
 tumbled over one another and again were piled 
 up like so many foot-ball players. 
 
 Knowing he might gaze and speculate for 
 hours without gaining any certain knowledge, 
 Deerfoot was about to lower his instrument 
 when he observed three horsemen emerging 
 from the settlement and riding in Indian file 
 toward him. He decided to go forward and 
 meet them, for they could give the information 
 he was so anxious to obtain. 
 
 Within the following hour the Shawanoe, 
 riding Whirlwind, came face to face with the 
 
146 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 horsemen, whom he recognized from their dress 
 and general appearance as Blackfeet. He 
 saluted and addressed them in their own tongue, 
 causing manifest surprise. They replied to his 
 signs and expressions of good-will and checked 
 their animals to hear what he had to say. Let 
 us interpret the conversation with more than 
 usual freedom. 
 
 "Do my brothers belong to the Blackfoot 
 tribe of red men?" asked Deerfoot. 
 
 "We are of that tribe," replied the one who 
 acted as leader. 
 
 ' ' I come from the Shawanoes, who live a long 
 way toward the rising sun. ' ' 
 
 "Why does the Shawanoe travel so far from 
 the lodges of his people?" 
 
 ' 'I am seeking friends who are with the Black- 
 feet. They left many moons ago, but parted 
 company with me in the land of the Nez Perces. 
 I am trying to join them. They are two pale- 
 faced lads who have as their guide a good 
 Blackfoot, Mul-tal-la, that has made the long 
 journey to the home of the Shawanoes." 
 
 Upon hearing these words the latter turned 
 his head and spoke for several minutes to his 
 companions, but his words were so low that 
 Deerfoot could not overhear them. 
 
IN THE BLACKFOOT COUNTRY. H7 
 
 "Is Mul-tal-la in the home of my brothers f " 
 
 "No," was the response. "He does not live 
 there." 
 
 ' ' Where does he live ? ' ' 
 
 Instead of directly answering this question 
 the Blackf oot leader said : 
 
 "He lives in another village. What is the 
 name of his chief?" 
 
 1 i He told me it was Taggarak. ' ' 
 
 ' 'He is the great war chief of the Blackf eet. 
 There is no sachem or chief like him. His arm 
 is powerful and has slain many Assiniboines 
 and Nez Perces and Shoshones." 
 
 "The words of my brothers were told to me 
 long ago by Mul-tal-la. I am sure they are true. 
 Where shall I seek Taggarak?" 
 
 The Blackfoot pointed to the northwest. 
 
 "Kide that way till night comes and the sun 
 is again overhead, and he will look upon the vil- 
 lage of Taggarak and the home of Mul-tal-la. ' ' 
 
 This was acceptable information, but a vague 
 fear caused Deerf oot to inquire further. 
 
 "Have my brothers seen Mul-tal-la since he 
 came home from his long journey?" 
 
 "No; we have heard that he has come back, 
 but he did not bring his comrade with him. ' ' 
 
J48 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 "Have my brothers met the pale-faced youths 
 who went to the village of Taggarakf " 
 
 "No; we have not seen them, nor have we 
 heard of them." 
 
 This was discomforting news, for it would 
 seem that if tidings had come of the return of 
 Mul-tal-la, something also would have been said 
 of his companions, who belonged to another 
 race. Deerfoot asked only a few more questions, 
 when he bade the Blackfeet good-bye and set 
 out to hunt the village of the war chief Tag- 
 garak, where, if all had gone well, he would 
 meet Mul-tal-la and the brothers, George and 
 Victor Shelton. 
 
CHAPTEE XL 
 IN WINTER QUARTERS, 
 
 THE time has come for us to turn our atten- 
 tion to George and Victor Shelton, who, 
 after parting with Deerfoot, set out for 
 the principal Blackfoot village under the guid- 
 ance of their old friend Mul-tal-la, a member of 
 that powerful organization of the Northwest. 
 
 You will recall that when the little party of 
 explorers were approaching the home of the 
 tribe they met two warriors, who were old 
 friends of Mul-tal-la and lived in the same prim- 
 itive settlement with him. After Mul-tal-la had 
 made known the sad fate of his companion in 
 the East, an earnest talk took place and the 
 decision was made that it would not only be 
 imprudent but dangerous to the last degree for 
 the Blackfoot to return home, taking with him 
 the first announcement of the deplorable acci- 
 dent that had robbed the tribe of one of its best 
 warriors. 
 
 Taggarak, the leading war chief, was a terri- 
 
 149 
 
J50 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 ble sachem, who, on the principle that has ruled 
 for centuries in China, would put Mul-tal-la to 
 death, even though he was wholly blameless of 
 neglect or wrongdoing. It was agreed that our 
 friends should push on to the westward, and 
 then come back to the Blackfoot settlement, 
 where the Shawanoe and the brothers would 
 spend the winter, resuming their homeward 
 journey with the coming of spring. 
 
 This would defer the arrival of Mul-tal-la for 
 two or three months, which his two friends 
 would utilize the best they could. Taggarak 
 would have time for the cooling of his resentful 
 rage, and it was to be hoped that he would 
 appreciate the service of Mul-tal-la, who, young 
 as he was, had proved himself one of the bravest 
 of warriors. The plan was a wise one and it 
 worked well. 
 
 The two messengers had a story of absorbing 
 interest to tell. They hinted at the remarkable 
 experience of their comrade among his own race 
 and the white people, hundreds of miles toward 
 the rising sun. They said that when he came 
 to the village he would bring with him a member 
 of the chief tribe of the East and two pale-faced 
 youths, who would honor the Blackfeet by 
 
IN WINTER QUARTERS. 15\ 
 
 accepting their hospitality for the winter. 
 There was something in this fact that appealed 
 to that chivalric feeling which is never wholly 
 lacking in the most degraded and cruel race. 
 Taggarak had little to say, but the path to his 
 magnanimity had been paved. 
 
 One of the chief causes of this relaxation of 
 sternness on his part was the accounts which 
 he heard of the Indian youth. His fleetness of 
 foot, his skill with bow and rifle, his personal 
 daring and prowess, his quickness and strength, 
 his comeliness of face and form, were dwelt 
 upon and pictured in the most glowing language. 
 The chieftain Taggarak 's question of the mes- 
 sengers was characteristic, as was their reply. 
 
 "Are all the warriors of the Shawanoes like 
 this youth of whom you tell these strange 
 stories ? ' ' 
 
 "The Shawanoes are no braver than the 
 Blackfeet, but there is none among them like 
 Deerfoot, nor can his equal be found in all the 
 world. " 
 
 Among those who doubted the truth of the 
 words of the messengers were several aspiring 
 bucks, who secretly resolved never to admit the 
 superiority of the Shawanoe youth in any of the 
 
552 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 respects named until such superiority had been 
 proved before their eyes. 
 
 The curiosity and spirit of hospitality were 
 general among the Blackfeet. Expecting the 
 visitors to spend several months with them, they 
 made preparations for their convenience and 
 comfort. One of the first things undertaken by 
 the two who had met the little party was the 
 building of a tepee or home for them. Mul-tal-la 
 had his own father and mother and would go 
 to their lodge, but it would not have been seemly 
 to place the three guests with anyone else. 
 
 It has already been said that the Blackfoot 
 village, which was the main one of the tribe and 
 the dwelling-place of the leading chief, was 
 stretched along the bank of a running stream 
 which was a remote tributary of the Missouri. 
 This river had a rapid current and ran almost 
 due south in front of the village, which lay 
 wholly on the eastern bank. The tepees were 
 more than a hundred in number, and, when 
 Taggarak went on the war path, he had taken 
 more than two hundred warriors from his own 
 town and they were the flower of the tribe. 
 
 To the rear of the settlement was an open 
 space covering several acres. This was not only 
 
IN WINTER QUARTERS. J53 
 
 the children's playground, but was often used 
 by the warriors for their games and athletic 
 exercises. The space was so extensive that at 
 certain seasons of the year the outer portions 
 were covered with rich nourishing grass, which 
 was also abundant in the neighborhood. Nearly 
 every warrior was the owner of a horse, which, 
 when not in use, was allowed to wander and 
 graze at will. 
 
 These Indians lived after the manner of their 
 race when removed from civilization, which, as 
 a rule, has proved a greater curse than boon to 
 them. Fortunately they knew nothing of the 
 ruinous "fire water" that was to await the com- 
 ing of professing Christians and the claimants 
 of a higher culture and civilization. They spent 
 their time mainly in hunting and fishing, some- 
 times engaging in raids upon other tribes, 
 several of whose grounds lay to the north of the 
 boundary line. When not thus employed they 
 lolled about, like true lords of creation, smoking, 
 drowsing or indifferently watching their 
 squaws, who did all the tilling of the ground and 
 gathering of the scant crops from the rich soil. 
 The Blackfeet lived too far to the eastward to 
 take any part in the salmon fishing which gave 
 
154 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 employment to so many of their race on the 
 western slope of the Eocky Mountains. The 
 warriors were finely formed, and were held in 
 no little respect and fear by the neighboring 
 red men, most of whom at some time or other 
 had felt the weight of their prowess. 
 
 The home for the expected visitors was 
 erected at the extreme northern end of the vil- 
 lage, and was separated by fully fifty yards 
 from the next neighbor to the south. About a 
 dozen saplings were planted in the ground so 
 as to form a circle, perhaps fifteen feet in 
 diameter and a little less in height. The tops 
 were tied together, but loosely enough to leave 
 an opening a foot or more across to serve as a 
 chimney. Over the framework thus formed 
 were stretched with no little skill a number of 
 bison furs, with the furry side in. They were 
 stitched together by means of deer sinews and 
 pegged at the bottom, so as to shut out all 
 draught. Thus all the interior walls were brown 
 and shaggy and warm. On the outside of 
 numerous tepees, cured and whitened by the 
 storms, many of the aboriginal artists of the 
 tribe had sketched grotesque figures of men, 
 horses and wild animals. 
 
IN WINTER QUARTERS. J55 
 
 You will note that the temporary home of our 
 friends was of the most primitive character, and 
 yet all had seen such before and Deerfoot had 
 spent many a day and night in similar ones in 
 the East. At one side a loose bison robe could 
 be lifted, thus serving as a door. When the 
 weather was warm this fold was often fas- 
 tened back to permit a partial ventilation of the 
 lodge. 
 
 In the middle of the space the fire was kindled, 
 the smoke finding escape through the opening 
 in the saplings at the crown of the structure. 
 Despite the care with which the robes were 
 joined together, enough air stole through the 
 crevices to give the necessary draught for the 
 chimney and furnish the occupants compara- 
 tively pure sustenance for their lungs. 
 
 The bare ground was the only floor to these 
 rude structures, but the blankets and furs 
 served as so many rugs, and the dwellings, with 
 the crackling fire in the center, could be made 
 comfortable even in the depth of the rigorous 
 winters. 
 
 At that early day, more firearms than would 
 be supposed were found among the Indian tribes 
 of the Northwest, though naturally the old- 
 
156 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 fashioned bow and arrow were the main weapon. 
 The flintlocks were gotten by barter with tribes 
 on the other side of the Eockies, who in turn 
 managed to buy them from the few ships that 
 were beginning to trade with the savages about 
 the lower waters of the Columbia. These guns 
 were comparatively few in number, and it is 
 hardly probable that there were a score among 
 the whole tribe. Few as were the firearms, 
 several good marksmen had been developed 
 among the Blackfeet, and they were naturally 
 proud of their skill. When a party engaged in 
 one of their raids, all the muskets were taken 
 with them. But ammunition was used sparingly, 
 for it necessitated long and expensive journeys 
 through the mountains to renew the supply. 
 You remember that Mul-tal-la left home with 
 only his bow and arrow. 
 
 The messengers, when spending their brief 
 time with our friends while they were pushing 
 toward the Pacific, heard of that new religion 
 which was professed not only by Deerfoot the 
 Shawanoe, but by his companions. It was so 
 different from the pagan belief that the couple, 
 upon their return to the village, took care to 
 make no mention of it ; better to leave that until 
 
IN WINTER QUARTERS. 157 
 
 the arrival of Deerfoot. At the same time the 
 two Blackfeet trembled when they thought of 
 what was almost certain to take place. Tag- 
 garak was a fierce heathen who would savagely 
 resent any interference with the crude belief 
 that had belonged to his people from time 
 immemorial. A collision between him and Deer- 
 foot, and perhaps with his companions, was 
 among the certainties of the near future. 
 
 Thus everything had been prepared for Mul- 
 tal-la and the Shelton brothers when one after- 
 noon the three rode into the village, with Zigzag 
 the packhorse plodding at the rear of the pro- 
 cession. The arrival made a hubbub of excite- 
 ment, and it seemed as if the whole settlement 
 men, squaws and children gathered clamor- 
 ously round the horsemen, who dismounted and 
 gazed about them with scarcely less wonder. 
 
 The parents of Mul-tal-la remained in their 
 own lodge. They must have been more eager 
 than any to welcome the son that had been gone 
 so long out of their world, but it would have 
 been weakness on their part to hasten to greet 
 him. Besides, he must needs look after the 
 white youths, who had now become more 
 dependent than ever upon him. 
 
158 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 The two former acquaintances were among 
 the first to crowd forward to welcome the boys 
 and their old companion. There was no mistake 
 as to the genuineness of their pleasure. They 
 told of the quarters awaiting the lads, who, 
 remounting with Mul-tal-la, rode to the new 
 residence erected at the northern extremity of 
 the Blackfoot town, with their guides walking 
 beside their animals. 
 
 Mul-tal-la was as stoical as any of his race, 
 though he was yearning to look upon that father 
 and mother who would greet him, and he them, 
 as if they had been parted for only a few hours. 
 Slipping to the ground again, the three took a 
 peep at the interior of the tepee which has 
 already been described to you. The boys 
 expressed their delight and thanked their 
 friends over and over again. Then Mul-tal-la 
 bade them good-bye, promising to call in a short 
 time, after which he lounged away toward his 
 own lodge. On the road he continually encoun- 
 tered his old friends and exchanged greetings 
 and talked with them as if glad of an excuse for 
 delaying his reunion with his parents. 
 
 One of the first bits of news imparted to the 
 Blackfoot was that Taggarak was absent on a 
 
IN WINTER QUARTERS. 159 
 
 visit to the farthest village to the north, but was 
 expected soon to return. Mul-tal-la was 
 relieved to hear this, for, despite the assurances 
 of his friends, he dreaded the anger of the terri- 
 ble chieftain. 
 
 When within a hundred yards of his home, 
 which remained closed as if deserted, Mul- 
 tal-la turned into the tepee where dwelt the 
 parents of the companion who had been 
 buried hundreds of miles away. The father sat 
 on a pile of furs at one side of the lodge, stolidly 
 smoking his pipe. His squaw was kneeling in 
 front of the burning wood and trying to blow 
 it into a blaze. They looked up as the visitor 
 drew aside the flap which served as a door. 
 The old warrior removed the long stem from 
 his lips and grunted as he recognized the visitor. 
 The squaw raised her head, saw who the caller 
 was, and resumed blowing the fire, as if she had 
 no interest in what he might say. 
 
 Mul-tal-la told briefly the particulars of what 
 the couple already knew, speaking words of 
 praise for the lost one, and saying how sad his 
 heart had been since the dreadful accident that 
 befell his companion. \ .. ~- <H 
 
 The father replaced the stem in his mouth 
 
160 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 and slowly puffed. Once lie grunted, but did 
 not speak a word. The mother continued to fill 
 her leathern cheeks with air and to blow upon 
 the fagots that were burning so strongly as not 
 to need any urging. She did not speak nor look 
 up until several minutes after the departure of 
 Mul-tal-la. 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 BLACKFOOT CITIZENS. 
 
 Vict r 
 tramping is through for several 
 
 months to come, and we may as 
 well settle ourselves for the winter. " 
 
 "There doesn't seem much to do in the way 
 of settling, " returned his brother; "here we 
 are, and here we must stay till spring comes 
 round. I wish it were with us now, for since 
 we have started for the Ohio I have become 
 homesick. ' ' 
 
 "We'll soon get used to this life and shall 
 feel better when Deerfoot joins us." 
 
 They had removed the saddles and bridles 
 from their horses and the pack from the sturdy, 
 faithful Zigzag, and brought *hem into their 
 new home, after which the animals, including 
 Bug, the property of Mul-tal-la, had been turned 
 loose to browse with the others at the rear of 
 the village. Blankets were spread on the 
 ground at one side of the tepee, to serve as seats 
 
 n 361 
 
162 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 and couches, and the other conveniences, which 
 made up most of the burden carried thousands 
 of miles hy Zigzag, were distributed with some 
 taste about the interior. Their native friends 
 had shown their thought fulness by heaping a 
 pile of dry sticks under the chimney, with more 
 placed within reach. The starting of the fire 
 was left to the lads. Nothing in the way of food 
 was in sight, but the brothers had no fear of 
 being forgotten or overlooked. It was several 
 hours before nightfall, and they reclined on the 
 furs to rest themselves before going outside, 
 A dozen or more curious men and boys were 
 lounging near, for the murmur of their voices 
 reached the brothers, but no one ventured to 
 intrude upon their privacy. 
 
 "George, when we get back to Ohio we shall 
 be able to tell a story that will beat anything 
 Simon Kenton can relate/' 
 
 "How? There are not many that have 
 passed through as much as he. ' ' 
 
 "But he has never been west of the Missis- 
 sippi, and it isn't likely he ever will go. We 
 must have gone two thousand miles beyond. 
 .When we see him again won't we make him 
 open his eyes with our story of a winter among 
 
BLACKFOOT CITIZENS. J63 
 
 a tribe of Indians far over toward the Stony 
 Mountains?" 
 
 ' ' It will be a great story, indeed ; but Victor, 
 how are we going to pass the more than a hun- 
 dred days that we must stay in this settle- 
 ment!" 
 
 "Time goes fast enough when we are on the 
 move, either shooting rapids in a river, riding 
 our horses or tramping on foot, but it is mighty 
 dull to sit still and do nothing, and we mustn't 
 think of any such thing. ' ' 
 
 "But what shall we do!" 
 
 "What shall we do? Lots of things. We 
 can hunt and fish, play games with the young- 
 sters, learn to tramp on snowshoes when winter 
 is fairly here, and, if Taggarak goes off on any 
 raids, we ought to be able to make a full man 
 apiece. ' ' 
 
 George looked into the face of his brother to 
 see if he was in earnest. 
 
 "Do you mean that, Victor!" 
 
 ' < I certainly do. Why not ! " 
 
 "It is well enough to fight when you have to, 
 but Deerfoot will never let you do anything 
 of that kind, nor would I agree to it. It would 
 be trying to kill other people just for the fun of 
 
J64 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 doing so, and that is contrary to what the Shaw- 
 anoe has taught us." 
 
 "I suppose we shall have to get on as best 
 we can with the other amusements, but I trem- 
 ble when I think of the weather that will be 
 here in a few weeks. ' ' 
 
 George looked around at the brown shaggy 
 walls of buffalo fur. He grasped some of the 
 long soft hairs in his palm and stroked the cool 
 mass. 
 
 "We need never run short of fuel, and when 
 the fire is going and the door shut I don't see 
 why we shall not be as warm as in our own home 
 at Woodvale. But what shall we do 9 That's 
 the question. It will be tiresome beyond bear- 
 ing to lie here stretched hour after hour during 
 the day. " 
 
 ' ' Plague take it ! ' ' impatiently exclaimed Vic- 
 tor; "who is going to do anything of the kind? 
 I should like to see Deerfoot let you sleep and 
 lounge your days away. He will share the 
 lodge with us, and you may be sure he'll keep 
 things moving. There isn't any weather cold 
 enough nor snow deep enough to hold him 
 within doors, and he'll hustle you out with him. 
 So let's hear no more of that. Then you 
 
BLACKFOOT CITIZENS. J65 
 
 mustn't forget, George, that we shall make lots 
 of acquaintances among these people. We have 
 learned to speak a good many words of Black- 
 foot, and shall learn more; we shall take a 
 liking to some of these folks, and, if we have 
 any kind of tact, shall make them like us. Most 
 of them have never before looked upon a white 
 person, but they will soon get over their won- 
 der, and we shall all stand on the same level. ' ' 
 
 "Well, Victor, you have done a good deal to 
 cheer me up. I guess it was the homesickness, 
 after all, that made me blue. See here, these 
 two fellows that put up this house for us have 
 been such good friends that we must be able to 
 call them by name. ' ' 
 
 "Mul-tal-la has repeated them several times 
 to us." 
 
 "Now, will you repeat either of the names 
 tome?" 
 
 "I couldn't do it to save my life. They are 
 so long and outlandish that I can never get my, 
 tongue around them." 
 
 "Let's give them shorter names." 
 
 "Well, suppose you name the taller one, who 
 has such a crooked nose. ' ' 
 
 George reflected a moment and replied; 
 
166 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 "I'll call him 'Spink;' that is short and easily 
 remembered. I don't think he will be offended, 
 for he seems to be good-natured. " 
 
 "We can fancy that it may mean in some 
 language, 'He that looks Sweeter than Honey/ 
 and he will be delighted when we manage to 
 make it clear with the help of Mul-tal-la. I 
 have the other fellow named. " 
 
 "What is it?" 
 
 "Jiggers, or, The Warrior that showed Chief 
 Taggarak all He Knows. That ought to make 
 him proud and happy." 
 
 So the two Blackfeet who had befriended the 
 brothers received their names, and will be here- 
 after thus known when we refer to them, instead 
 of using the difficult titles by which they were 
 called by those of their own race. 
 
 From his seat opposite the door that was 
 closed Victor had noticed a peculiar agitation 
 now and then of the buffalo flap. Once, when 
 the corner was drawn a little aside, he caught 
 the sparkle of a bright eye, which was instantly 
 withdrawn, as if the owner had noticed that his 
 peeping was observed and he was scared. By 
 and by the eye appeared again, and remained 
 longer than before. 
 
BLACKFOOT CITIZENS. W 
 
 Victor smiled and crooked his finger at the 
 peeping Tom. A moment later the flap was 
 pulled aside, so as to display the head of an 
 urchin some ten or twelve years old. Victor 
 had whispered an explanation to his brother, 
 and both looked at the boy, who had mustered 
 up enough courage to step inside the tepee and 
 then paused, as if afraid to come forward. 
 
 This young Blackfoot had the broadest, chub- 
 biest face the boys had ever seen, and the grin 
 on it seemed to touch each ear. He was short, 
 stocky, and the picture of good nature. He 
 wore no cap, and his thick black hair was cut 
 so that it hung no lower than his chin on each 
 side. He wore a hunting shirt, leggings and 
 moccasins that were not very tidy, and he car- 
 ried nothing in the nature of a weapon about 
 him. 
 
 Victor and George could not restrain a laugh 
 at the chap's appearance. The former con- 
 tinued to beckon to him, and said : 
 
 "Come here, Smiler, and shake hands with 
 your friend. " 
 
 He still hesitated, and, rising to his feet, Vic- 
 tor walked toward him, speaking so soothingly 
 that the visitor kept his place, though appar- 
 
J68 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 ently ready to duck his head and dash outdoors. 
 He knew nothing about the ceremony of shaking 
 hands, but he allowed Victor to take his palm in 
 his own, and to lead him back to a seat on the 
 furs between the brothers. A few minutes suf- 
 ficed to make him feel at ease. 
 
 George and Victor called all their knowledge 
 of Blackfoot into use, but they could not think 
 of a word that was intelligible to the youngster, 
 nor could they induce him to speak. He held 
 his forefinger between his lips, shook his head 
 now and then, and glanced slyly from one boy 
 to the other, evidently well pleased but still 
 embarrassed and a little distrustful. 
 
 Victor suddenly crossed over to where most 
 of the contents of the pack carried by Zigzag 
 had been laid out. Among these were several 
 gaudy trinkets brought all the way from Wood- 
 vale and carefully reserved for special use. 
 From the lot he took a string of bright crimson, 
 blue and green beads, strung upon a linen 
 thread, the loop being long enough to slip over 
 the black crown and leave the lower part rest- 
 ing in all its dazzling beauty on the breast of 
 the lad. 
 
 You cannot imagine the wonder and delight 
 
BLACKFOOT CITIZENS. 169 
 
 of the dusky urchin. For a few seconds he 
 seemed too overcome to speak, and hardly 
 breathed. He looked down at the glittering 
 string, then drew his forefinger from between 
 his lips and gingerly caressed the prize. Grow- 
 ing bolder, he raised the loop to his mouth as 
 if to taste it. Pressing one of the beads with 
 his even white teeth, the tiny glass snapped into 
 fragments, some of which flew several feet 
 away. The youngster was startled and glanced 
 Up at Victor, as if expecting a reproof. 
 
 The lad pleasantly shook his head to signify 
 that the present did not form a staple article 
 of food, and then the urchin slipped off the pile 
 of furs and stood upon his sturdy legs. Look- 
 ing gratefully up at the paleface he lifted the 
 string over his head and handed the beads back 
 to Victor. The latter took them from his hand 
 and immediately slipped them about his neck 
 again, thus showing that they belonged to the 
 caller. Then the little one broke into grateful 
 laughter, ran to the door, thrust aside the flap> 
 and was gone. 
 
 "You couldn't have hit upon a better name 
 than 'Smiler,'" said George Shelton, much 
 amused by the peculiar visit they had received. 
 
J70 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 "Did you ever see one with so broad a grin? 
 My only fear is that the other chaps will be 
 jealous of him and expect us to give them 
 presents, too. We haven't enough to go a tenth 
 of the way round; but I couldn't refuse that 
 codger." 
 
 The caller had not been gone two minutes 
 when Mul-tal-la came in, bringing with him 
 some buffalo meat that he had procured from a 
 neighbor. It was uncooked, which was a small 
 matter to the brothers, who were glad to see 
 him, for he was the one person in the village 
 with whom they could converse freely. Care- 
 fully placing the meat on several sticks, so as to 
 protect it from dirt, he sat down to chat a few 
 minutes with his young friends. 
 
 He told them of his visit to his father and 
 mother, whose hearts were made as glad as his 
 own, after their long separation ; of his call on 
 the father and mother of the companion whose 
 body lay at rest many hundreds of miles away 
 in the East, and of the comforting assurance 
 that was now his that nothing was to be feared 
 from the resentment of Chief Taggarak. Spink 
 and Jiggers had received within the preceding 
 ten days the assurance from the sachem him- 
 
BLACKFOOT CITIZENS. \1\ 
 
 self, so that all uneasiness was gone from the 
 heart of Mnl-tal-la. But, had not the counsel of 
 the two messengers been followed, nothing 
 would have restrained Taggarak from taking 
 the life of the one that had failed to bring back 
 his comrade. 
 
 Victor told of the visit just received from 
 the urchin, and of the present made to him, 
 much to the lad's delight. 
 
 "We christened him 'Smiler,' " said Victor, 
 ' 'for I never saw such a grin on the face of man 
 or boy. ' ' 
 
 "We could not help giving him the beads, but 
 fear it will make trouble, for all the other boys 
 in the village will want something, and we 
 haven't supply for half a dozen." 
 
 "It might have been as my brothers say," 
 replied Mul-tal-la, "if the boy had been the son 
 of one of the ordinary warriors like myself, but 
 he is not." 
 
 "Has he a distinguished father?" asked the 
 wondering George. 
 
 "He is the son of Taggarak, our great war 
 chief." 
 
 "I never dreamed of that," exclaimed the 
 pleased Victor. "It surely could not have hap- 
 
J72 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 pened better. How is it that lie was braver 
 than the other boys and came into the lodge 
 when all the others kept at a distance ! ' ' 
 
 "That," said the Blackfoot significantly, "is 
 because he is the son of Taggarak and knows 
 it. He can do nothing that can bring him pun- 
 ishment, unless it comes from his father, and 
 he does not punish him unless he acts as if he 
 is afraid of something." 
 
 "How many children has Taggarak?" 
 
 "Only two the one whom you saw, who 
 bears the same name as his father, and another 
 boy about half as old, who is Ap-pa-pa-alk. He 
 promises to grow up like his father and to 
 become one of the greatest warriors among all 
 the Blackfeet." 
 
 "When the chief learns that Taggarak Junior 
 and we have become friends, and he sees the 
 beads around the neck of his boy, will he not be 
 pleased and feel kindly toward us, who gave 
 him the little present?" 
 
 Mul-tal-la was thoughtful for a minute before 
 replying. 
 
 "The war chief is a man of strange moods. 
 It may make no difference in his feelings to- 
 ward my brothers, but Mul-tal-la does not think 
 he will hate them for what they have done." 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 SUMMONED TO COURT. 
 
 AD the end of a week George and Victor 
 Shelton had become full-fledged Black- 
 foot citizens. Several causes united to 
 bring about this pleasant state of affairs. In 
 the first place, the boys used tact and good 
 sense. If the attention they drew to themselves 
 became annoying at times they did not allow 
 their new friends to see it. They played with 
 the dusky youths, and were not sorry to find 
 plenty no older than they who could outrun and 
 outjump them. It was too cold to go in swim- 
 ming, but one day when George and Victor were 
 crossing the stream in front of the village with 
 three other lads, one of whom was their young 
 friend Smiler, heir apparent to the Blackfoot 
 throne, the overloaded canoe suddenly sank 
 below its gunwales, and all had to swim through 
 the icy waters to shore. Every one of the 
 three arrived first, and Smiler beat them all, 
 though in this instance I cannot help suspecting 
 
 173 
 
J74 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 that the two young Blackf eet favored the prince, 
 but they beat the brothers fairly. 
 
 When the weather was good there were some- 
 times as many as fifty lads playing on the com- 
 mon or cleared space at the rear of th village. 
 They indulged in a species of foot-ball, like the 
 modern game, which was marked by the rough- 
 est kind of play. In violence it sometimes 
 approached our own foot-ball, and blows were 
 often given and received in the fierce rushing. 
 
 On a certain forenoon, in a particularly ex- 
 citing contest, one of the players landed a blow 
 on the side of Victor's head, which sent him 
 sprawling to earth. His quick temper flashed 
 into a flame, and he leaped up with doubled 
 fists and made for the offender, who coolly 
 awaited him. A warning cry from George re- 
 called his brother to his senses, and, instead of 
 attacking his assailant, he laughingly plunged 
 into the melee, which went on as merrily as 
 before. 
 
 When five Indian youths invited their guests 
 to go on a hunt the boys took their rifles, but 
 their hosts carried only bows and arrows. On 
 the return of the tired party at nightfall they 
 brought the choice portions of three antelopes, 
 
SUMMONED TO COURT. J75 
 
 two of which were slain by the youthful Black- 
 feet, while the one that George Shelton had 
 brought down received also an effective thrust 
 from an arrow. The dusky hunters " guyed" 
 the palefaces who could not do as well as they 
 with their primitive weapons, even though the 
 fire spouted from the iron tubes and the balls 
 that could not be seen by the eye carried death 
 farther than did the missiles launched by the 
 natives. George and Victor took it all in good 
 part, and did not resent the taunts that were 
 numerous. 
 
 Another strong contributing cause to the 
 popularity of the Shelton boys was Mul-tal-la. 
 He was home but a short time when everyone 
 in the village knew of the generous hospitality 
 he had received from the boys and their friends. 
 This appeal to the gratitude of the Blackfeet 
 produced the best effect. Mul-tal-la and the 
 messengers, Spink and Jiggers, had something 
 to add, and their stories of the remarkable 
 young Shawanoe roused much curiosity to see 
 him and witness some of the exploits of which 
 he was said to be capable. 
 
 Chief Taggarak did not return until nearly a 
 week after the arrival of the brothers, and then 
 
J76 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 he kept much to himself. He was reserved and 
 gloomy, and though George and Victor caught 
 several glimpses of him, and though they con- 
 tinued to make much of his two boys, for the 
 younger moved about the settlement as freely 
 as the elder, the great war chief ignored the 
 presence of the visitors until he had been at 
 home for several days. 
 
 One afternoon, after the return of a party 
 from a hunt, Mul-tal-la appeared at the lodge 
 of George and Victor with word that the chief 
 wished them to come before him for a talk. The 
 boys knew so little of the Blackf oot tongue that 
 Mul-tal-la was to act as interpreter. 
 
 "What does he wish with us?" asked George, 
 who, like Victor, felt some misgiving as to the 
 object of this command. 
 
 "Mul-tal-la does not know, but his brothers 
 need have no fear. ' ' 
 
 "What did he say to you?" asked Victor. 
 
 ' i Only that he wished to see and talk with you. 
 Come with me. ' ' 
 
 It wa.. about the middle of the afternoon when 
 the lads, under the lead of their dusky friend, 
 threaded their way among the tepees to one 
 near the middle of the village, which might be 
 
SUMMONED TO COURT. J77 
 
 considered the royal residence. This structure 
 differed from the others in that it was double 
 the capacity of an ordinary lodge, that one side 
 consisted of a broad face of rock, that it was 
 in the shape of a square, supported at two 
 corners by upright poles, the rock serving as the 
 remaining support. The fire was always 
 kindled against the base of this mass of stone, 
 an opening just above serving as an outlet for 
 the smoke. 
 
 When the visitors arrived Taggarak was 
 alone, yeated at one side of the large apart- 
 ment, with a small fire burning in its usual 
 place. His royal consort and two children 
 were excluded from the conference. 
 
 The war chief was about forty years of age. 
 and his face showed him to be a man of excep- 
 tional ability and mental strength. It was easy 
 to understand the iron will with which he ruled 
 the turbulent and warlike Blackfeet. He had 
 thrown aside his blanket and sat in a close- 
 fitting shirt of deerskin, with girdle at the waist, 
 and with leggings and moccasins. 
 
 Taggarak was not a handsome Indian, but he 
 was of striking mien. His long black hair, 
 without ornament of any kind, dangled about 
 
 12 
 
m DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 his shoulders; his mouth was broad; his nose 
 well formed; his eyes black and piercing, rather 
 small, and seemed to glitter with fire from 
 under his eyebrows. His cheek-bones were 
 prominent, the chin square and firm, and the 
 expression of the countenance stern to the last 
 degree. [Wrinkles already showed in his low, 
 wide forehead and at the corners of his eyes. 
 There were two scars on one cheek, and his 
 arms and body, had they been uncovered, 
 would have revealed many more, for Taggarak 
 was a mighty warrior, who had beaten down 
 many foes in single combat, and had eagerly 
 risked his life in resisting the desperate raids 
 made against his tribe, or in pushing invasions 
 among others of his own race. Unlike many of 
 his own people, he never was vain enough to 
 wear the scalp-lock, nor did he disfigure his 
 face with paint. "When he went upon the war- 
 path his enemies speedily found it out, with- 
 out any such childish notices. 
 
 Mul-tal-la led the way into the imperial wig- 
 wam, the brothers closely following. The three 
 respectfully saluted the chief, who looked 
 keenly at them as they entered, and, without 
 returning their greeting, pointed to a pile of 
 
SUMMONED TO COURT. J7? 
 
 furs on the farther side of the lodge, where the 
 callers seated themselves, removed their caps, 
 and awaited the pleasure of the great man. 
 
 You will be better pleased with a free trans- 
 lation of the conversation, remembering that 
 Mul-tal-la acted as the mouthpiece of the chief 
 and the boys, though the latter had picked up 
 enough knowledge of the tongue to catch the 
 meaning of a good many of the words spoken 
 by Taggarak, who, of course, knew nothing of 
 English. 
 
 "My sons have come a long way from the 
 land of the rising sun. Why did they leave 
 their friends to make so long a journey ?" 
 
 "We loved Mul-tal-la, and wished to look 
 upon the great and good chieftain Taggarak, 
 of whom Mul-tal-la said many words of praise." 
 
 This reply was made by Victor, and was 
 duly filtrated through the interpreter, who was 
 pleased with the words so flattering to himself. 
 It must be admitted that when Victor tried his 
 hand he showed himself a promising student of 
 diplomacy. 
 
 George thought it well to add his answer : 
 
 " Hunters told us of the great land that lay 
 toward the setting sun, and we longed to look 
 
J80 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 upon it, as Mul-tal-la and his friend longed to 
 look upon the country where we make our 
 home. ' ' 
 
 1 i When do my sons go back to their dwell- 
 ing place!'' 
 
 "The snows will he deep in the mountains 
 for many moons; the palefaces will perish if 
 they try to labor through them. They will wait 
 till the sun melts the snows, and the buds come 
 on the trees and the singing of the birds trem- 
 bles :"-*. the air. They will be glad to do this if 
 the great Taggarak is not displeased to have 
 them stay among his people." 
 
 This had the sound of a hint for an invitation. 
 Being such, however, it failed of its purpose, 
 for the chieftain ignored it. Perhaps he did not 
 think it worth the trouble to tell the youths they 
 were welcome; that was to be assumed from 
 the hospitality already shown them. 
 
 "Taggarak has heard of a wonderful war- 
 rior who came from the land of the rising 
 sun. Where * he?" 
 
 "He has a horse that he loved, which was 
 lost, and he is searching for him." 
 
 "There are many horses among the Black- 
 feet ; he could have one of them. ' ' 
 
SUMMONED TO COURT. J8J 
 
 "But there is none like the black stallion of 
 Deerfoot." 
 
 " Where did the warrior get him?" 
 
 "The stallion was the leader of a drove of 
 wild horses. Deerfoot sought him out and con- 
 quered him without saddle or bridle or the help 
 of anyone." 
 
 This statement seemed so incredible that 
 Mul-tal-la felt it necessary to add his own 
 statement that the words of the pale-faced lad 
 were true, for he had seen the exploit of the 
 Shawanoe with his own eyes. Even then it is 
 to be feared the chieftain refused to believe the 
 story. 
 
 "Are all the Shawanoes like this warrior?" 
 
 "There is none like him," was the reply of 
 Victor Shelton, whose full answer was faith- 
 fully translated to Chief Taggarak. "The 
 Shawanoes, nor Wyandots, nor Chippewas, nor 
 Nez Perces, nor Shoshones, nor Assiniboines, 
 nor any tribe are as great as the Blackfeet. 
 Had Deerfoot been a member of any of them, 
 he would have been the greatest among them 
 all, with the exception of the mighty Taggarak, 
 whom no one can equal. ' ' 
 
 Ah, but this youth from the Buckeye State 
 
182 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 was sly. He looked at the rigid coppery 
 countenance of the chieftain as these words 
 were interpreted to him. The youth thought 
 he detected a sparkle of the small black eyes, 
 but I fear it was only fancy. 
 
 "Why is he called Deerfoot?" 
 
 "The palefaces gave him that name because 
 no deer can run as fast as he. ' ' 
 
 "My sons speak with a double tongue," said 
 the chief, frowning. 
 
 "They might in the presence of anyone but 
 Taggarak, but to him they use only a single 
 tongue. Let the great chieftain wait and see 
 Deerfoot for himself. " 
 
 Unquestionably Victor was advancing fast 
 along the path of diplomacy. 
 
 "When will the Shawanoe be with the Black- 
 feet, who wait to welcome him?" 
 
 "We hope not many suns will set before he 
 comes; but he has had a long way to journey, 
 and may have to slay other warriors that are 
 not willing to let Deerfoot have his steed." 
 
 "The Shawanoe may fall and never see his 
 paleface brothers again." 
 
 "We have no fear of that," airily replied 
 George. The next question of Taggarak was as 
 startling as unexpected : 
 
SUMMONED TO COURT. J83 
 
 "Does the Shawanoe teach the religion of the 
 red men or that of the palefaces 1 ' ' 
 
 The brothers looked significantly at each 
 other as Mul-tal-la translated these words, but 
 Victor scarcely hesitated in his reply. 
 
 "Deerfoot teaches the religion that he 
 believes is true. It is of a Great Spirit, who 
 wishes his children to live in friendship with 
 one another; not to make war; to show mercy 
 to all; to be forgiving and do what they can to 
 make other people happy. Such is the wish of 
 the Great Spirit. Deerfoot lives according to 
 that faith, and we believe in it, and try to do 
 as he does." 
 
 The chief looked steadily in the face of the 
 youth while he was speaking, though he did not 
 understand a syllable until it was properly ren- 
 dered by Mul-tal-la. Victor gazed as unflinch- 
 ingly into the fierce countenance before him, 
 while uttering the noble sentiments. His self- 
 respect forbade any shrinking on his part when 
 such a question was put to him. As the inter- 
 preter waited for him to finish, Victor added: 
 
 "Tell him exactly what I said." 
 
 "And that the answer is from both of us," 
 added George. 
 
1 5 i DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 Mul-tal-la obeyed, but carefully refrained 
 from saying that he, too, had accepted the new 
 religion, and that the warriors who acted as 
 messengers were pondering over it, and had 
 spoken to some .of their comrades on the 
 momentous theme. It is not for us to censure 
 the red man if he was cautious, for, if need be, 
 he was ready to die for the truth. 
 
 The thin lips of Taggarak curled with scorn 
 when he caught the full meaning of the reply of 
 the youth. His patience was gone. 
 
 "The Shawanoe does not belong to the tribe 
 of Taggarak. My sons, the palefaces, are of 
 another race; they may believe any lies they 
 choose, for it is naught to Taggarak. But none 
 of Taggarak 's people shall believe it! And if 
 the Shawanoe seeks to turn them from the faith 
 of their fathers, the Shawanoe shall die! My 
 sons will tell the Shawanoe what Taggarak has 
 said, that when he comes among the Blackfeet 
 he shall live. Taggarak has spoken, and my 
 sons may go. They will not forget the words 
 of Taggarak." 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 A NEW BLACKFOOT CITIZEN. 
 
 THE words of Taggarak the war chief 
 weighed heavily upon George and Vic- 
 tor Shelton, for nothing was more cer- 
 tain to them than that trouble for Deerfoot 
 was near. He could not be frightened into any 
 attempt to hide his light under a bushel, or to 
 deny the faith that was woven into the very 
 fibre of his being. The brothers talked the 
 question over many times. It was never 
 referred to between them and Mul-tal-la, for 
 the Blackfoot could give them no help, and the 
 final solution of the problem must be reached 
 by Deerfoot himself. 
 
 Our young friends joined as earnestly in the 
 games, the fishing and hunting as ever, and no 
 one looking upon them would have dreamed 
 that they suffered any discomfort of mind. 
 Thus the days passed until two more weeks had 
 gone by, and they began to wonder at the long 
 absence of the Shawanoe. 
 
 185 
 
J56 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 There had been a flurry of snow, and the 
 weather was perceptibly colder. As they sat 
 in their lodge after finishing their late meal, 
 the sifting of the needle-like points against the 
 bison hides was soothing to the ear, and the 
 crackling wood fire gave a cheerful illumination 
 to the interior. 
 
 Eeclining on the soft warm robes, they 
 recurred to the theme that was continually in 
 their thoughts. 
 
 "I am almost sorry we ever came to this 
 place, " said George, with a sigh. "We have 
 had an interesting experience, have made a 
 number of friends, such as they are, though 
 there can never be much in the way of friend- 
 ship between us and these people. " 
 
 "How could we have spent the winter, which 
 will be cold and severe 1 ' ' asked his brother. 
 
 "Deerfoot would have had no trouble in find- 
 ing some cave in the rocks which we could have 
 fitted up into as good a house as this. There 
 are places, too, where the horses would have 
 been sheltered from the storms, and we could 
 gather plenty of cottonwood bark when grass 
 was beyond reach, and thus kept the animals 
 alive." 
 
A NEW BLACKFOOT CITIZEN. J87 
 
 "Perhaps that might have been done, but I 
 don't believe it is as easy as you think. It seems 
 to me our hope is in Deerfoot 's tact. He will 
 not listen in silence to any attack upon his 
 faith, and when the heathen inquire of him he 
 will answer them truly, but he has enough 
 respect for the rank of Taggarak not to offend 
 him when there is no need of doing so." 
 
 "You see he has already sown seed, and 
 there will be inquiries by others from him. 
 Spink and Jiggers have been thoughtful a long 
 time. They have spoken to others. Mul-tal-la 
 must have done the same, though he is cautious 
 and fears to offend the chief. All these and 
 many others will question Deerfoot, who will 
 answer them without thought or care, even 
 though a hundred Taggaraks stood in his way. ' ' 
 
 "Tact is a good thing, but all that I can see 
 it is likely to do in this case is to postpone the 
 trouble. " 
 
 In the midst of their gloomy talk, and with 
 the snow still rattling against the dry bison 
 robes of their tepee, the flap was suddenly 
 lifted and Deerfoot the Shawanoe entered and 
 caught the hand of each delighted boy. His 
 face was aglow with health and pleasure, for 
 they were no happier than he over the reunion. 
 
188 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 They slapped him on the shoulder, shook his 
 hand again and again, and plied him with so 
 many questions that minutes passed before 
 there was anything like coherence in their 
 boisterous chatter. 
 
 " Where did you leave Whirlwind?" asked 
 George, thereby implying that he had not a 
 shadow of doubt of the success of the venture 
 of the young Shawanoe. 
 
 "This afternoon, when coming from the east 
 to this settlement," replied their friend, "Deer- 
 foot came in sight of Mul-tal-la, who was hunt- 
 ing alone. He had just shot an antelope, and 
 we sat down and ate it together. Then we 
 came to the village as it was growing dark. 
 Mul-tal-la showed Deerfoot where the horses 
 are free. There is snow on the ground, but not 
 enough to hide all the grass, and Deerfoot was 
 told of a place to the west, where Mul-tal-la 
 says the shelter sometimes permits the grass 
 to keep green all winter. There the horses will 
 soon be taken, and shelter has been made for 
 them. Whirlwind, after Deerfoot had talked 
 with him, consented to go among the horses, 
 as Zigzag, Prince and the others have done. 
 He does not like to mingle with common ani- 
 mals, and is as proud as ever." 
 
A NEW BLACKFOOT CITIZEN. J89 
 
 "We have enough left of our buffalo meat to 
 furnish you a meal, Deerfoot, but you told us 
 you had eaten only a little while ago. ' ' 
 
 "Deerfoot thanks his brothers, and will not 
 eat until to-morrow. ' ' 
 
 "I suppose Mul-tal-la told you all about us?" 
 
 "He has left little for you to tell. Deerfoot 
 is glad to hear his brothers have been so well, 
 but they have much to say that he would like to 
 hear." 
 
 "0 Deerfoot!" exclaimed Victor; "tell us 
 how you got Whirlwind back. You must have 
 had a pretty hard time, for you were gone a 
 month. ' ' 
 
 The three seated themselves on the soft furs, 
 George first throwing additional wood on the 
 blaze, and the Shawanoe, knowing how inter- 
 ested his friends were, modestly related the 
 story with which you became familiar long ago. 
 The boys were so absorbed in the narration 
 that they did not speak nor move until it was 
 ended. He made light of the dangers and dif- 
 ficulties which he overcame, and it was plain to 
 his listeners that he slurred over more than one 
 of his most remarkable exploits. 
 
 The brothers found it almost amusing to hear 
 
190 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 that the young Shawanoe had so wrenched one 
 of his ankles that he could not use it for a time. 
 It was so remarkable to learn that he had suf- 
 fered from anything of that nature that they 
 found it hard to associate the two. The manner 
 in which Deerfoot stepped into the tent proved 
 that he did not feel the slightest effects of the 
 hurt. The Shawanoe told his friends that he 
 and Mul-tal-la had purposely tarried outside the 
 village until dark, because the newcomer did not 
 care to have his arrival become known until the 
 morrow. He wished to enjoy the first evening 
 undisturbed with his old friends. Being on foot, 
 with a blanket about his shoulders like Mul- 
 tal-la and many other Blackfeet, he looked so 
 much like one of them in the night that he 
 attracted no notice, and Mul-tal-la promised to 
 tell no one of the presence of the youth whom 
 all were eager to see. 
 
 It was not until late in the evening that the 
 Shawanoe spoke of the theme that had troubled 
 the brothers so long. Mul-tal-la had told him 
 of the conversation with Taggarak, and he 
 asked the boys to give their recollection, not 
 omitting a word they could recall. Their friend 
 listened gravely, and was silent when they had 
 
A NEV BLACKFOOT CITIZEN. W 
 
 finished, his dark eyes fixed upon the fire in the 
 middle of the lodge, as if his meditations had 
 drifted beyond the time and place. After wait- 
 ing for several minutes, Victor said : 
 
 "Deerfoot, you can't know how much we are 
 worried. "We understand how you feel and that 
 no danger can scare you into denying the true 
 religion, any more than it can scare George and 
 me, but you may as well be careful and avoid 
 rousing the anger of Taggarak, so long as there 
 is no need of provoking him. ' ' 
 
 "What would my brothers have Deerfoot 
 do I ' ' gently asked, the Shawanoe. 
 
 "We don't know/' replied George. "Vic and 
 I have talked about this a hundred times since 
 our call on the chief, and we are puzzled as well 
 as worried." 
 
 "Are my brothers ready to die for the 
 religion?" 
 
 ' ' We are, and will prove it if it ever becomes 
 necessary; but," added Victor, "we don't see 
 the need of dying when there isn't any need 
 of it." 
 
 This original bit of philosophy caused Deer- 
 foot to turn and look with a half-serious 
 expression into the face of Victor. 
 
J92 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 "How great is the wisdom of my brother! 
 Who taught him such things?" 
 
 Then assuming a graver countenance, but 
 gazing steadily at his friend, he added : 
 
 "There was One who died on the cross for 
 you and Deerfoot." 
 
 There was a world of meaning in these words, 
 and they fitly closed the conversation for the 
 night. All lay down soon after and slept until 
 morning. 
 
 The snow ceased falling, and only a thin coat- 
 ing lay on the ground at daylight. An unusual 
 moderation in the temperature carried this 
 away before nightfall, and the weather became 
 almost spring-like, or rather resembled the 
 lingering days of Indian summer, which are the 
 expiring gasp of the mild season, soon to be 
 followed by the biting rigors of winter. 
 
 Before noon it was known throughout the 
 Blackfoot village that the remarkable young 
 Shawanoe had arrived. The excitement was 
 greater than that caused by the coming of Vic- 
 tor and George Shelton, and for a time Deer- 
 foot was seriously annoyed, but he strove to 
 bear it with the sensible philosophy of his 
 nature. Those who saw him as he moved here 
 
A NEW BLACKFOOT CITIZEN. J93 
 
 and there with the boys, or Mul-tal-la, or Spink 
 and Jiggers, had to admit the truth of the 
 assertion heard many times; he was the most 
 prepossessing young warrior upon whom any of 
 them had ever looked. Neither among the 
 Blackfeet nor any of their neighboring tribes 
 had so comely a youth been seen. And this 
 being the fact, many were more unwilling than 
 before to believe he was so powerful, so active, 
 so fleet of foot and so athletic as had been 
 claimed. This doubt was not lessened by the 
 conduct of Deerfoot himself. He soon became 
 acquainted with nearly everyone in the village, 
 and went upon hunting expeditions with them, 
 but displayed no more skill than most of his 
 companions. He avoided all trials of speed, 
 though often invited to take part by the doubt- 
 ers. In crossing the river in a canoe with two 
 of his new acquaintances, he swung a paddle, 
 while each of them did the same. The Blackfeet 
 saw no evidence of skill superior to theirs, 
 because in truth none was displayed. He was 
 urged to take part in their games, but made 
 excuse to act only as spectator. He did not wish 
 to become a competitor and deceive the others 
 by not doing his best. His modesty led him to 
 
194 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS, 
 
 shrink from exhibiting his abilities. Moreover, 
 he had a feeling that it savored of ingratitude 
 or lack of appreciation of the hospitality he was 
 receiving to place himself at the fore, as he 
 knew he could readily do. 
 
 But it had to come. Too many boasts had 
 been made by the friends of Deerfoot for the 
 envious Blackfeet to allow the Shawanoe to 
 rest upon such laurels. Neither Mul-tal-la nor 
 the brothers would abate one bit of their claims. 
 Deerfoot would have stopped them had not the 
 mischief, as he viewed it, been done before his 
 coming. He could only remain mute and hope 
 the matter would die out of itself. But that 
 was impossible. 
 
 The most noted test of athletic skill that ever 
 occurred in the history of the Blackfeet tribe 
 took place one bright, keen, sunshiny after- 
 noon on the bleak plain at the rear of the village. 
 A week had been spent in making the prepara- 
 tions as thorough as they could be made. Run- 
 ners came from three of the other villages, and 
 they were the flower of the tribe lithe, sinewy, 
 swift and splendid specimens of manly beauty, 
 symmetry and grace. Each was worthy of 
 being called a champion, and all were confident 
 
&IACKFOOT CITIZEN. 195 
 
 of lowering the colors of the dusky stranger 
 from the land of the rising sun, who had been 
 presumptuous enough to be persuaded to enter 
 a trial that must disgrace him. More than one 
 believed that in his chagrin the Shawanoe would 
 hasten from the village and never more be seen 
 in that part of the world. 
 
 Now, it would be interesting to tell all about 
 this memorable tournament, but you have no 
 more doubt of the result than did the victor 
 from the moment he consented to enter into it. 
 Mul-tal-la and the Shelton brothers, including 
 Spink and Jiggers, impressed upon the Shawa- 
 noe the necessity of his doing his best, no matter 
 what the nature of the struggle might be. He 
 promised to follow their counsel, as he did that 
 of Simon Kenton at the foot race at Woodvale 
 the year before. 
 
 Five contestants entered against DeerfooL 
 The distance was about two hundred yards. 
 Never before was the Shawanoe pitted against 
 such fleet runners, but he finished the struggle 
 fifty feet in front of the foremost. The specta- 
 tors, as well as the defeated runners themselves, 
 were dazed, and could hardly credit their own 
 senses. 
 
J96 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 Not less crushing were Deerfoot's victories in 
 the running, the standing and the high jump. 
 Like all great athletes, his triumphs seemed to 
 be won without calling upon his reserve capac- 
 ity, and therefore with much less apparent 
 effort than shown by his rivals. In firing at a 
 target, he left the few marksmen of the tribe 
 hopelessly out of sight. Then he borrowed 
 Mul-tal-la's bow, and every arrow that he 
 launched went farther and truer than any other. 
 Altogether it was a great day for Deerfoot the 
 Shawanoe. 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 THE SPIRIT CIRCLE. 
 
 NEVEE in all their lives were the Shel- 
 ton brothers prouder of Deerfoot 
 the Shawanoe than when they saw him 
 utterly defeat the finest athletes of the Black- 
 foot tribe. The youth had done his best, as he 
 was urged to do, and his triumph was too 
 overwhelming for anyone to question it. He 
 had been pitted against the very flower of that 
 powerful people, who at that time numbered 
 between three and four thousand souls. The 
 pick of the runners and marksmen had come 
 from the other villages, and every one was 
 decisively vanquished. 
 
 The delight of Mul-tal-la and of Spink and 
 Jiggers was hardly less than that of the boys. 
 Mul-tal-la knew the Shawanoe would win, 
 while the other two Blackfeet merely believed 
 it, for they had never been intimately associ- 
 ated with the champion of champions, and only 
 
 197 
 
J95 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 remembered what Mul-tal-la told them he had 
 witnessed. 
 
 Human nature is the same the world over, 
 and among the defeated ones was a feeling of 
 envy and resentment toward the young war- 
 rior who belonged to another tribe, and who, 
 after coming many hundreds of miles, had 
 put them all to shame. This was to be 
 expected, and it caused no uneasiness to Deer- 
 foot, who had faced it many times among his 
 own race as well as on the part of white 
 people. 
 
 But the Shawanoe took little or no pleasure 
 in his victory. He had entered into the con- 
 test because he could not help it. Had he 
 reached the village at the same time with his 
 friends, he would have sternly forbidden any 
 reference to his brilliant physical powers, and 
 thus prevented the tournament that was so dis- 
 tasteful to him; but, as I have shown, the mis- 
 chief was done before he came upon the scene. 
 His reputation had been proclaimed, and 
 naught remained but to prove that only the 
 simple truth had been told of him. 
 
 That evening the four friends who had spent 
 so many days and nights together were gath- 
 
THE SPIRIT CIRCLE, J99 
 
 ered in the lodge at the northern end of the 
 village. Time had been given for the excite- 
 ment to die out. Three of the defeated cham- 
 pions were well on their way to their own vil- 
 lage, when, had the result been different, they 
 would have staid for several days in what may 
 be considered the Blackfoot capital. The hum 
 and murmur of voices and the restless moving 
 to and fro were audible outside, but the old 
 companions were left to themselves. Mul- 
 tal-la had succeeded in impressing upon his 
 countrymen that when their guests retired to 
 their tepee they were not to be intruded upon. 
 
 The fire was burning in the middle of the 
 primitive home, and George and Victor Shel- 
 ton and Mul-tal-la were seated on the furs that 
 were spread along three sides of the apart- 
 ment. Deerfoot sat by himself, removed from 
 all. He was partly reclining on one elbow and 
 gazing into the fire, as if sunk in meditation. 
 The boys knew the meaning of his attitude 
 and air; he was dissatisfied with what had 
 occurred that day. 
 
 "By gracious !" said Victor; "if I could do 
 what you did, Deerfoot, Fd be so proud I 
 wouldn't speak to George or Mul-tal-la or you; 
 
200 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 and yet you don't seem to feel a bit stuck up. 
 You ought to be ashamed of yourself. ' ' 
 
 The Shawanoe made no reply, but continued 
 gazing into the fire, as if he did not hear the 
 words. George added: 
 
 "Your victory will be talked about among 
 all the Blackfoot villages, and the children of 
 to-day will tell their children about it long 
 after we are gone." 
 
 Mul-tal-la kept glancing at Deerfoot with an 
 admiring, affectionate expression, and, noting 
 his continued silence, he said in a gentle voice : 
 
 "The Blackfeet did not think Mul-tal-la 
 spoke with a single tongue ; they said his words 
 were lies, but they do not say so now." 
 
 "I didn't see anything of Taggarak," added 
 Victor. "I looked around for him after the 
 battle was won. Why did he stay away?" 
 
 Deerfoot for the first time noted what was 
 said. He lifted his head from his elbow and 
 sat upright. 
 
 "Taggarak was there; Deerfoot saw him," 
 he quietly remarked. 
 
 "Yes;- Mul-tal-la passed near him. The 
 chief kept by himself and spoke to no one. He 
 was on the side nearest the wood. Just before 
 
SPIRIT CIRCLE. 201 
 
 the last race was won he turned away and went 
 back to his lodge. " 
 
 "What was the meaning of thatf" asked the 
 Shawanoe. "Is he displeased with the defeat 
 of his young men?" 
 
 "It is the other way; he is glad their conceit 
 has been checked. The Blackfeet are great 
 boasters, and he has reproved them many 
 times. Mul-tal-la saw him smile when Deer- 
 foot came home many paces in front of that 
 tall warrior, who is the greatest boaster of 
 them all. Taggarak was glad when he was 
 defeated." 
 
 "It pleases us more than we can tell to know 
 that Deerfoot has won the good-will of the war 
 chief," observed George Shelton, who could 
 not forget that ominous conversation they had 
 had some time before with Taggarak. "It will 
 make our stay more pleasant than I believed it 
 would be." 
 
 The observant Victor noticed that Mul-tal-la 
 gave no reply to this remark, which had been 
 made in the hope of being confirmed by the 
 Blackfoot. The latter glanced at the Shawa- 
 noe, whose eyes again rested upon the fire. 
 George threw a couple of sticks in the blaze 
 
202 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS* 
 
 and then resumed his seat beside his brother, 
 When the stillness was becoming oppressive, 
 Mul-tal-la startled all three of his listeners by 
 what was certainly a remarkable question: 
 "Is Deerfoot afraid of any man?" 
 Even the Shawanoe flashed a surprised look 
 upon the Blackfoot. 
 
 "Why does my brother ask Deerfoot that?" 
 "He shall soon know. Will Deerfoot answer 
 Mul-tal-la?" 
 
 The question seemed to rouse the Shawanoe, 
 who spoke with more animation than he had 
 shown since the group had come together for 
 the evening. 
 
 "No; Deerfoot fears no man that lives! God 
 has given him more power and skill than he 
 deserves. He has never denied protection to 
 Deerfoot. He has told him to do right, and 
 Deerfoot tries to obey His will. When He 
 thinks the time has come for Deerfoot to go 
 ito Him, Deerfoot will be ready and will be 
 glad. Deerfoot knows He is not pleased with 
 such things as took place to-day. What is it 
 for one man to run faster or shoot straighter 
 than another? No credit belongs to Mm, for it 
 is God who gives him the power. Deerfoot 
 
THE SPIRIT CIRCLE. 203 
 
 would sin if he shrank from any task laid upon 
 him; but a victory like that just won does no 
 one any good. Deerfoot would be happier if 
 he could turn the thoughts of all those people 
 to the true God." 
 
 In the warmth of his feelings the Shawanoe 
 had wandered from the question just asked 
 him, but in doing so he revealed the nobility of 
 his nature. He was oppressed by the belief 
 that the strife in which he had been the victor 
 not only accomplished no real good, but 
 actually retarded the work he had in mind. 
 He came back to the question his friend had 
 just asked. 
 
 "Why does my brother think Deerfoot is 
 afraid of any man?" 
 
 Mul-tal-la could not hide a certain nervous- 
 ness, but with all the calmness he could sum- 
 mon he parried the direct question by the 
 remark : 
 
 "The most terrible warrior of all the Black- 
 feet is Taggarak the chieftain; he has slain 
 many men in battle and has never been con- 
 quered. ' ' 
 
 The inference from this remark was obvious 
 even to the boys. It was Victor who asked in 
 surprise : 
 
204 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 "Is Deerfoot to fight with Taggarak? If he 
 does, I'll bet on Deerfoot. " 
 
 To any others except those present the 
 words of the Shawanoe would have sounded 
 like boasting, but there was no such thought in 
 his heart. 
 
 "Deerfoot has no more fear of Taggarak 
 than he has of a pappoose. He may be a great 
 warrior, but Deerfoot has conquered as great 
 warriors as he." 
 
 Determined that Mul-tal-la should parry no 
 longer, the Shawanoe forced him to a direct 
 answer. 
 
 "Why does my brother think Taggarak 
 wishes to fight him?" 
 
 The reply was astonishing: 
 
 "The squaw of Taggarak is seeking to learn 
 of the God that she has been told is known to 
 the Shawanoe. She has asked me, she has 
 asked Kepkapkolakak and Borabtrik (the mes- 
 sengers known as 'Spink' and 'Jiggers'). She 
 does not sleep because of her heaviness of 
 mind." 
 
 "Does Taggarak know of this?" asked the 
 surprised Deerfoot. 
 
 "Not yet; but it must soon come to his 
 knowledge." 
 
THE SPIRIT CIRCLE. 205 
 
 "Will he harm his wife!" 
 
 "Mul-tal-la cannot say; he may put her to 
 death. There is no doubt that he will slay 
 Deerfoot if he can," added the Blackfoot sig- 
 nificantly, "or he will make him walk around 
 the Spirit Circle till he drops dead.' 7 
 
 Deerfoot stared in astonishment. He was 
 mystified. 
 
 "The Spirit Circle/' he repeated. "Does 
 Deerfoot hear aright? If so, what does his 
 brother mean! Deerfoot is listening. " 
 
 Thus appealed to, the Blackfoot was silent 
 for a minute, as if gathering his thoughts. He 
 looked up at the opening in the roof of the 
 lodge, then into the fire, and, addressing the 
 three, repeated the following myth or legend, 
 which has been extant among the Blackfeet 
 Indians from time immemorial: 
 
 "Many, many moons ago, long before the 
 parents of our oldest men were born, a chief- 
 tain as great as Taggarak ruled the Blackfeet. 
 His fame reached far to the north, to the east, 
 to the south and to the west, beyond the Stony 
 Mountains, to the shore of the great water, for 
 there was none like him. In those far-away 
 days the home of Wahla, chieftain of the 
 
206 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 Blackfeet, was to the south of this village, on 
 the banks of the Two Eivers. 
 
 "Wahla had a daughter who was the most 
 beauteous maiden that warrior ever looked 
 upon. She was loving and dainty, and the idol 
 of the stern old warrior, who would have cut 
 off his right hand rather than have the slight- 
 est harm come to her. Never did father love 
 daughter more than Chief Wahla loved Mita 
 the Eose of the Forest. 
 
 "Wahla returned one day from a fierce bat- 
 tle with the Cheyennes. A great victory had 
 been won, and the Blackfeet brought home a 
 score of prisoners, that they might be tied to 
 the stake and burned while their captives made 
 merry over their sufferings. This was the cus- 
 tom of the Blackfeet, and they have not yet 
 forgotten such amusements. 
 
 "Among the captives was a manly youth, 
 who was proud and brave, and had slain 
 three of the Blackfeet and wounded Wahla 
 himself before they made him prisoner. He 
 scorned to ask mercy, which would have been 
 denied him, and, without a tremor of limb or a 
 dimming of his bright eyes, awaited the cruel 
 death that he knew had been prepared for him 
 and his comrades. 
 
THE SPIRIT CIRCLE. 207 
 
 "Wahla had to keep his captives for a week 
 or more until word could be sent to the other 
 villages, that they might come and feast upon 
 the deaths of the Cheyennes. During that 
 time, Mul-tal-la cannot tell how, the young 
 Cheyenne warrior and Mita, daughter of the 
 chieftain, met and learned to love each other. 
 No one knew their secret, and so, while prepa- 
 rations were going on for the cruel deaths, she 
 managed to loose his bonds, and one night the 
 two fled for the home of the Cheyennes, there 
 to become husband and wife. 
 
 "Wahla did not learn of the flight of his 
 daughter and lover until the next morning, 
 when he started in pursuit. He went alone, 
 for his rage was so terrible that he was not 
 willing anyone should share the sweetness of 
 revenge with him. He traveled fast, and drew 
 nigh enough to catch sight of the two on the 
 second day following their flight. He did not 
 carry his bow, but had his knife and tomahawk, 
 while the youth possessed no weapon at all. 
 Had a knife been his, he would not have used it 
 against Wahla, because he was the father of 
 the maiden whom he loved more than his life. 
 
 "When the two found they could not flee 
 
208 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 faster than the wrathful chieftain, they paused 
 and waited for him to come up. Then Mita 
 threw herself at the feet of her father and 
 prayed him to spare the life of the Cheyenne. 
 The chief spurned her and ran after the young 
 warrior. The youth did not flee, but stood 
 with folded arms, calmly awaiting him. 
 
 " 'Slay me/ he said, 'but when I die Mita 
 will die with me!' 
 
 "Heedless of the appeal, the furious chief- 
 tain plunged his knife into the breast of the 
 youth, who sank to the earth and breathed out 
 his life. Wahla turned to seize his daughter, 
 but at that moment a wild shriek rent the air, 
 and she died, clasping his knees and moaning 
 that he had slain her as well as the Cheyenne. 
 
 "When Wahla saw what he had done, he 
 started to hurry to his village, but his mind 
 had gone from him. You were told that he had 
 been wounded by the Cheyenne in battle. The 
 wound was in the thigh of the chief, and it now 
 broke out afresh, as if in punishment for the 
 crime he had committed. It made him limp 
 sorely, but he would not stop, and ran faster 
 than ever. Because of his halt gait, he ran in 
 a circle. 
 
THE SPIRIT CIRCLE. 209 
 
 66 Bound and round he went all night, when 
 he perished, but the Great Spirit kept him run- 
 ning throughout the days and weeks that fol- 
 lowed until he became a shadow. His feet 
 wore a circular path, which may be seen 
 to-day, as Mul-tal-la has looked upon it many 
 times and my brothers may do if they will 
 journey a few days to the southward. 
 
 "But Mul-tal-la now tells the strangest part 
 of this story. In the years that have passed 
 since Wahla slew the Cheyenne lover, and his 
 daughter died at his feet, the storms would 
 have wiped away all signs of the path long ago. 
 But it remains as distinct as ever. This is 
 because the spirit of Wahla tramps it round 
 and round all through the nights when the 
 moon does not shine, for no one can see him 
 running over the ground. 
 
 "When you look toward the slope of the 
 mountain you can see the circle as plain as we 
 see those sticks burning in the middle of the 
 lodge, but when you reach the spot no sign of 
 the path shows." 
 
 "How is that?" asked the wondering Victor. 
 
 "It is the belief that the spirit of Mita, the 
 daughter, is always hovering over the spot, 
 and that her heart forever grieves for her 
 
 14 
 
2JO DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 father and lover. When she sees anyone draw- 
 ing near the place, she hurries from her home, 
 which is near at hand, though no one knows 
 exactly where, and, bending over the ground, 
 hurries along and flirts a piece of her garment 
 over the whole length of the path and blots it 
 out, so that grass grows where a few minutes 
 before was only the hard earth, packed by the 
 moccasins of her father." 
 
 "What brings the path into sight again!" 
 asked George Shelton. 
 
 "When night comes, Chief Wahla begins 
 tramping around the circle once more. At 
 sunrise the path is as it was before, and so 
 remains unless some one starts forward to 
 gain a closer look. The moment he does so the 
 invisible spirit of Mita, daughter of Wahla, 
 hurries out and destroys all the footprints, so 
 that no one has ever been near enough to gain 
 a close view of them, nor can he ever do so. 
 Such is the legend of the Spirit Circle."* 
 
 * On the gently sloping side of a low mountain near the 
 Colorado- Wyoming line can be plainly seen a circular path of 
 about two hundred feet in diameter. The road connecting the 
 Rambler copper mines with Laramie passes within ten miles of 
 the place. When the curious observer climbs to the spot, whose 
 path shows distinctly from a distance, he cannot detect a sign of 
 the mystic circle. Various theories have been offered in expla- 
 nation of this phenomenon, but as yet none has proved satisfactory. 
 
CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 THE FIELD OF HONOR. 
 
 DEERFOOT did not interrupt the Black- 
 foot while he was relating the legend of 
 the Spirit Circle. He listened atten- 
 tively. He had heard many such myths among 
 his own people, and once they impressed 
 him, but he had come to look upon them as idle 
 tales not worth a thought. Instead of com- 
 menting upon the rude beauty of the story that 
 had been told to his friend' many years before, 
 he asked the practical question: 
 
 "What has the Spirit Circle to do with Deer- 
 foot and Taggarak?" 
 
 "It is the law among the Blackfeet that 
 when our war chief Taggarak wills to punish 
 some great criminal he sends him to the Spirit 
 Circle, where he must walk around it without 
 food or drink till he drops down and dies. ' ? 
 
 "Has anyone ever done that?" asked the 
 Shawanoe. 
 
 "Yes; more than once. Not many moons 
 211 
 
2J2 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 ago a warrior killed his father, mother and 
 child in a fit of rage. The only punishment 
 that fitted such an awful crime was that of the 
 Spirit Circle. Three warriors took the man 
 there and started him round the path; they 
 took turns in watching, and made sure that he 
 had no food nor water, and was kept moving 
 till he could move no longer. He fell down, and 
 they stood near until he breathed his last ; then 
 they came back to Taggarak and told him what 
 had been done." 
 
 "My brother has not yet shown what his 
 words have to do with Deerfoot and Tagga- 
 rak." 
 
 "Let my brother have patience and he shall 
 know. Deerfoot remembers the rock from 
 whose top he first caught sight of Mul-tal-la, 
 whose brother was coming to this village, 
 riding on Whirlwind?" 
 
 As he spoke the Blackfoot pointed to the 
 east. Deerfoot nodded. The meeting place 
 was a half mile beyond the open space on 
 which the athletic contests had been held that 
 day. 
 
 "It is the command of Taggarak that the 
 Shawanoe shall meet him there to-morrow, 
 
THE FIELD OF HONOR. 2J3 
 
 when the sun climbs the mountain tops. He 
 must bring only his hunting knife and come 
 alone; the chief will do the same. When they 
 face each other, Taggarak will give the Shawa- 
 noe the choice of dying by his hand or at the 
 Spirit Circle/' 
 
 "Did Taggarak say that to my brother? " 
 
 1 1 That is his command. He has heard that 
 the Shawanoe is making squaws of his war- 
 riors; he therefore gives him his choice of 
 deaths." 
 
 Victor Shelton sprang to his feet. 
 
 "See here, Mul-tal-la," he said, excitedly? 
 "do you tell us that the chief Taggarak makes 
 the condition that he and Deerfoot are each to- 
 use only his knife as a weapon?" 
 
 The Blackfoot gravely nodded his head. 
 
 "And that neither is to have a friend with 
 him?" 
 
 "So Taggarak wills." 
 
 "That isn't the way people fight duels. 
 George and I must be on hand when Deerfoot 
 gets into a scrape like that." 
 
 "But it cannot be." 
 
 "My brothers will stay here till Deerfoot 
 comes back to them," quietly remarked the 
 Shawanoe. 
 
214 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 "But how are we to know that Taggarak 
 won't play some trick on us? He may have 
 half a dozen of his warriors hiding among the 
 bushes or rocks, so as to help him kill Deer- 
 foot." 
 
 For the first time in- the interview Mul-tal-la 
 smiled. 
 
 "Taggarak never breaks his word. He 
 might do as my brothers say if he thought 
 there was need of it. He doesn't believe the 
 Shawanoe will be more than a child in his 
 hands when the two stand in front of each 
 other." 
 
 "He might have thought that yesterday, or 
 at any time before the games to-day, but after 
 he saw Deerfoot perform he must have some 
 doubt." 
 
 "Deerfoot did not fight. Taggarak knows 
 naught of his skill in doing that, even though 
 he has been told he killed a grizzly bear in a 
 fair struggle. He would feel ashamed if he 
 asked for any help against the Shawanoe." 
 
 Deerfoot calmly rose to his feet. Those who 
 looked up at him noted a peculiar flash of his 
 dark eyes that was not often seen, and, when 
 seen, told of the hidden fires he was holding in 
 subjection. He raised his hand for silence. 
 
THE HELD OF HONOR. 2J5 
 
 "Let Deerfoot speak. He knows where the 
 rock is that Taggarak says shall be the meet- 
 ing place between him and me. His command 
 shall be obeyed. Deerfoot will be there, with 
 only his knife to defend himself. He has said 
 he does not fear the Blackfoot chieftain. Let 
 my brothers speak of something else." 
 
 The boys and even Mul-tal-la were so full of 
 the theme that it was hard for them to talk or 
 think of anything beside. They would have 
 questioned the Shawanoe as to his plans and 
 intentions, but he would not permit. The hour 
 was growing late, and the Blackfoot remained 
 but a short time, when he bade all good-night 
 and passed out of the tepee. 
 
 Eespecting the mood of Deerfoot, neither 
 Victor nor George made any further reference 
 to the momentous morrow. They disrobed and 
 stretched out on their soft couches, while the 
 Shawanoe, taking his Bible from the bosom of 
 his hunting shirt, reclined on one elbow his 
 favorite attitude at such times so that the 
 light fell on the printed page. He read in his 
 low, musical voice until, suspecting the truth, 
 he paused and looked across at the brothers. 
 Both were asleep. He smiled, read awhile 
 
216 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 longer to himself and then joined them in the 
 land of dreams, sinking into slumber as 
 quickly as they, and within the ten minutes fol- 
 lowing his own prayer. 
 
 The morning dawned dull, chilly and 
 clouded, with threats of snow in the air. The 
 Shawanoe was the first to awake, and busied 
 himself in his usual noiseless fashion with 
 renewing the fire and preparing the morning 
 meal from the antelope meat, of which enough 
 was on hand to last for several meals. The 
 salt and pepper brought by the boys from 
 home had been used up long before, and they 
 had accustomed themselves to get on without 
 the condiments which seem so much of a neces- 
 sity with us. 
 
 The breakfast was eaten with the usual 
 deliberation, none of the three speaking of the 
 event that was impending, though the brothers 
 were full of it. When Deerf oot arose, drew his 
 knife from his girdle, carefully inspected it 
 and then shoved it back in place and glanced 
 across the room to where his rifle was leaning 
 in one corner, Victor could keep silence no 
 longer. 
 
 "You know what faith we have in you, Deer- 
 
THE FIELD OF HONOR. 217 
 
 foot, but we are anxious, and shall be in dis- 
 tress until we see you back again. " 
 
 "Why are my brothers troubled?" calmly 
 asked the Shawanoe. 
 
 "We can't help believing Taggarak will use 
 treachery, for he must know he isn't certain to 
 win when he attacks you." 
 
 "Nothing can make him believe the truth till 
 it comes to him. He will take no warriors with 
 him. Deerfoot is in no danger. Let my 
 brothers smile and be glad." 
 
 "I wish I could grin, but it's too hard 
 work," was the doleful response of Victor, the 
 face of his brother showing that he felt the 
 same. 
 
 Deerfoot warmly shook hands with each in 
 turn, such being his usual custom, stooped and 
 drew the flap aside and passed from sight. 
 Enough of the Blackfeet were astir to notice 
 him moving at a moderate pace past the lodges 
 toward the clearing at the rear of the village. 
 He greeted all in their own language, and did 
 not show by anything in his manner that he had 
 any important matter in hand. He stealthily 
 glanced here and there, on the lookout for Tag- 
 garak, but saw nothing of him. Perhaps the 
 
2J8 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 chief had already gone to the scene of the hos- 
 tile meeting; perhaps he had not yet set out, 
 for the hour was early, or, what was more 
 likely, he had taken another route. Of one 
 thing Deerfoot was certain: the chief had told 
 no one of what was coming, except Mul-tal-la, 
 who bore the message to the youth. When the 
 two combatants should meet, no human eye 
 must witness the terrific combat. 
 
 The sagacious Shawanoe had decided to fol- 
 low a certain line that may impress you as 
 singular for him to adopt. It seemed like 
 undue confidence when he declared that he had 
 no fear of the man who was certainly the most 
 fearful fighter of the whole Blackfoot tribe. 
 Modest as he was by nature, Deerfoot was too 
 intelligent not to understand his decisive supe- 
 riority, as compared with any of his own or of 
 the white race. That superiority had been 
 proved too often to leave any doubt in his 
 mind. Moreover, with his youth and high 
 health, he was aware that these remarkable 
 powers were not declining, but rather increas- 
 ing, and ought to increase for a dozen or more 
 years to come. 
 
 The American Indian, as a rule, does not 
 
THE FIELD OF HONOR. 2J9 
 
 show excessive muscular development. Arms 
 and legs are wanting in those ridged bunches of 
 sinew which often bulge out all over our ath- 
 letes. And yet more than one red man has dis- 
 played prodigious strength. Deerfoot believed 
 he was stronger than Taggarak, despite his 
 own light, graceful figure, which made him a 
 dusky Adonis. 
 
 He knew that possibly he was mistaken in 
 this respect, but there could be no doubt on 
 another point: he was much quicker of move- 
 ment than the iron-limbed Taggarak. The 
 open space would give full freedom to both, 
 and this quickness would not be hampered at 
 all during the fight between them. Moreover, 
 Deerfoot was an unerring judge of distance, 
 and knew on the instant when to dodge and 
 when to strike. Therefore he feared not, but 
 with that old Adamic strain in his nature, 
 really yearned for the battle. 
 
 It has long been the custom of Indians, when 
 facing each other in mortal strife, to resort to 
 taunts and insults. If a foe can be driven into 
 anger, while his tormentor keeps cool, the lat- 
 ter has the victory half won. Deerfoot could 
 not stifle a feeling of resentment over the con- 
 
220 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 temptuous behavior of Taggarak toward him. 
 Instead of contenting himself with merely 
 challenging the Shawanoe to mortal combat, 
 he sent him word that all that was left for him 
 to do was to choose between two methods of 
 shuffling off the mortal coil. It was to be the 
 Spirit Circle or by the knife of the Blackfoot. 
 This scornful treatment of the youth angered 
 him, and it was one of the reasons why- he 
 decided to adopt a policy which in other cir- 
 cumstances he would have considered beneath 
 a true warrior. 
 
CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 (A MEMORABLE DUEL. 
 
 DEEEFOOT the Shawanoe, before enter- 
 ing the elevated wooded portion to the 
 east of the bleak plain that had been 
 the scene of his trinmphs the day before, 
 paused and carefully scrutinized all that lay 
 within his field of vision. He was not alto- 
 gether free from a shadowy suspicion that 
 Taggarak would resort to treachery, though 
 for reasons named by Mul-tal-la it was 
 improbable. Despite the care the youth had 
 used, he feared that rumors of the coming 
 fight had got abroad, and some of the curious 
 might brave the wrath of their chief for the 
 sake of viewing the combat. That which Deer- 
 foot saw, or rather failed to see, convinced him 
 that both fears were unfounded. 
 
 He recalled too clearly the spot named by 
 the Blackfoot to make any mistake, and he 
 went directly to it. A few rods beyond the 
 rocks where Mul-tal-la and Deerfoot had 
 
 221 
 
222 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 caught sight of each other after their long sep- 
 aration was a comparatively clear and level 
 space that covered a fourth of an acre or less. 
 A glance showed it to be an ideal spot for a 
 meeting such as was at hand. 
 
 Deerfoot looked hastily around for Tagga- 
 'rak. He was not in sight. In truth, the 
 Shawanoe was considerably ahead of time, and 
 the chief was not a moment late when, after 
 awhile, he strode into view from the other side 
 of the arena. 
 
 This famous chieftain has already been 
 described. No one could look upon him with- 
 out a certain admiration, and it was easy to 
 believe the many stories of his prowess. He 
 was spare of frame, nearly six feet tall, and his 
 mien and manner showed perfect fearlessness. 
 He wore no head dress, his abundant hair, in 
 which there was not the first streaking of gray, 
 falling loosely over his shoulders, almost to his 
 waist. The upper part of his body was encased 
 in a shirt of deerskin, and the buckskin 
 breeches were fringed down the legs. Deer- 
 foot noticed that he had on a new pair of moc- 
 casins, stained several bright colors. He must 
 have thought the occasion warranted some- 
 
A MEMORABLE DUEL. 223 
 
 thing in the nature of display. There was no 
 skirt to the jacket-like garment, the thighs 
 being inclosed with the buckskin which formed 
 the leggings, after the manner of the modern 
 style of trousers. The handle of his knife the 
 weapon that many a time had done frightful 
 work could be seen protruding from the 
 girdle that encircled his waist. 
 
 With a dignified step the chief strode for- 
 ward until within a dozen paces of Deerfoot, 
 when he paused and scowled at him. 
 
 Following his policy of tantalism, Deerfoot 
 made a mock bow and said : 
 
 "Blackfoot, the Shawanoe is glad to see you 
 come at last. But why does the Blackfoot trem- 
 ble when he finds himself in front of a warrior 
 instead of a squaw who knows not how to 
 fight?" 
 
 The chief had never been addressed in this 
 audacious fashion, and his eyes seemed to scin- 
 tillate from under his scowling brows. Could 
 it be he heard aright! 
 
 "When the Shawanoe learned that the 
 Blackfoot who calls himself chief and pretends 
 to be a brave man wished to meet him in fight 
 by this rock, the heart of the Shawanoe was 
 
224 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 glad and he hurried to come; but the Blackfoot 
 is backward. He hoped the Shawanoe would 
 not come, but he is here and eager to fight 
 him." 
 
 And to show the truth of his words, Deerfoot 
 drew his knife from his girdle and grasped it 
 in his good left hand. 
 
 Taggarak now found his voice. There was a 
 tremulousness in the words, but it was due to 
 his tumultuous wrath and not to fear. 
 
 "Dog of a Shawanoe! Do you choose to die 
 by the hand of Taggarak, or shall he send you 
 to the Spirit Circle I Let him choose ! ' ' 
 
 ' ' Squaw of a Blackfoot ! It shall be neither. 
 The Shawanoe cares naught for the Spirit Cir- 
 cle, and will not go there. He has no fear of 
 the Blackfoot who knows how to fight women 
 but trembles when he stands before the Shawa- 
 noe! Has the Blackfoot brought some of his 
 warriors to save him from the anger of the 
 Shawanoe 1 9 ' 
 
 And Deerfoot glanced around, as if looking 
 for the help which he knew was not near. He 
 did not see it, but he saw something else, which 
 caused him almost as much displeasure. As he 
 turned toward a large boulder, half hidden 
 
A MEMORABLE DUEL. 225 
 
 by bushes, the upper part of a head dropped 
 down out of sight. Seen only for an instant, 
 the Shawanoe recognized the owner as Victor 
 Shelton, and knew his brother was with him. 
 Despite Deerfoot's orders the boys had man- 
 aged to steal their way from place to place and 
 were spectators of this meeting. It was too 
 late now to correct the wrong, and he acted as 
 if he knew it not. All the same, he resolved to 
 "discipline" the youths for disregarding his 
 orders. 
 
 In this game of abuse the chief was no match 
 for the Shawanoe, who saw that the tem- 
 pestuous rage of Taggarak threatened to mas- 
 ter him. Accustomed throughout his life to be 
 feared and obeyed, it was unbearable thus to 
 be flouted to his face by a stripling, whom he 
 felt able to crush like a bird's egg. He drew 
 his knife, whose blade was several inches 
 longer than the weapon of the Shawanoe. 
 
 With the weapon clinched as if in a vise, the 
 chief thrust his left foot forward for a single 
 pace, but did not advance farther. He was 
 debating with himself how best to dispose of 
 this intolerable youth. A quick death would bb 
 too merciful; he would first wound and then 
 prolong his suffering for an hour or more. 
 
226 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 "The trembling Blackfoot fears to come to 
 the Shawanoe, so the Shawanoe will go to 
 him." 
 
 These words were accompanied with an 
 exquisite sneer, and Deerfoot advanced three 
 paces, taking care to stop before he was within 
 reach of the enraged chief. 
 
 "Does the Shawanoe think the God he wor- 
 ships can save him from the vengeance of Tag- 
 garak, who spurns that God?" 
 
 The reply was a noble one. Dropping his 
 insulting tones and manner, Deerfoot said : 
 
 "The Shawanoe knows not whether the God 
 he worships will save him; he never cares nor 
 thinks of that. He knows that whatever his 
 Father chooses to do is right, and if He does 
 not wish to take care of the Shawanoe, it is 
 right. He will go to heaven, the abode of those 
 who obey God, when he is called. He will be 
 ready, whether he hears that call in the gloom 
 of the woods at midnight or on the plain when 
 the sun is high in the sky. 
 
 "The Blackfoot worships false gods. Let 
 him learn whether they will help him when he 
 stands in front of the Shawanoe." 
 
 The self-confidence of the chief was absolute. 
 
A MEMORABLE DUEL. 227 
 
 Wearied of listening to the taunts of the dusky 
 Apollo, he strode toward him, raising his right 
 hand as he did so, feinted once and then 
 brought down the weapon with a vicious vigor 
 that was meant to bury the point in the shoul- 
 der of Deerfoot. 
 
 The blade, however, swished through air, 
 and the youth smote the chief squarely in the 
 mouth with the back of his fist. He could have 
 used his knife, but he chose to play awhile with 
 this boaster. He delivered his blow so quickly 
 that the Blackfoot, accustomed as he was to 
 fierce hand-to-hand fighting, had no time to 
 dodge or parry, and the next instant the 
 Shawanoe was ten feet away, weapon still 
 grasped, and grinning at the slightly dazed 
 chief. 
 
 "Why does not the Blackfoot squaw strike 
 the Shawanoe? The Shawanoe has struck 
 Mm. Cannot the Blackfoot see where to strike 
 with his knife? He is as slow as an aged 
 woman, but he fears the Shawanoe, who is his 
 master." 
 
 Taggarak could not believe his failure was 
 anything more than one of those accidents to 
 which the most skilful fighter is sometimes lia- 
 
228 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 ble. His weapon was still firm in his hand, 
 and he moved forward again, taking shorter 
 and more stealthy steps. He crouched as if 
 gathering his muscles for a leap, while the 
 Shawanoe contemptuously watched him, alert 
 and observant as a cat. 
 
 Six feet away the chief halted. Deerfoot did 
 not stir. Taggarak had learned of the light- 
 ning-like quickness of the youth, but felt none 
 the less certain of speedily overcoming him. 
 
 For a full minute the two glared at each 
 other, neither speaking, but the same aggra- 
 vating, scornful smile was on the face of the 
 young Shawanoe. Suddenly he did an astound- 
 ing thing. He tossed his knife several feet up 
 in the air, caught it by the handle as it came 
 down and then flung it a couple of rods to one 
 side. 
 
 "The Shawanoe needs no weapon to conquer 
 the Blackfoot squaw!" 
 
 Then Deerfoot voluntarily placed himself in 
 front of the furious warrior, without any 
 weapon with which to defend himself. Not 
 only that, he folded his arms over his breast 
 and with biting irony added : 
 
 "Now let the Blackfoot think he has a 
 
A MEMORABLE DUEL. 22* 
 
 squaw in front of him ; then he will strike hard, 
 if his hand does not tremble." 
 
 It was more than flesh and blood could stand. 
 The passion within the breast of the chief 
 broke into a volcano-like flame. With a hissing 
 gasp he sprang forward, striking swiftly with 
 his knife, first downward, then upward and 
 then from side to side, as if he meant to cut the 
 execrated youth into ribbons. He repeated the 
 wild blows with a celerity that almost pre- 
 vented the eye from following the movements. 
 
 But, as before, he split only vacancy. Deer- 
 foot easily eluded the strokes, which were 
 blinder than usual, for Taggarak was beside 
 himself with passion. In the midst of his aim- 
 less outburst the Shawanoe did another thing 
 which was worthy of a skilled pugilist. Wait- 
 ing for an opening, he shot his left hand for- 
 ward, and, with the open palm, landed a stun- 
 ning blow on the bridge of the chief's nose. 
 The advantage of such a blow is that, when 
 rightly delivered, tears are forced into the eyes 
 of the one receiving it, who, for a minute or 
 two, is partially blinded. You can understand 
 his fatal position. He cannot pause to clear 
 his vision, for it comes at the crisis of the 
 
230 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 fight, and an instant halting means ignomini- 
 ous defeat, while to persevere, when he has 
 only the partial use of his sight, makes his 
 disadvantage hardly the less. 
 
 While the chief was savagely blinking, in 
 order to enable him to see, the crowning taunt 
 of all sounded in his ears : 
 
 "The Blackfoot cries like a pappoose. Does 
 he wish to tread the Spirit Circle! Does he 
 beg the Shawanoe to be merciful to him? If he 
 whines for pity, let him sink on his knees and 
 the Shawanoe will listen to his crying/' 
 
 Chief Taggarak now lost the last shred of 
 self-control. With a growl of crazy rage he 
 bounded forward again, striking up and down 
 and right and left with a blind, venomous 
 energy that would have exhausted a giant. 
 
 Suddenly 'the wrist which held the whistling 
 blade was seized in the steel-like fingers of 
 Deerfoot's left hand. The grip was fearful, 
 for the Shawanoe had now called upon his last 
 reserve of strength, and the wrist was as if 
 encased in a coil of iron. Then, with a peculiar 
 twist of his hand, known only to himself, and 
 resembling that remarkable system known 
 under the name of jiu jitsu among the Japa- 
 
A MEMORABLE DUEL. 231 
 
 nese, who are the only ones that understand it 
 in all its frightful perfection, he bent the hand 
 of the chief remorselessly over and backward, 
 until the palm gaped like the mouth of a dying 
 fish and the knife dropped to the ground. 
 
 Deerfoot now had both wrists imprisoned. 
 Taggarak gasped and panted and writhed, but 
 could not twist himself loose. In the trial of 
 strength the Shawanoe proved himself the 
 superior. Great drops gathered on the fore- 
 head of the Blackfoot. His grin displayed 
 every molar in his head, and the mouth, 
 stretched to double its usual extent, had that 
 horrible appearance when the space between 
 the lips at the corners is the same as in front 
 and the expression is that of a raging wild 
 beast. 
 
 Thus the two stood, their arms sawing up 
 and down and from one side to another, with- 
 out the Blackfoot being able to loosen the mer- 
 ciless grip. He was panting, but no one could 
 have detected any quickening of the respira- 
 tion of the Shawanoe. His mouth was set and 
 the light of battle flashed in his eyes. He did 
 not speak or yield a point. The crisis had 
 come and he knew he was the victor, just as he 
 knew he would be from the first. 
 
232 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 The Blackfoot swayed and his moccasins 
 ^slid here and there over the ground from the 
 contortion of limbs and body. Then he began 
 pushing with might and main. His eyes were 
 beginning to clear, but the perspiration dripped 
 from the twisted coppery features. Bead- 
 ing his purpose, Deerfoot began pushing also. 
 Neither yielded for a minute or two, and then 
 the chief was slowly forced backward. There 
 was no withstanding the tremendous power of 
 the youth, who strove to the last ounce of his 
 matchless strength. 
 
 Taggarak recoiled a step, then another, then 
 began walking backward, and the next minute 
 the walk became a trot on the part of both, the 
 chief retreating and the Shawanoe forcing him 
 faster and faster, though he struggled and 
 resisted with the same panting desperation as 
 at first. 
 
 He was still trotting backward with short, 
 increasing steps when Deerfoot, never relax- 
 ing his grasp on the writhing wrists, thrust 
 one heel behind his enemy, who tripped and 
 went over. To insure due emphasis in the fall, 
 Deerfoot made a leap as he was going and 
 landed with both knees on the breast of the 
 
A MEMORABLE DUEL. 233 
 
 Blackfoot, who dropped with a thump that 
 forced a gasp from his body and literally shook 
 the earth. 
 
 George and Victor Shelton, in their excite- 
 ment, sprang up from behind the rock that hid 
 them. When Taggarak went over on his back, 
 with Deerfoot bearing him down, Victor could 
 restrain himself no longer. Snatching his cap 
 from his head he swung it aloft, and had 
 opened his mouth to cheer when the slightly 
 less excited brother clapped his hand over his 
 lips. 
 
 "What do you mean, you idiot 1" 
 
 "I want to cheer for Deerfoot! If I don't 
 I'll bust! 
 
 "You will get all the busting you want from 
 him if he finds out we came here, after he told 
 us to stay at home." 
 
 "By gracious! That's so; I forgot it. I'm 
 glad you stopped me; we must keep mum. 
 Look!" 
 
CHAPTER XVIH. 
 
 DISCIPLINE IN THE RANKS. 
 
 THE force of the impact and the crushing 
 weight of the Shawanoe's body 
 knocked Taggarak senseless for the 
 moment. He lay panting, with eyes half closed 
 and his countenance glistening with moisture. 
 
 Deerfoot, without removing his knees, 
 watched the eyes until they slowly opened and 
 glared upward with a dazed expression. The 
 youth had removed his fingers from the wrist 
 of the chief. He now bent his face close to his 
 and asked: 
 
 "Who now is master the Blackfoot or the 
 Shawanoe? Whose God is the greater Tag- 
 garak 's or Deerfoot 'sf " 
 
 But the chieftain was game. He had put up 
 a hurricane fight and had been conquered 
 conquered by a youth who carried no weapon 
 in his hand, and who could have driven out his 
 life at any moment during the progress of the 
 battle. Instead of slaying his victim, the 
 
 234 
 
DISCIPLINE IN THE RANKS. 235 
 
 Shawanoe had put one indignity after another 
 upon him. 
 
 "Let the Shawanoe take his knife and kill 
 Taggarak ! He does not wish to live ! ' ' 
 
 "So Taggarak would do with the Shawanoe, 
 but so does not the Shawanoe, for he is a Chris- 
 tian," replied Deerfoot, rising from the pros- 
 trate body and stepping back for a couple of 
 paces. 
 
 The Blackfoot was still bewildered. He lay 
 motionless for a few seconds, staring at the 
 youth looking serenely down upon him. The 
 chief had been conquered, absolutely, crush- 
 ingly and to the last degree humiliatingly ; for, 
 most amazing thing of all, his conqueror had 
 refused to take his life, knowing that it would 
 have been the other way had the Shawanoe 
 suffered defeat. 
 
 And he who showed this unheard-of mercy 
 professed to be a Christian! What a strange 
 religion to make a warrior act in that manner ! 
 
 Slowly the iron-limbed chieftain climbed to 
 his feet. He was not looking at the Shawanoe, 
 who had folded his arms and was calmly 
 watching him. Taggarak stood upright > 
 turned his face away, took three steps and 
 
236 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 then paused. His head flirted about like a 
 bird's and he fixed his burning eyes upon the 
 dusky youth, still posed like a statue, with 
 arms folded and on the alert for any treachery. 
 
 The Blackfoot gazed steadily into the eyes 
 that met his own without flinching. He did not 
 speak, but, looking away again, strode sol- 
 emnly across the open space, not pausing to 
 pick up his weapon, and disappeared in the 
 rocky wood. 
 
 Deerfoot remained motionless for several 
 moments, gazing at the point where the other 
 had passed from sight. Then he reverently 
 turned his eyes upward and murmured : 
 
 "I thank Thee, my Heavenly Father. Thou 
 art kinder to Deerfoot than he deserves/' 
 
 His next act was most peculiar. He paid no 
 heed to the knife of Taggarak, but picked up 
 his own. It had a keen edge, and instead of 
 thrusting the weapon into his girdle he walked 
 to the nearest undergrowth and began cutting 
 a stick several feet in length and of nearly an 
 inch's thickness at the butt. 
 
 About this time George and Victor Shelton, 
 from their hiding place, where they had 
 stealthily watched everything, began to feel 
 disturbed in mind. 
 
DISCIPLINE IN THE RANKS. ,237 
 
 "What do you suppose he is doing that 
 for?" whispered Victor, peeping around the 
 corner of the rock. 
 
 "I'm blessed if I know. He is trimming off 
 the twigs, so as to make the stick smooth." 
 
 "Do you suppose he saw us?" 
 
 "He couldn't. He has mighty sharp eyes, 
 but he had no chance to look anywhere except 
 in the face of Taggarak, and we haven't shown 
 ourselves since he left." 
 
 "It's a queer performance anyway, and I 
 don't feel" 
 
 "Sh! He's looking this way." 
 
 The next moment both boys shivered, for, 
 facing the rock which until then they were cer- 
 tain had hid them from view, the Shawanoe 
 called : 
 
 "Let my brothers come here. Deerfoot 
 wishes to speak to them." 
 
 "He saw us after all!" gasped Victor. 
 "Let's run!" 
 
 "What good will that do? There's no get- 
 ting away from mm." 
 
 "He looks savage, George; he means busi- 
 ness. Can't we combine and lick him if he tries 
 to play smart with us?" 
 
238 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 ' ' If we could get Mul-tal-la and three or four 
 other Blackfeet we might have a show; but it 
 would take more than you and me to down him. 
 Come, it won't do to wait any longer." 
 
 The brothers were pretty well convinced of 
 what was coming and were scared. To Victor 
 only one possible escape presented itself that 
 was to conciliate the Shawanoe. The lad made 
 a brave attempt to do so. 
 
 Coming out from behind the rock, he strode 
 rapidly down the gentle slope, as if he had just 
 recognized the youth. Victor's face was aglow, 
 and he certainly meant all he said : 
 
 "I tell you, Deerfoot, that was the greatest 
 victory you ever won! I don't believe the man 
 ever lived that downed Taggarak, and yet you 
 did it without any weapon. People won't 
 believe the story, but you can refer them to us. 
 Ain't it lucky, now, that we happened to be 
 where we could see you lay out that boasting 
 chief?" 
 
 George caught at the straw thus held out by 
 his brother. 
 
 "I tell you that's so, Deerfoot. The news of 
 this fight is bound to get out sooner or later. 
 Some who don't know you won't believe any- 
 
DISCIPLINE IN THE RANKS. 239 
 
 thing of the kind, till we tell them we saw the 
 whole business and it was just as you say. 
 Ain't you glad, Deerfoot, we happened by 
 chance to be where we could see it all?" 
 
 The Shawanoe had thrust his knife into his 
 girdle and held the switch firmly by its 
 larger end. He looked gravely into the face of 
 each lad while he was speaking. When they 
 ceased he had something to say : 
 
 "When Deerfoot and his brothers left 
 Woodvale was it not said that the Shawanoe 
 should rule and guide them?" 
 
 " There can't be any question of ihat" Vic- 
 tor promptly replied. 
 
 "And my brothers promised to obey him in 
 all things?" 
 
 "It seems to me I remember something of 
 that kind." 
 
 "Has Deerfoot been a hard master?" 
 
 "We couldn't have had a kinder one. I tell 
 you, Deerfoot, you know more in five minutes 
 than George and I know in a month, or ever 
 will know. We couldn't get along without you. 
 We have been pretty obedient, as a rule, 
 haven't we?" 
 
 "Was not the agreement between TaggaraK 
 
240 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 and Deerfoot that no person should look upon 
 the fight between them?" 
 
 "Yes; but I don't believe Taggarak kept his 
 promise." 
 
 Deerfoot flashed a look of inquiry at Victor. 
 
 "What does my brother mean by his words! 
 Did he see any other Blackfoot near?" 
 
 "Well, not exactly; but there were marks in 
 the bushes which looked as if made by moc- 
 casins. I shouldn't wonder if some were hid- 
 ing there and ran away when they saw us 
 coming and knew we meant to see you had fair 
 play." 
 
 The appeal was wasted. Deerfoot took his 
 station between the brothers, moving them 
 apart so they were separated by a space of five 
 or six feet. He then deliberately, vigorously 
 and impartially laid the switch over the shoul- 
 ders of George and Victor. You would not 
 suspect the vim with which this disciplining 
 was carried out. Only the brothers themselves 
 could testify feelingly as to that. 
 
 And the boys had to "grin and bear it," for 
 there was no escape for them. It was useless 
 to run, and had they tried it they would have 
 been punished more severely. They were too 
 
DISCIPLINE IN THE RANKS. 24 J 
 
 proud to complain. The quicker-tempered Vic- 
 tor wanted to revolt and attack the Shawanoe, 
 but he knew George would not join him, for 
 such rebellion would have been disastrous to 
 them. They had tested the ability of Deerfoot 
 in that line too often to doubt his superiority. 
 Had the shadow of a doubt lingered, the scene 
 they had witnessed a few minutes before would 
 have dispelled it. 
 
 The rod descended first upon the shoulders 
 of Victor, then upon those of George, and there 
 was no difference in the force of the blows. Oh, 
 how they stung! Each boy wanted to scratch 
 the smarting parts, but grimly stood it out. 
 Finally Victor ventured to say: 
 
 "When you are tired, Deerfoot, you have 
 our permission to stop." 
 
 "Tired! He won't get tired in a week. Our 
 only hope is that he will use up all the switches 
 in the country. " 
 
 And the Shawanoe kept at it till the rod 
 broke in the middle and only the stump was 
 left in his hand. He flung that aside, and, with- 
 out speaking, turned and walked toward the 
 village. As soon as his face was turned the 
 boys devoted their efforts to rubbing and 
 scratching their arms, shoulders and backs. 
 
242 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 "How many times do you think he struck 
 us?" ruefully asked George. 
 
 "I guess about four thousand; but I forgot 
 to count. " 
 
 "He started in with you and ended with me, 
 so we both got the same. Gracious alive, but 
 he knows his business ! ' ' 
 
 "Anyhow, what we saw was worth all we 
 had to pay. I didn't think he would do any- 
 thing of the kind, did you?" 
 
 "No; I thought we might keep our visit a 
 secret, but not many things escape his eye. I 
 suppose after all he was right." 
 
 "Wait till these smarts let up a little before 
 you ask me to say that," replied Victor, still 
 rubbing and fidgeting about. "Can't you think 
 of some way of getting even with him?" 
 
 "I wish I could, but the worst thing anyone 
 can do is to tackle Deerfoot. We must try to 
 believe we were lucky in getting off as lightly 
 as we did." 
 
 ' ' Lightly ! ' ' sniffed Victor. ' < I should like to 
 know what you call heavy if that is light." 
 
 "And he is still mad at us. He went off 
 without speaking, and it may be days before he 
 gets over his anger. " 
 
DISCIPLINE IN THE RANKS. 243 
 
 By^ and bye the smarts so subsided that the 
 boys felt comparatively comfortable. As they 
 picked their way homeward their resentment 
 cooled, and they were able to see things in their 
 proper light. They profoundly loved and 
 admired the young Shawanoe, and required no 
 one to remind them of his affection for them. 
 The punishment he had administered was like 
 that of a father to a wayward child. More- 
 over, it was well deserved, and they were will- 
 ing to confess the fact before they reached 
 their tepee. 
 
 1 i There 's no getting out of it, ' ' said the more 
 impulsive Victor. "He forbade us to follow 
 him, and it was breaking the agreement 
 between him and Taggarak. The only thing 
 for us to do when we meet him again is to say 
 we are sorry and ask his forgiveness. I'm 
 ready to do so. Are you, George ?" 
 
 "Why didn't we try that on him before he 
 gave us the whipping?" 
 
 "It wouldn't have worked. When I saw him 
 cutting and trimming that switch I knew what 
 was coming, and there was no way for us to 
 dodge it." 
 
 "It seems pretty hard, after a fellow has 
 
244 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 had his life almost whaled out of him, to say he 
 is sorry. It seems to me it's the other chap 
 who ought to feel sorry." 
 
 "No, we were in the wrong and must apolo- 
 gize. You know how tender-hearted Deerfoot 
 is. I believe he felt pity for Taggarak, even 
 though he knew the chief meant to kill him. 
 The Blackfoot isn't the first enemy Deerfoot 
 has had at his mercy and then spared him." 
 
 When the boys reached their lodge, after 
 meeting and greeting a number of their dusky 
 friends, they were disappointed not to find 
 Deerfoot there. He did not come in until late 
 in the afternoon. He raised the robe at the 
 door, glanced at the brothers, but kept his lips 
 closed. Victor walked up to him without a 
 moment 's hesitation and extended his hand : 
 
 "Deerfoot, you served us right. We are 
 both sorry. Will you forgive us?" 
 
 The two saw the moisture creep into the 
 handsome dark eyes and noted the tremor of 
 the Shawanoe's voice as he took each hand in 
 turn and said: 
 
 "Yes, Deerfoot forgives you. We are 
 brothers again. " 
 
CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 /'BEHOLD HE PRAYETH." 
 
 MUL-TAL-LA the Blackfoot obeyed the 
 command of Taggarak, his chief. But 
 though he kept away from the meeting 
 place of the duelists, he hovered not far off, in 
 order to learn at the earliest possible moment 
 the result of the most important personal 
 encounter that had ever taken place in the his- 
 tory of the Blackfoot nation. Because of the 
 circuitous course taken by George and Victor 
 Shelton, Mul-tal-la saw nothing of them and 
 never learned of the humorous appendix to the 
 tragedy. 
 
 The sight of the Shawanoe returning told 
 who was victor, and a few brief words between 
 the two, as they met, made known that he had 
 spared the life of the chief, who slunk silently 
 off in the solitude, no one but himself knew 
 whither. It was this flight that was on the 
 mind of Deerfoot and Mul-tal-la, for each felt 
 
 245 
 
24* DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 that momentous consequences were to flow 
 therefrom. 
 
 The four friends were once more gathered in 
 the home of the guests of the Blackfoot tribe. 
 Each knew a crisis was at hand that might 
 compel them, on the edge of the severe northern 
 winter, to depart for other quarters, and the 
 flight, perhaps, would become impossible 
 because of the ferocious rage of the humiliated 
 chieftain. 
 
 The Shelton brothers acted the part of list- 
 eners, sensibly feeling that they could con- 
 tribute nothing to the discussion between Mul- 
 tal-la and Deerfoot; but no speakers could 
 have asked for more deeply interested auditors 
 than they. 
 
 "Taggarak has not come back," said the 
 Blackfoot. "Mul-tal-la stopped at his lodge, 
 and his squaw said she had seen naught of him 
 since this morning. " 
 
 "She does not know what took place I" was 
 the inquiring remark of Deerfoot. 
 
 "She could not, for he kept his word and 
 told no one before, and," grimly added the 
 Blackfoot, "he would not tell anyone after- 
 ward." 
 
"BEHOLD HE PRAYETH." 247 
 
 "What does she think 1" 
 
 "That he has gone to one of the other vil- 
 lages. Taggarak is a silent man, and he some- 
 times departs in the middle of the night, with- 
 out saying a word to anyone. He may be gone 
 for weeks, and no one here will know anything 
 of it until he returns." 
 
 "What does Mul-tal-la think?" 
 
 "He knows not what to think. If Taggarak 
 is not here to-morrow, then he will believe the 
 chief is visiting his other warriors." 
 
 "Does he not summon his other chiefs to 
 come to him?" 
 
 "Often; they meet at the Big Lodge. They 
 talk together, when they are making ready to 
 go on raids among other tribes, and Taggarak 
 gives them his commands; but he likes to 
 appear in their villages when they do not look 
 for his coming. What does my brother believe 
 the chief will do when he comes back?" 
 
 The Shawanoe waited for a minute or two 
 before replying: 
 
 6 ' There is a mist in the eyes of Deerf oot and 
 he cannot see clearly. Taggarak is brave but 
 cruel. He will not rest under his overthrow. 
 Deerf oot thinks they will have to fight again." 
 
248 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 "And will Deerfoot spare him once more!" 
 
 "He cannot answer. He will do as God tells 
 him to do." 
 
 Victor Shelton felt that this was a good time 
 for him to add to the discussion. 
 
 "Mul-tal-la, do you think it is possible Tagga- 
 rak wants to fight Deerfoot, after he has been 
 beaten by him. Why should he want to try it 
 again?" 
 
 "Because he has hope of winning the fight." 
 
 "He can't have any such hope. Why, Deer- 
 foot whipped him without a weapon in his 
 hand, while Taggarak had his big, ugly knife 
 most of the time." 
 
 Mul-tal-la had not heard anything of this, 
 and he looked inquiringly at Deerfoot and then 
 at the boy who had made the amazing state- 
 ment. Victor flushed and stammeringly added: 
 
 "That is it would have been easy for Deer- 
 foot to whip him without any weapon and with 
 one hand tied behind his back that is, it looks 
 so to me and George and I'm sure he could 
 do it if he wished confound it, Deerfoot, 
 didn't you whip him as I said!" 
 
 The visitor turned to the Shawanoe, who 
 gravely nodded his head. 
 
* BEHOLD HE PRAYETH." 249 
 
 "Deerfoot has told me things from the good 
 book which he carries with him, and he said 
 there was One who used to do some things so 
 strange that they were called miracles/' 
 
 "Yes, He did many of them." 
 
 "Then Deerfoot did a miracle if he over- 
 threw Taggarak without the help of any 
 weapon. " . 
 
 "No," modestly replied the Shawanoe, 
 "there was no miracle. It was easier to defeat 
 him without a weapon than with one. Deer- 
 foot wrenched the knife from his hand and 
 then threw him to the ground ; that was all. ' ' 
 
 "That was all!" repeated the Blackfoot, as 
 if to himself. Then he looked at the boys and 
 the three laughed. 
 
 "Yes, that was all. George or I could have 
 done the same, but we thought it better to turn 
 the job over to Deerfoot. He's fond of doing 
 such trifles," said Victor, airily. 
 
 The result of the conference was the decision 
 that naught could be done except to await the 
 issue of events. All feared the worst, and 
 strove to prepare for it. The belief was that 
 the rage in the breast of Chief Taggarak would 
 lead him to merciless measures, not only 
 
250 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 against his visitors, but against all of his own 
 people who had showed an inclination to 
 embrace the new religion. 
 
 Three days passed and nothing was heard 
 of the chief. He was still absent, and the gen- 
 eral belief of his people that he was among the 
 other villages averted misgiving. Only those 
 in the secret were in dread. But the seed 
 planted by Deerfoot began to bear fruit. 
 Inquiries came to him, and the excitement over 
 the religion he brought, even though subdued, 
 spread among the warriors and women of the 
 tribe. Finally Mul-tal-la came to him with the 
 surprising request that he would address the 
 Indians in the Big Lodge on the all-important 
 subject. In making the request, Mul-tal-la the 
 Blackfoot spoke for others. Without hesita- 
 tion the Shawanoe replied that he would do as 
 desired. He felt it was his duty, and he was 
 the last one to shrink. 
 
 Near the middle of the primitive settlement 
 was a structure known as the "Big Lodge." It 
 was of the simplest build, being some forty feet 
 in length by about half that width. It consisted 
 of upright poles at the corners, with other sup- 
 ports along the sides, and a roof of boughs sim- 
 
"BEHOLD HE PRAYETH*" 25 1 
 
 ilar to that of the royal lodge. All the sides 
 were open; there were no seats and no pro- 
 visions for fire. Consequently the temperature 
 was always the same as that outdoors. 
 
 It was the custom of the Blackfeet to hold 
 their councils in this place, Taggarak being 
 fond of summoning his chiefs and leading war- 
 riors thither, while they smoked their pipes 
 and settled questions of state. Most of the time 
 the barren structure was deserted. 
 
 On a bleak afternoon late in autumn, when a 
 few inches of snow lay on the ground and the 
 wind moaned among the leafless branches, 
 Deerfoot the Shawanoe and the Shelton 
 brothers wended their way to the Big Lodge. 
 The boys paused at the edge of the assemblage 
 and silently took their place among the listen- 
 ers. They, as well as their friend, were aston- 
 ished to see the crowd that had gathered. War- 
 riors and women, with here and there a child, 
 were seated everywhere on the bare ground, 
 till it was hard to find room for another person. 
 No one could fail to be impressed by the air of 
 solemnity that shadowed each dusky face. 
 Nearly every male and female sat with a shawl 
 wrapped around the shoulders, for the air was 
 
252 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 biting, and no one had any protection from it 
 except clothing. Victor whispered to his 
 brother : 
 
 "I never expected to see anything like this. 
 Who would have thought that the few words 
 Deerfoot has spoken about our religion could 
 have stirred up such deep feeling I" 
 
 An Indian scorns to betray curiosity or 
 excitement, and only a few of the warriors and 
 squaws looked up as the young Shawanoe 
 picked his way through and among the multi- 
 tude, who numbered several hundred, to the 
 farther end of the space, where he turned to 
 face the expectant listeners. He had left his 
 rifle at the tepee, but his knife was in his girdle, 
 To those who had slight knowledge of him 
 he looked his simple, natural self; but George 
 and Victor, when they scanned their friend 
 observed a deeper flush in his face and a 
 brighter gleam in the eyes, which revealed to 
 them the profound emotion that stirred his 
 soul. 
 
 Deerfoot stood for a minute, looking over 
 the swarthy faces turned expectantly toward 
 him. He had prayed many times for strength to 
 meet this ordeal, and he knew he would do so. 
 
"BEHOLD HE PRAYETH." 253 
 
 Then he began speaking in his low, musical 
 voice, which was clearly heard by those farthest 
 removed. He used the Blackfoot tongue, so 
 that only a part of his words were understood 
 by George and Victor, and never halted or hes- 
 itated until the interruption came. 
 
 "My friends/' said he, "the heart of Deer- 
 foot is glad to tell you about the Great Spirit 
 who is the Father of the red men as well as of 
 the palefaces. Many, many moons ago that 
 Father made this world; the sun that shines 
 by day and the moon and stars that rule at 
 night ; the mountains, the woods, the rivers, the 
 prairies, the rocks, the clouds and all that you 
 see about you. He gave His children game to 
 hunt, and He caused the fish lo grow in the 
 streams and the corn and fruit to spring from 
 the ground. There was nothing that His chil- 
 dren needed that He did not give to them. 
 
 "Was not that Father kind? Could any 
 father be as good to his children as God was to 
 those He put on the earth to live together? 
 Should not those children love Him and try to 
 live as He wished them to live? But they were 
 wicked and did not care for Him. They fought 
 and killed one another and did all they could 
 
254 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 to offend their Heavenly Father. They were 
 so bad that bye and bye He turned away His 
 face in anger. He would have slain them as 
 they deserved, but He had a Son, good and pure 
 like Himself. This Son took the load of all the 
 sins of the world on his heart. He came to the 
 earth and told the people how sad God was 
 because they did evil. Some heeded His words, 
 but bad men took the Son, whom we call our 
 Saviour, because He saved us all you and me 
 and everybody and they drove nails through 
 his hands and feet, and let Him hang on two 
 crosspieces of wood till He died the most pain- 
 ful of deaths. He could have killed those who 
 treated Him so cruelly, but He chose to die so 
 that the way would be opened for all men and 
 women and children to come to God, who was 
 angry no longer, because the Son had taken 
 their place and suffered in their stead. 
 
 "The Great Spirit, whom we call God or our 
 Heavenly Father, has made the path so 
 straight and so free from briars that the small- 
 est child can walk therein without harm. He 
 wants you to become Christians and to believe 
 in Him. A Christian is one who does all he 
 can to make others happy. You must not go to 
 
44 BEHOLD HE PRAYETH." 255 
 
 war, and only fight when others attack you or 
 those whom you love. You must be merciful 
 and forgiving. Never cause anyone to suffer. 
 Give food to the hungry, help those who have 
 fallen to climb to their feet, take them by the 
 hand and lead them if they are weak. Think 
 all the time of new ways of making other per- 
 sons smile. You must pray to God every morn- 
 ing and night and, when you have the chance, 
 through the day. If you do this, a sweet peace, 
 such as you have never known before, will come 
 into your heart. You will not care for pain or 
 hunger or thirst or suffering, for the happiness 
 of pleasing your Heavenly Father will make 
 you forget all these. When you die He will 
 carry you to those blessed hunting grounds, 
 where you shall meet all the friends who have 
 gone on before and where you and they shall be 
 happy forevermore." 
 
 During the utterance of this simple plea the 
 Big Lodge was as still as the tomb. It is safe 
 to believe that not a man or woman present 
 failed to be impressed, for every person, sav- 
 age or civilized, pagan or Christian, is pro- 
 foundly interested in the most transcendant 
 theme that can engage the human mind the 
 
256 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 saving of man's soul and the preparation for 
 the life to come. None other can compare with 
 it. It is the one supreme question of the ages. 
 
 Those who looked at Deerfoot thought he 
 had finished his address, but it was not so. 
 George and Victor Shelton were the first to 
 understand from his manner that something 
 outside of the lodge had checked him. He was 
 looking beyond the boys at some object that 
 had made him cease speaking. The boys 
 turned their heads to learn the meaning of the 
 interruption. As they did so they heard some 
 one approaching with a rapid step. 
 
 It was Taggarak, the chief, his face aflame, 
 his stride long and rapid and his intense gaze 
 centered on the young Shawanoe. Paying no 
 heed to those in his way, he brushed past, over- 
 turning several and plowed straight through 
 the crowd toward Deerfoot, who calmly 
 awaited his coming. 
 
 Every eye was fixed upon the terrible chief- 
 tain, and hardly one of his people doubted that 
 he meant to assail the Shawanoe. The hearts 
 of George and Victor Shelton stood still, for 
 they felt that a tragedy was about to open. 
 
 Instead of drawing his knife, Deerfoot 
 
"BEHOLD KH PRAYETH." 257 
 
 placed both hands behind his back, after the 
 idle manner of one who feels little interest in 
 what is going on before him. 
 
 Within a couple of paces of Deerfoot, Tag- 
 garak wheeled around, and, in 'a voice of thun- 
 der addressed his people: 
 
 ' ' The Shawanoe speaks with a single tongue ! 
 His words are true ! The Great Spirit he tells 
 you about is the true and only Great Spirit! 
 Taggarak did not think so; he scorned him. 
 but his eyes have been opened and he now sees. 
 He has been wandering in the woods for days 
 and nights, trying to flee from the anger of 
 that Great Spirit. His eyes were filled with 
 tears ; he lay on his face and cried to Him ; he 
 did not eat nor drink nor sleep; but the Great 
 Spirit, the true Great Spirit, spoke loving 
 words to Taggarak. He raised him to his feet ; 
 He showed him that all the briars had been 
 taken from his path. Taggarak looked around 
 and all the darkness was gone and the sun was 
 shining in the sky. The Great Spirit was 
 pleased. He told Taggarak he was now His 
 son and all shall be well with him. 
 
 "Heed the words of the Shawanoe, for they 
 are true. Taggarak is a Christian and wishes 
 all the Blackfeet to become Christians." 
 
CHAPTER XX. 
 
 LIGHT IN DARKNESS. 
 
 IT must not be thought that the large assem- 
 blage which had gathered in the Big 
 Lodge were of one mind, or even that a 
 majority were ready to accept the new religion 
 that was explained to them by its model exem- 
 plar, Deerfoot the Shawanoe. A few yearned 
 for the light, and had already learned enough 
 of the elemental truths to be drawn toward 
 them; but the majority were attracted by that 
 potent cause curiosity. They listened closely. 
 The simple words of the preacher showed 
 clearly that the new faith was the opposite of 
 the old; that, if accepted by them, it meant a 
 revolution in their beliefs and practices. 
 
 Most of the men and a few of the women 
 revolted at the thought. To them the most 
 powerful of motives in human conduct were 
 those of revenge, of prowess in battle, and of 
 mercilessness toward an enemy. To be told 
 that they must root out this passion and be 
 
 258 
 
LIGHT IN DARKNESS. 259 
 
 governed by the Golden Rule was turning 
 themselves into squaws, and spurning that 
 nobility which is the crowning glory of the red 
 man's life. Their demeanor was stolid. The 
 wise Deerfoot plainly saw, however, that his 
 doctrine found favor with only a few. He 
 made his appeal as clear and direct as he knew 
 how, but he did not need to be told that he was 
 only partially successful. 
 
 The dramatic entrance and declaration by 
 Chief Taggarak of the "pangs of transforma- 
 tion" through which he had passed and his 
 emergence into the new light could not fail to 
 be impressive and to add to the force of what 
 had just been said by the Shawanoe. None the 
 less, it had also an opposite effect in some 
 cases. The warriors who had accepted the 
 leadership for years of one of the greatest 
 chiefs that ever swayed the destinies of the 
 Blackfoot people now repudiated him. He 
 upon whom they had relied so long to lead them 
 in battle and of whose unquestioned bravery 
 and prodigious prowess all knew, had become a 
 woman ! But they would remain true warriors 
 and maintain the prestige of their tribe as 
 among the most aggressive in the Northwest. 
 
260 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 Still Taggarak swept a number with him. 
 Probably when he was through with his burn- 
 ing appeal a fifth of those present were under 
 " conviction, " and could be counted upon in 
 favorable circumstances to become believers in 
 the faith preached by the One who spake and 
 taught as never man spake and taught. It may 
 be said that a half of that number were reso- 
 lute in this decision. Their sentiments were 
 crystallized. The seed had been sown on good 
 ground and was bearing fruit. 
 
 The young Shawanoe was tactful. For him 
 to attempt to add anything to the words of 
 Taggarak would be to weaken them. They 
 were the climax, and silence was golden. 
 Throughout the eloquent appeal of the chief, 
 Deerfoot stood with his hands idly folded 
 behind him, his eyes fixed upon the face of 
 Taggarak, whose pose gave a good view of his 
 features, and listening in the very intentness 
 of his soul. When the chief had uttered his 
 last word he gathered his blanket about his 
 shoulders and strode out of the Big Lodge, 
 looking neither to the right nor left, and again 
 failing to notice his wife and little boy, who sat 
 on the ground and whom he brushed as he 
 
LIGHT IN DARKNESS. 26J 
 
 passed into the open air. He did not glance 
 behind, but continued Irs dignified, deliberate 
 stride till he was hidden from sight among the 
 trees beyond the cleared space. 
 
 Before this, Deerfoot, without speaking a 
 word, picked his way through the throng, who 
 surveyed him curiously but did not stir until 
 he was outside. The Shawanoe glanced at 
 George and Victor Shelton, and by a look indi- 
 cated that they were to follow him. They did 
 so, silent like the others, and the three returned 
 to their own tepee without exchanging a word 
 on the road. They were awed by what they 
 had seen and heard, and respected their friend 
 too much to break in upon his meditations. He 
 sat down on the furs in his usual place and 
 they busied themselves with what may be con- 
 sidered their household duties, speaking only 
 now and then to each other. The afternoon 
 was drawing to a close, and, but for the fire 
 that was kept burning, it would have been dark 
 within the lodge. They prepared their meal, 
 but when Deerfoot was invited to eat he shook 
 his head, rose to his feet and passed out. 
 
 The Shawanoe had no more time than to 
 straighten up in the open air when he was face 
 
262 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 to face with Mul-tal-la, who was on his way to 
 see him. They pressed each other's hand and 
 the visitor said: 
 
 " Chief Taggarak wishes that his brother the 
 Shawanoe shall come to his lodge." 
 
 "Deerfoot goes there," replied the youth, 
 who had been meditating doing so. "Will my 
 brother go with Deerfoot?" 
 
 "Only to the lodge. Taggarak does not wish 
 to see him." 
 
 The two walked side by side, the hearts of 
 both full. It was so dark that they drew no 
 attention to themselves. Just before the well- 
 known home of the chief was reached, Mul- 
 tal-la turned off without so much as a farewell 
 word. 
 
 The war chief was expecting his visitor. He 
 had sent his wife and boy away in order that 
 he might be alone with the Shawanoe. He sat 
 with his back against the rock, his position 
 allowing the firelight to show his face clearly, 
 especially one side of it. As he recognized his 
 visitor he smiled and extended his hand, after 
 the manner of white men. Deerfoot quickened 
 his pace and grasped the palm and laid the 
 other on the shoulder of the chieftain. How 
 
LIGHT IN DARKNESS. 263 
 
 different from their meeting by the lookout 
 rock several days before! 
 
 "The heart of Deerfoot is glad," said the 
 visitor, in a low, tremulous voice. 
 
 "Taggarak hears the birds sing again. 
 There are no clouds before the sun. He is 
 happy, for the Great Spirit smiles upon him." 
 
 One of the most marvelous facts connected 
 with the true religion, and itself a proof of its 
 divinity, is its complete adaptability to every 
 condition of life and to every degree of intelli- 
 gence. Its essentials are as readily grasped 
 by the clodhopper as by the profoundest 
 scholar whose years are spent in delving into 
 the mysteries of science. No finite mind can 
 fathom the mysteries of life, of death, of sleep, 
 of the beginning, the end, of eternity, of the real 
 nature of the soul and of God, how He came 
 into existence; nor, indeed, shall we ever com- 
 prehend in all their fullness the simplest phe- 
 nomena around us. What is the essence of 
 color or taste or smell? How is the word 
 spoken by us understood by him to whom it is 
 addressed? When we move a hand or foot, 
 where and how does the action begin? What 
 is the theoretical limit of divisibility or expan- 
 
264 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 sion? These and scores of similar questions 
 have only to be asked for us to feel the utter 
 helplessness of our powers of understanding. 
 But to the untutored savage, shivering in his 
 rude wigwam and manacled by his sombre 
 superstitions, the essential facts for the saving 
 of his soul become as clear as the sun in the 
 unclouded heavens. The man with a dwarfed 
 intellect can see as plainly as he whose tele- 
 scope, sweeping the heavens, carries his vision 
 to the bounds of the universe. 
 
 "All our philosophic pedants, all our sons of science know 
 Not a whit more than that dullard knew a million years ago." 
 
 Deerfoot stayed with Taggarak for several 
 hours. No one disturbed them, and the chief 
 would have kept his comforter still longer had 
 not the latter felt that it was better to leave the 
 Blackfoot to his communings with God. 
 
 When at last the Shawanoe emerged like a 
 shadow from the lodge of the chief he did not 
 go to his own home. Instead, he turned off, 
 passed swiftly across the open space that had 
 been the scene of so many contests and games, 
 entered the hilly section and did not pause 
 until he came to the place where he and Tag- 
 garak had fought several days before. 
 
LIGHT IN DARKNESS. 265 
 
 Deerfoot had left his rifle at home and was 
 alone. Folding his arms and standing on the 
 very spot where he had flung Taggarak to the 
 earth and held him at his mercy, he looked up 
 at the faintly moonlit sky and murmured : 
 
 "Deerfoot does not deserve such happiness 
 as now fills his heart. He thanks God for His 
 mercy. ' ' 
 
 Never in all his brief but eventful career had 
 the young Shawanoe felt more unmistakably 
 the presence of the Father whom he worshiped 
 and strove to obey. Ambition gratified, tri- 
 umph obtained, earthly love, physical or men- 
 tal achievements, defeat of opponents, wealth, 
 pleasure, gratification of taste and longings, 
 all these combined cannot give to the human 
 soul that thrilling happiness which kindles and 
 glows and burns into life when Conscience 
 whispers, "Well done!" and we know that 
 some thought or word or deed of ours is pleas- 
 ing to God. 
 
 Nothing was or could be more real to Deer- 
 foot than the cause of the radiance that suf- 
 fused his being when he came from the lodge 
 of the Blackfoot chieftain. Science may try to 
 explain such emotions as an exaltation result- 
 
266 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 ing from physical causes, but no such explana- 
 tion can suffice. "We feel that which we feel 
 and know that which we know. 
 
CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 HOMEWARD BOUND. 
 
 DESPITE the remarkable experiences of 
 George and Victor Shelton in the Black- 
 foot village, they found, as the weeks 
 and months passed, a monotony that deepened 
 their homesickness and caused them to yearn 
 for the day when they could start southward 
 and leave the bleak region forever behind. The 
 winters in that latitude are generally severe, 
 and the brothers got a taste of cold weather 
 guch as they had never known on the other side 
 of the Mississippi. There must have been 
 repeated spells when, had a Fahrenheit ther- 
 mometer been in existence, it would have 
 shown a record of thirty and forty degrees 
 below zero. 
 
 People who are accustomed to such Arctic 
 experiences know how to prepare for them, 
 and Deerfoot and the boys would have been 
 foolish had they neglected so plain a duty. 
 With wood abundant on every hand, a bounti- 
 
 267. 
 
268 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 ful supply was kept within the tepee and out- 
 side, and weeks passed without the fire being 
 allowed to go out. With the soft, warm furs at 
 command, no one of the three met with more 
 than a brief discomfort because of the fearful 
 cold. 
 
 The chief cause of anxiety was the horses. 
 All were provided with shelter and carefully 
 looked after. A good deal of grass had been 
 pulled and much cottonwood and willow bark 
 laid in stock. If the animals could not fare 
 sumptuously, they had enough to keep them in 
 good condition. Fully half a dozen of the 
 Blackfoot horses were frozen to death, and 
 those belonging to our friends would have per- 
 ished but for the care they received. They 
 were screened by blankets during the 
 unusually severe weather, and Whirlwind 
 received the tenderest attention from Deer- 
 foot. More than once the Shawanoe stole out 
 of the tepee in the depth of the night and 
 tramped over the snow through an atmosphere 
 that was still and as biting as the teeth of a 
 saw. No matter how silently the youth moved 
 forward, the stallion discovered his approach 
 and whinneyed his welcome. Then when the 
 
HOMEWARD BOUND. 269 
 
 blizzards raged Deerfoot never forgot to call 
 and assure himself that nothing was neglected 
 that could shield the faithful creatures. Thus 
 they were saved from harm until the weather 
 moderated upon the approach of spring. 
 
 With the snow lying several feet deep on 
 the level and piled ten times higher among the 
 mountains, Deerfoot and the hoys hunted with 
 their friends on snow-shoes. It was exhilarat- 
 ing, but the resistless cold took away much of 
 the pleasure that otherwise would have come to 
 the lads. As for the Shawanoe, summer and 
 winter seemed alike to him. 
 
 When the village was helpless in the grasp 
 of old Boreas, the inhabitants did little except 
 cower in their lodges around their fires and eat 
 and sleep. This sort of existence grew almost 
 intolerable to the brothers. With every mus- 
 cle and nerve yearning for action, they became 
 impatient and sometimes fretful. When they 
 spoke of themselves as prisoners it was the 
 truth. 
 
 Taggarak acted kindly toward George and 
 Victor, but never showed any special friend- 
 ship for them. It may have been because they 
 belonged to another race. Toward Deerfoot he 
 
270 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 displayed a profound gratitude, a deep affec- 
 tion and reverence, amounting at times almost 
 to worship. He was the messenger who 
 brought the glad tidings of the one and only 
 true God, and the chief in some way or other 
 associated him with the divine message itself, 
 as if he were a part of it. 
 
 The snow and cold shut off communication 
 almost entirely between the Blackfoot villages. 
 Early in the winter and toward spring several 
 warriors came down from the most northern 
 settlement, but they did not remain long* 
 It was known, however, among them all that 
 Taggarak, the leading chief, had accepted the 
 new religion, and his authority naturally 
 weakened, but nothing in the nature of a revolt 
 took place against his supremacy. 
 
 Deerfoot frequently visited the chief, where 
 none was so welcome as he. Taggarak never 
 went to the tepee of the Shawanoe, for he pre- 
 ferred always to see Deerfoot alone. Mul- 
 tal-la, Spink, Jiggers and seven other warriors 
 openly confessed the Christian religion. 
 Nearly double that number of squaws among 
 them the wife of the chief did the same. 
 Slowly and surely the leaven worked, and when 
 
HOMEVARD BOUND. 271 
 
 the time drew near for the departure of the 
 visitors it is probable that the number of con- 
 verts was doubled, with the promise of further 
 increase. 
 
 Deerfoot and the boys made the parting as 
 "informal" as possible. All through the win- 
 ter the Shawanoe had impressed upon the 
 Blackfeet that this separation in the nature of 
 things would be brief. The time was certain 
 to come, at no distant day, when they would all 
 be together again. So he smiled, the boys bade 
 good-bye to the numerous lads with whom they 
 had played and hunted, and were so happy 
 over the prospect of soon seeing their own 
 home again that they could not repress their 
 delight nor pay much attention to the regret, if 
 not sadness, of the aboriginal youngsters. 
 
 Deerfoot 's last hour in the village was spent 
 alone with Taggarak in his lodge. What took 
 place there and what was said by each were 
 never known to anyone beside themselves. 
 
 By the middle of the afternoon our friends 
 had penetrated a number of miles to the east- 
 ward. A good deal of snow remained, and 
 they had to pick their way with care. They 
 would have been wise had they remained 
 
272 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 another month, as they were urged to do; but 
 Deerfoot himself was as homesick as his com- 
 panions and as willing as they to face the hard- 
 ships that had to be faced for several weeks to 
 come. 
 
 Jack, Prince, Zigzag and even Whirlwind 
 showed the effects of their long confinement, but 
 all appeared to share the enthusiasm of their 
 owners and worked royally to get forward. 
 When they had traveled the distance named, the 
 rest given them by their masters was not unwel- 
 come. 
 
 Naturally, upon halting, all turned their eyes 
 westward. A moderate mountain spur hid the 
 village from sight, but each knew where it lay. 
 George and Victor scanned the field of vision 
 with the aid of the glass, but noted nothing 
 unusual. When Deerfoot took the instrument 
 he stood for a long time directed toward a cer- 
 tain spot. He expected to see some object, and 
 was not disappointed. On the top of the same 
 bare brown rock where he had caught sight of 
 Mul-tal-la when Deerfoot was coming to the 
 village for the first time, he descried another 
 form. It was not that of Mul-tal-la; it was 
 Taggarak, who had climbed alone to the place, 
 
HOMEWARD BOUND* 273 
 
 and, silent and motionless as a statue, was gaz- 
 ing after the little party of horsemen as they 
 slowly faded from view in the distance. 
 
 George and Victor kept their eyes on their 
 friend, and when they noted the length of time 
 he held the glass leveled they suspected the 
 cause. 
 
 "He sees some one," said George, in a low 
 tone. 
 
 "It must be Taggarak. Look!" 
 
 Deerfoot had lowered the instrument and 
 was peering westward with his unaided vision. 
 He was testing whether he could thus discern 
 that which the glass revealed plainly. Evi- 
 dently he did so, though the boys could not 
 locate the form, even when they knew almost 
 precisely where to look for it. 
 
 Standing upright, the Shawanoe took his 
 blanket from the back of Whirlwind and swung 
 it back and forth over his head, for fully a 
 dozen times. Then, dropping it to his feet, he 
 brought the glass again to his eye. 
 
 "Taggarak has seen it," whispered Victor, 
 who, like his brother, was watching the face of 
 Deerfoot and noted the smile come to his coun- 
 tenance. 
 
 18 
 
274 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 Such was the fact. As the Shawanoe looked 
 again he observed the chieftain rise from his 
 sitting position and reply to the signal by wav- 
 ing his own blanket. The trained vision of the 
 veteran warrior saw as clearly as those of 
 youth. The action of Taggarak brought him 
 into view of the lads, both noting the flick- 
 ering of what resembled a mere speck in the 
 distance. Finally, Deerfoot lowered the glass 
 and turned about, as if to say that was the final 
 parting from the chief who held him in such 
 loving remembrance. 
 
 The mountain peaks on every hand were 
 covered with snow. On the lower ranges this 
 would gradually dissolve under the rays of the 
 sun, but others were so lofty that the white 
 blanket remained throughout the year. While 
 gazing at a towering range to the northeast the 
 three witnessed the descent of an avalanche. 
 Deerfoot was the first to see it, and directed the 
 notice of the boys to the vast disturbance. 
 
 The glance revealed nothing unusual, the 
 enormous extent of slope looking as if it were 
 motionless, but a second look told the truth. A 
 grove of pines at the base of the range were 
 suddenly snuffed out. This was because they 
 
HOMEVARD BOUND. 275 
 
 disappeared under the prodigious mass of 
 snow and ice that swept over them. Then a 
 dark, irregular line, running right and left, and 
 roughly parallel with the crest of the range, 
 came into view. It was an eighth of a mile in 
 length and the narrow width rapidly increased 
 until there was a rent or yawn of several hun- 
 dred feet, zigzagging from one side to the 
 other. The dark color of this chasm was due 
 to rocks and ground, and marked the break 
 between the two sections or divisions of the 
 avalanche. The upper portion caught and 
 held, while the remainder swept downward 
 without check. Thus a huge gap was opened, 
 through which the brown earth and stones 
 showed. 
 
 The next strange sight was that of boulders, 
 some of them weighing many tons, flung high 
 in air and tossed about like so many corks. 
 One might have thought that Titans were dis- 
 porting themselves as did the fabled gods on 
 Mount Olympus. As the inconceivable moun- 
 tain of snow crashed onward it spread out at 
 the base of the range, and finally settled to 
 rest. Had an ordinary town been in its path 
 it would have been buried to the tops of the 
 highest steeples. 
 
276 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 Nearly all this had taken place before the 
 three spectators heard the deep, thunderous 
 roar that rolled across the space and told of 
 the stupendous mass that had been loosened by 
 the undermining rays of the sun or by some 
 trifling disturbance of the atmosphere. 
 
 "If we should be caught in anything like 
 that," said Victor, "it would take us a good 
 while to dig out." 
 
 "My brothers might never dig out," said 
 Deerfoot. 
 
 "What is there to hinder!" 
 
 "There are many stones and rocks and 
 boulders tumbling about in the snow, and they 
 would be likely to kill us." 
 
 "Then, Deerfoot, you must keep your eyes 
 open for avalanches. It would be pretty hard 
 for the horses, though Zigzag has sort of got 
 used to it." 
 
 Little need for warning the Shawanoe of his 
 duty. That was what he had been attending to 
 all his life. He had never placed himself and 
 friends in the way of an impending avalanche. 
 Recalling their course since leaving the village, 
 the brothers understood better than before the 
 cause of more than one tortuous winding by 
 
HOMEWARD BOUND. 277 
 
 their guide, when they had been unable to 
 guess the reason for such quixotic turns that 
 did not lessen the labor of traveling itself. 
 
 It was not yet midday, and the halt was not 
 made for food for either man or beast. In 
 truth, grass was so scarce, except here and 
 there in the sheltered nooks and depressions, 
 that some dependence would have to be placed 
 for awhile on the barks of trees. Zigzag showed 
 a meekness that roused distrust on the part of 
 the boys. He must have found the heavy pack 
 quite onerous, but he did not rebel. Whirlwind 
 showed little lessening of his aristocratic 
 tastes, and refused to mingle on anything like 
 equal terms with the common stock around 
 him. 
 
 When Deerfoot and his companions were 
 journeying- west ward they decided to return by 
 a different route from the Blackfoot country. 
 Their first intention was to travel eastward 
 until they reached the upper waters of the 
 Mississippi, and then make their way down 
 that stream to civilization, following in a gen- 
 eral way the course of the mighty stream. 
 With their horses, and without large boats, they 
 could not utilize the current, unless perhaps 
 
278 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 after descending a long distance they were able 
 to construct a large raft. 
 
 This plan, which would have taken them 
 through the hunting grounds of the Assini- 
 boines, was changed, and they turned to the 
 southeast, having been told that that course 
 offered less difficulties to them. They gave up 
 their former plan because of their wish to 
 enter a moderate climate as soon as possible. 
 Although spring was well begun, they had a 
 good deal of snow and ice to encounter, and 
 were likely to meet it for weeks to come. This 
 was shown on their second day, when a driving 
 storm of snow and sleet forced them to seek 
 shelter for themselves and horses, and another 
 day passed before they could resume their 
 journey. 
 
 The most trying difficulty was that of cross- 
 ing streams, which were more numerous than 
 they had supposed. Some were mountain tor- 
 rents of only a few yards width, others 
 deserved the name of rivers, and the current of 
 each was of icy coldness. More than once they 
 saw blocks of ice grinding and tumbling over 
 one another as they plunged rapidly onward. 
 It was so dangerous at times for the horses to 
 
HOMEWARD BOUND. 279 
 
 attempt to swim across, and so hard and disa- 
 greeable for the youths, that hours were spent 
 in hunting for a fording place. Fortunately 
 they were always able to gather enough fuel to 
 make themselves comfortable at night; grass 
 became more plentiful and no trouble was had 
 in procuring game. This generally consisted 
 of bison, but it was a great improvement when 
 they were able to bring down a Eocky Moun- 
 tain sheep. This animal does not bear wool, 
 but hair like that of the deer, and is larger than 
 the largest domestic sheep. The horns of the' 
 males attain great size, starting from just 
 above the eyes, though not touching at the 
 bases, and curving over so as to include all the 
 space between the ears. The meat at certain 
 seasons is very palatable and held in high 
 favor. The animal is generally known by the 
 name of the "big horn," and is so skilful a 
 climber. and so alert that it is quite a feat for 
 a hunter to bring down a specimen. Deerf oot 
 was the only one on this return journey who 
 was able to bag the game, which never failed 
 to elude George and Victor Shelton. 
 
CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 A MEMORABLE MEETING. 
 
 IF you will examine the map of the State of 
 Montana you will note that the central 
 county bears the name of Fergus, while 
 one of the counties lying directly south is Yel- 
 lowstone. The boundary between these two is 
 the Musselshell Eiver, which, flowing directly 
 northward, separates Ouster and Dawson 
 counties, joining the Missouri at the northeast- 
 ern corner of Fergus County. It was in the 
 latter part of May, 1805, that Deerfoot and the 
 two Shelton boys, after a long, wearisome ride 
 and tramp through a wild and unknown region, 
 broken by mountain spurs and crossed by num- 
 berless streams, arrived at the mouth of the 
 Musselshell. 
 
 Even with summer hardly a fortnight off, ice 
 formed at night, flurries of snow filled the air 
 at times and the camp fire became a necessity. 
 And yet our friends were plagued by mos- 
 quitoes, grass was plentiful, and there was no 
 
 280 
 
A MEMORABLE MEETING. 28J 
 
 lack of game. The party seemed to be sharing 
 the summer and winter seasons, with the most 
 disagreeable features of both. 
 
 Having followed the Missouri so far, Deer- 
 foot said that a crossing place must be found 
 before the morrow, for it was inevitable that 
 the farther they went down stream the larger 
 it would become, because of its numerous trib- 
 utaries. The Missouri was an eighth of a mile 
 across at its junction with the Musselshell, but 
 its current was gentle. Not an Indian had 
 been seen for four days, and Deerfoot was on 
 foot searching the northern shore for a good 
 crossing place when George Shelton called 
 out: 
 
 "Look! There are white men on the other 
 side of the river !" 
 
 Deerfoot had observed them and had halted 
 and scrutinized them with no little interest and 
 wonder. The first sight was of six or eight 
 men coming round a bend in the Missouri, all 
 having hold of a long elk-skin rope which, pass- 
 ing over the shoulder of each, was fastened to 
 a large pirogue. Directly behind them was a 
 similar boat, and then six small canoes, 
 the whole string being towed by fully a score of 
 
282 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 men. The boats contained a large amount of 
 luggage, while a dozen men, one of whom was a 
 negro servant, took turns at the labor. 
 
 Since the afternoon was drawing to a close 
 the party came to a pause, and the next minute 
 were looking across the stream at the three 
 youths with their four animals, the riders hav- 
 ing dismounted, each party much impressed by 
 sight of the other. At the suggestion of Deer- 
 foot, Victor Shelton acted as spokesman. 
 
 "Helloa!" called the lad, "Who are you?" 
 
 A man answered in a clear voice: 
 
 "This is a United States expedition under 
 Captains Lewis and Clark, on its way to the 
 Pacific Ocean. Who are you?" 
 
 "This is an American expedition under 
 Deerfoot the Shawanoe, on its way from the 
 Pacific Ocean." 
 
 The man turned and said something to a 
 companion near him. They seemed amused by 
 the reply, and the former speaker called back: 
 
 "Won't you join us in camp?" 
 
 "We shall be glad to do so. We are hunting 
 for a ford." 
 
 "I don't think you will find any. We will 
 send our canoes to you and you can swim your 
 horses over." 
 
A MEMORABLE MEETING. 283 
 
 "We shall be very much obliged, and shall 
 be glad to stay with you till morning." 
 
 A few minutes later two canoes, each in 
 charge of a single man, put out from the south- 
 ern shore and were paddled across the Mis- 
 souri to our friends. The luggage was removed 
 from the back of Zigzag and placed in one of 
 the boats, which was so deeply laden that it 
 could carry no one beside the white man. The 
 other was buoyant enough, though severely 
 taxed, to sustain the four. The horses swam 
 beside the boats. 
 
 When Deerfoot took his place he said to the 
 white man: 
 
 "My brother has worked hard. Will he not 
 let Deerfoot take the paddle?" 
 
 "I have no objection," replied the other, 
 with a grin, "if you think you know how to do 
 it better than I." 
 
 "No better than my brother, but I hope 
 nearly as well." 
 
 "Just watch him," added Victor. "If 
 there's anybody on either side of the Missis- 
 sippi that can beat that Shawanoe handling a 
 canoe, I'll eat him, boots and all." 
 
 Deerfoot had no wish to display his skill, 
 
384 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 but since it was impossible for him to paddle 
 without doing that he quickly won the admira- 
 tion of the fellow, who was tired and glad to be 
 relieved from work. He noted the easy grace 
 and slight effort with which the dusky youth 
 drove the craft athwart the current, quickly 
 leaving the other boat behind, and called to his 
 companion : 
 
 "Pete, he knows his business! Never seen 
 his like. Hitch your canoe fast and he'll tow 
 you over without using more than one hand 
 and with both eyes shet." 
 
 Deerfoot acted as if he did not understand 
 the words, and impelled the craft so accurately 
 that when it touched shore it did so at a point 
 precisely opposite the spot where he and his 
 companions had entered the craft. 
 
 "While our friends were crossing the Mis- 
 souri the explorers completed their prepara- 
 tions for the evening. They had toiled hard all 
 day in pulling, pushing and paddling the boats 
 up stream, for there were not many places 
 where progress could be made by any other 
 means. The pirogues were furnished with 
 sails, and now and then a strong favorable 
 wind lightened the toil of the men. 
 
A MEMORABLE MEETING. 285 
 
 When Deerfoot and the boys stepped out of 
 the boat and came up the low but steep bank, 
 two persons, attired in rough garb resembling 
 that worn by hunters, came forward and cor- 
 dially received them. The one in advance 
 extended his hand and said : 
 
 1 ' I am Captain Meriwether Lewis, and this is 
 my friend, Captain William Clark. We are 
 glad to meet you." 
 
 As he spoke he offered his hand to George 
 Shelton, who introduced himself and then his 
 companions. 
 
 "This is my twin brother Victor, though he 
 hardly looks it. This is our guide, Deerfoot 
 the Shawanoe." 
 
 The two officers welcomed the little party, 
 and Captain Lewis added: 
 
 "We should be glad to have you spend sev- 
 eral days with us, but you seem to be traveling 
 in the opposite direction. " 
 
 "Yes," said George, "we are homeward 
 bound, and have been gone so long that we feel 
 in somewhat of a hurry. ' ' 
 
 "May I ask where your home is?" 
 
 "In southern Ohio, at the settlement of 
 Woodvale, near the mouth of the Miami." 
 
286 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 "You are a long way from there." 
 
 "Yes," Victor took it upon himself to 
 remark, "but we have been a good deal far- 
 ther." 
 
 "When did you leave Woodvale?" 
 
 "About a year ago." 
 
 "And how far west have you been!" 
 
 "Far enough to get a glimpse of the Pacific 
 Ocean." 
 
 "That is our destination. We thought we 
 were to be the first white men to make the 
 journey." 
 
 "So you will be, for we did not go all the 
 way to the coast. I suppose you will do that?" 
 
 "Such are our instructions from President 
 Jefferson." 
 
 While this conversation was going on other 
 members of the exploring party gathered 
 round. George had yielded the place of 
 spokesman to his brother, and Deerfoot stood 
 a few paces behind him. He was conscious of 
 the curious scrutiny he was under from several 
 of the members, but he acted as if unaware of 
 it and held his peace. But he, too, was using 
 his eyes and listening to the talk of the leaders, 
 in whom he was much interested. 
 
A MEMORABLE MEETING. 287 
 
 Victor fancied he detected just a shade of 
 disappointment in the last remark of Captain 
 Lewis, and he hastened to add: 
 
 "We amount to nothing. Only two of us 
 belong to your race, and we cannot ask to be 
 considered as men for a few years to come." 
 
 "You are husky-looking youngsters," added 
 Captain Clark, from his place beside his asso- 
 ciate, as he looked admiringly at the two lads. 
 
 "Where did you spend the winter?" contin- 
 ued Lewis. 
 
 "In the Blackfoot country, to the northwest. 
 We reached there last autumn and stayed until 
 a few weeks ago." 
 
 "I need not ask you if you were well treated, 
 for your looks show that." 
 
 "They were all our friends. We should 
 have perished so far north had we not found 
 refuge among them." 
 
 "But we are forgetting our hospitality. We 
 will have your horses looked after. Come over 
 by the camp for supper, which will soon be 
 ready. That is the finest horse I ever saw. 
 Which of you is his owner!" 
 
 "He belongs to Deerfoot." 
 
 "Where did he get him?" 
 
288 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 "Last year the Shawanoe's horse was hurt 
 so badly that he had to kill him. Soon after 
 we came across this stallion and Deerfoot man- 
 aged to capture and tame him." 
 
 "He looks as if he might have been the king 
 of a drove." 
 
 "He was. The Shawanoe cut him out and 
 conquered him." 
 
 Now Deerfoot, while crossing the river, had 
 warned the boys not to indulge in any boasts 
 about him, as you know they were fond of 
 doing. Despite his matchless prowess and 
 skill, he disliked, above everything else, to be 
 paraded before others and to be forced into 
 showing what he was able to do. It was pain- 
 ful to George and Victor to be compelled to 
 suppress their feelings in this way, but they 
 meant to obey their friend, so far as they pos- 
 sibly could. 
 
 It was evident that neither Captain Lewis 
 nor Clark nor any of the listeners believed the 
 statement just made by Victor Shelton. The 
 latter glanced at the Shawanoe for permission 
 to explain. Deerfoot wrinkled his brow and 
 shook his head. So the explanation was not 
 made just then. 
 
A MEMORABLE MEETING. 289 
 
 The group now sauntered over to the large 
 fire that had been kindled a few rods back from 
 the river bank. Three men were busy prepar- 
 ing the evening meal, the others sauntering 
 here and there, looking after the luggage, a 
 portion of which had been brought ashore. 
 Deerfoot walked over to Whirlwind, who was 
 expecting such attention, and guided him some 
 distance inland, where there was plenty of suc- 
 culent grass and he could graze apart from the 
 common herd. That equine would never lose 
 his pride until he died. Patting his nose and 
 softly bidding him good-bye, the Shawanoe 
 hastened back to his friends, who had seated 
 themselves on a fallen tree on one side of the 
 fire, while Captains Lewis and Clark were sim- 
 ilarly placed opposite. Two of the men were 
 passing around ordinary tin plates, but no 
 knives and no forks were called into use, one's 
 fingers serving in their stead. 
 
 The explorers had not suffered from any 
 lack of game. The catfish taken from the river 
 weighed three or four pounds apiece, and sev- 
 eral deer, elks and bears had been shot* 
 Among the latter was one belonging to the 
 grizzly species. To show the tenacity of these 
 
 19 
 
290 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 mammoth brutes, the journal of the explorers 
 records that after the beast had been shot 
 through the heart "he ran at his usual pace 
 nearly a quarter of a mile before he fell." Wild 
 geese were seen in such numbers that their kill- 
 ing often became so easy that it could not be 
 called sport. 
 
 By the time our friends had completed their 
 meal night had fully come, and the drop in the 
 temperature made the warmth of the blaze 
 pleasant. A second fire had been started at 
 some distance, where most of the men gath- 
 ered. Being apart from their leaders, there 
 was more freedom of action and speech. In 
 the course of the evening the boys heard the 
 strains of a violin coming from the other camp, 
 and, turning their heads, saw one of the men 
 seated on a boulder with his head thrown back 
 and vigorously sawing on his fiddle, while his 
 companions were dancing in the open space in 
 front, which was lit up by the firelight. Most 
 of the hardy fellows solemnly swayed their 
 bodies and shuffled back and forth with their 
 arms akimbo, but others were more lively and 
 dashed off jigs, reels and rigadoons. A French 
 voyageur suddenly threw up his heels, support- 
 
A MEMORABLE MEETING. 29J 
 
 ing himself on his hands, and kept excellent 
 time to the notes of the fiddle. 
 
 Neither Lewis nor Clark had ever heard of 
 Deerfoot, but it soon developed that three of 
 their men, Joseph and Reuben Shields and 
 George Shannon, of Kentucky, knew a good 
 deal about him. Shannon was but a boy him- 
 self, being only seventeen years old, but had 
 once met the Shawanoe along the Ohio, when 
 he was in the company of Simon Kenton. Deer- 
 foot recalled the incident, and was glad to 
 renew the acquaintance. At the invitation of 
 Shannon he walked with him to the farther 
 camp fire, and became a pleased witness of the 
 boisterous sport of the men. 
 
CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION* 
 
 WITH George and Victor Shelton seated 
 on the fallen tree on one side of the 
 camp fire, and Captains Lewis and 
 Clark on the other, these two famous explorers 
 told the story of their expedition, which must 
 always retain an historical interest for all 
 of us. 
 
 As early as 1785, while Jefferson was in 
 Paris, he hecame impressed with the value of 
 the Northwest. This interest increased after 
 his return home, and when he became Presi- 
 dent he secured an appropriation of twenty- 
 five hundred dollars from Congress for the 
 purpose of defraying the expense of an explor- 
 ation of the vast region to the northwest of the 
 Mississippi. This appropriation was made in 
 February, 1803. 
 
 The area of Louisiana was more than a mil- 
 lion square miles, and greater than that of the 
 whole United States as it then existed. It was 
 
 292 
 
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION. 293 
 
 purchased from France for the sum of fifteen 
 million dollars, the treaty to that effect between 
 the two governments being ratified in the sum- 
 mer of the year named. By this single transac- 
 tion the dominion of the United States was 
 extended across the whole continent of North 
 America, from the Atlantic to the Pacific. 
 
 The exploring party that entered this enor- 
 mous region was under the command of Cap- 
 tains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. 
 It will be noted that both of these officers held 
 the same rank. Military law does not permit 
 the anomaly of equal authority, and Clark was 
 really the junior, but in point of fact the rights 
 of the two were the same. They were so con- 
 siderate toward each other that no difference 
 ever arose, and "the actual command and con- 
 duct of the expedition devolved upon each in 
 exactly equal degree." 
 
 Lewis belonged to an old Virginia family and 
 early displayed enterprise, boldness and dis- 
 cretion. He won the promotion to a captaincy 
 at the age of twenty-two, and was barely thirty 
 years of age when called to take part in this 
 memorable exploration. Clark was also a 
 native of Virginia, but his childhood had been 
 
294 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 spent in Kentucky, whither his parents 
 removed. He was a younger brother of the 
 more famous General George Eogers Clark, 
 but for whom the Allegheny Mountains instead 
 of the Mississippi would have been our western 
 boundary after the close of the Ke volution. 
 He was about thirty-three years old when he 
 joined Lewis. He possessed excellent qualities, 
 and it may be said that no two persons could 
 have been selected who were better fitted to 
 lead the score and a half of men across the con- 
 tinent. 
 
 On July 5, 1803, Captain Lewis left Wash- 
 ington, hoping to gather his men and materials 
 in time to reach La Charrette, the upper white 
 settlement on the Missouri, and there spend the 
 winter. The inevitable delays followed, and 
 the Spanish commandant of the province, not 
 having received official notice of the transfer, 
 would not allow the expedition to pass through 
 the territory. The explorers, therefore, went 
 into camp for the winter at the mouth of the 
 Du Bois Eiver, a little north of St. Louis, on 
 the eastern bank of the Mississippi. This point 
 was left on May 14, 1804. Entering the Indian 
 country the leaders held a council with the 
 
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION. 295 
 
 Ottoes and Missouris, and by the distribution 
 of gewgaws and presents won the good will of 
 the red men. Lewis and Clark named the place 
 of meeting Council Bluff, which is retained to 
 this day, although the site of the modern city 
 is below the meeting place and on the opposite, 
 side of the river. ^ 
 
 For a time the expedition acted the part of 
 peacemaker among the Indians. The officers 
 patched up peace agreements between the 
 tribes that were on the verge of warfare, and 
 made treaties with the Yankton branch of the 
 Sioux and the Eicaras. All these natives were 
 familiar with white men, having known both 
 French traders and the employees of the Brit- 
 ish Fur Company. The Indians showed a 
 friendly disposition toward the explorers, but 
 their wonder was unbounded at sight of the 
 African servant, he being the first of his race 
 they had ever seen. With the waggery of his 
 nature this negro gravely informed them that 
 he was really a wild animal that had been 
 caught and tamed. The simple folk believed 
 his fantastic yarns, which were emphasized by 
 numerous feats of strength on his part. 
 
 Progress up the river was slow, because of 
 
296 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 the many sand bars and numerous curves of 
 the stream. The hunters, who kept in advance, 
 secured large quantities of fresh meat, and 
 dried a good deal for the winter supply. The 
 region of the Mandans was reached in the 
 latter part of October. There a fort was built 
 and occupied during the winter. This was in 
 what is now McLean County, North Dakota. 
 The winter was very severe, and many of the 
 men had their hands and feet frostbitten, 
 while the continual glare of the snow caused a 
 temporary blindness. 
 
 At this fort another interpreter was engaged. 
 He was a Canadian, whose wife was a member 
 of the Snake tribe of Indians of the Eocky 
 Mountains. She was stolen when a child and 
 brought east, where she was bought by the 
 Canadian, who made her his wife. She was a 
 remarkable woman, and the only one of her sex 
 who accompanied the party. When she set out 
 she carried an infant barely two months old. 
 She not only stood the journey as well as any 
 of the men, but displayed a rare degree of intel- 
 ligence. She remembered much of the wild 
 region through which the party had to pass, and 
 smoothed the way among her own race for the 
 
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION. 297 
 
 white invaders. She became very popular with 
 all the members, and deserved the praise which 
 the leaders gave her. 
 
 Six canoes were soon completed. The com- 
 pany made their start April 7, 1805, sixteen 
 going down stream with a barge laden with 
 curiosities of the region for President Jeffer- 
 son, while thirty-two formed the permanent 
 party, which pressed into the great unknown 
 region spreading out before them. The names 
 of all these explorers are preserved in the 
 archives of the War Department under the title 
 of "A roll of the men who accompanied Cap- 
 tains Lewis and Clark on their late tour to the 
 Pacific Ocean through the interior of the conti- 
 nent of North America, showing their rank, 
 with some remarks on their respective merits 
 and services." 
 
 Early as was the season, the men suffered 
 much from mosquitoes. Spring kept company 
 with the expedition. Herds of deer, elk, buffa- 
 loes and antelopes were seen grazing on the rich 
 grass, and there seemed no end to swans and 
 geese. Passing the alkali regions, the party 
 reached, in the latter part of April, the mouth 
 of a large river, to which they gave the name of 
 
298 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 Yellowstone. Joseph Fields, of Kentucky, 
 ascended it for eight miles, and was the first 
 white man to do so. Eains, high winds and cold 
 weather welcomed them into the hills of Mon- 
 tana, and often the boats had to be dragged 
 along the banks by means of elk-skin cords. 
 They were thus laboriously making their way 
 when, as has been shown, they were met by 
 Deerf oot and the Shelton brothers at the mouth 
 of the Musselshell Eiver. 
 
 The story of the Lewis and Clark expedition, 
 therefore, ended for George and Victor Shelton 
 at the point named. It will not be uninterest- 
 ing, however, to sum up the history of one of 
 the most memorable enterprises connected with 
 the development of the West. Captains Lewis 
 and Clark gained a great deal of valuable 
 knowledge from the boys, who had traversed a 
 large part of the region which they intended to 
 explore. The excellent memories and the 
 marked intelligence of the youths were admired 
 by the officers. 
 
 A few days after the meeting between the two 
 parties Lewis climbed to the top of the highest 
 elevation north of the river and gained his first 
 view of the Eocky Mountains, known at that 
 
LEVIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION. 299 
 
 time as the Stony Mountains. All the numer- 
 ous streams were described and named. It has 
 been charged against the explorers that they 
 were lacking in sentiment and imagination, for 
 most of the names thus given by them have been 
 supplanted by others, but it cannot be said that 
 these changes have always been an improve- 
 ment. 
 
 On the second day of summer the explorers 
 had to face a puzzling problem. A large branch 
 flowing from the north was so similar to the 
 Missouri that it seemed it must be that river, 
 while the one hitherto accepted as such bore to 
 the south. Which was the branch that, accord- 
 ing to the reports of the Indians, had its rise in 
 the Rocky Mountains, near the source of the 
 Columbia! To settle the question the party 
 divided, one ascending either branch. Upon 
 reuniting it was agreed that the south branch 
 was the real Missouri. The northern stream 
 was named the Maria. This was another of the 
 few instances in which the title given by the 
 explorers stuck. 
 
 The rapids five miles below the Falls of the 
 Missouri were reached on June 15. These had 
 to be passed by a portage. An idea can be 
 
300 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 formed of the great difficulties encountered 
 when it is stated that, although the portage was 
 hardly eighteen miles long, it took eleven days 
 to make it. The men, however, were in high 
 spirits, and at night Peter Cruzatte added to 
 the "gayety of nations" by playing on his 
 violin. 
 
 About the middle of August horses were 
 obtained from the tribe from which the Indian 
 wife of the interpreter had been stolen. The 
 passage through the mountains or over the 
 Divide caused the greatest suffering of the 
 expedition. The men had to cut their way in 
 many places through the brush, clamber over 
 jagged stones and climb such precipitous walls 
 that several of their horses were crippled. Then 
 snow began falling and the nights became very 
 cold. Game seemed to have deserted the coun- 
 try, and the sufferers had to eat all their supply 
 of flour and parched corn. Beginning with Sep- 
 tember 14, they were obliged to kill and eat 
 some of their horses, and even at that had to be 
 very sparing or the supply would have been 
 exhausted. 
 
 Descending the western side of the moun- 
 tains, however, they found abundant edible 
 
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION. 301 
 
 roots, dried salmon and dried berries at the 
 Indian villages. The famishing men feasted so 
 ravenously that most of them became ill. New 
 canoes were constructed, and leaving their 
 horses with a chief they started down the Clear- 
 water and reached the Columbia on October 16. 
 Ten days were occupied in making the portage 
 of the falls and rapids, and on the morning of 
 November 7, when the fog lifted, they saw in the 
 distance the Pacific Ocean. 
 
 A month later the party went into winter 
 quarters. It rained eternally, the weather was 
 chilly and their condition for a long time was 
 miserable in the extreme. The shelter built for 
 themselves was called Fort Clatsop. There 
 they remained until March 23, 1806, when the 
 explorers set out on their return journey. They 
 had to face difficulties, hardships and sufferings 
 again, but they had learned from experience 
 and were better prepared to do so. They 
 embarked on the Yellowstone July 24, and ten 
 days later reached its junction with the Mis- 
 souri. At this point the men were driven almost 
 frantic by the mosquitoes. At midday, Sep- 
 tember 23, 1806, they arrived at St. Louis, 
 where the whole town turned out to welcome 
 
302 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 them. There the party was disbanded, and, 
 passing to their various destinations, the Lewis 
 and Clark expedition took its place in history. 
 
 During the latter part of the chat between 
 Lewis and Clark, Deerfoot came quietly for- 
 ward and sat down beside the Shelton boys. He 
 listened closely to all that was said. When the 
 officers asked questions, the Shawanoe left the 
 answers to the brothers. But more than once 
 they were in doubt, and turned to him for aid. 
 His prompt response in every instance was 
 noticed by the officers, who, after a time, 
 addressed their questions almost wholly to him. 
 
 Finally, at a late hour, the visitors wrapped 
 themselves in their blankets and stretched out 
 on the ground, with their feet turned toward 
 the blaze. The explorers always maintained a 
 watch, for though they felt no fear of the 
 Indians they were subject to unpleasant visits, 
 as in the case when a bison swam a river and 
 went plunging like a steam engine through the 
 camp. Moreover, the men had seen enough of 
 the grizzly bear to hold him in respectful awe, 
 and they did not intend to have any of the 
 brutes steal a march upon them. 
 
 The moaning was clear and pleasant, and the 
 
LEWIS AND CLARK'S EXPEDITION. 303 
 
 explorers were astir at an early hour. A break- 
 fast was made from catfish and goose, and a 
 cordial farewell took place. The boys wished 
 Captains Lewis and Clark the best of fortune, 
 and Lewis complimented them, and especially 
 Deerfoot, for the information they had given 
 him of the region through which they expected 
 to force their way. In return, Lewis advised 
 his guests to bear directly to the south and not 
 to follow the course of the Missouri, as he and 
 his company had done. In fact, it would have 
 been absurd for the three to adopt any other 
 plan. They could make no use of the current 
 because they had no boats, and if they procured 
 them from the Indians they could not be made 
 to carry the horses. The distance was much 
 greater by the Lewis and Clark route, which 
 held no attractions to our friends. When, there- 
 fore, Victor Shelton told Captain Lewis that his 
 advice would be followed, he said that which 
 had been determined upon before the meeting 
 of the two parties. 
 
CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 OVERBOARD. 
 
 OUR friends, after parting with the Lewis 
 and Clark expedition, pressed south- 
 ward, in search of a milder climate and 
 a more direct route to their homes. They were 
 traversing a region hroken hy many streams, 
 detached mountain spurs and ranges of lofty 
 elevation. Black Butte, as it is known to-day, 
 in Dawson County, Montana, was left on the 
 left, after which they rode through the valley of 
 Little Porcupine Creek to the Yellowstone, 
 which was crossed with considerable difficulty. 
 Turning more to the east, they passed the 
 rough, precipitous section, the scene many 
 years afterward of the appalling Custer massa- 
 cre, and now an immense Indian reservation, 
 and, entering the present State of Wyoming, 
 skirted the foothills of the well-known Big 
 Horn range. Here the scenery was of the 
 grandest character. Had the party not been 
 accustomed for months to such impressive exhi- 
 
 304 
 
OVERBOARD. 305 
 
 bitions of the majesty of nature, they could have 
 spent weeks of enjoyment where the like is 
 found in few parts of the world. They pushed 
 on, however, not making what might be termed 
 a real halt until they came to the Laramie 
 Mountains, almost the equal of the former in 
 picturesque beauty. 
 
 By this time the unremitting hard work 
 began to tell upon the horses. Zigzag showed 
 slight lameness, and Jack, the animal ridden by 
 George Shelton, surely needed rest. Only 
 Whirlwind continued as powerful, active and 
 fresh as ever. Deerfoot and the boys always 
 walked a number of miles each day, not only 
 for the sake of the horses, but to gain the exer- 
 cise each needed. Deerfoot ran races with 
 Whirlwind, who was inconsiderate enough to 
 beat him every time. Sometimes they frolicked 
 like a couple of boys. The Shawanoe delighted 
 to tease the noble creature, who delighted to 
 have him do so. One habit of the youth was to 
 pretend he was offended with the stallion. He 
 would turn his back upon him and repel his 
 advances toward a reconciliation. Whirlwind 
 would poke his nose first over one shoulder and 
 then the other, rubbing it against the cheek of 
 
306 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 Deerfoot. If the latter sulked too long, Whirl- 
 wind would show his impatience by flirting his 
 head against that of the youth, whirling about, 
 kicking up his heels and galloping off. No 
 words could have said more plainly: 
 
 "I don't care. Pout all you want to. I 
 shan't coax you any more. I haven't much 
 opinion of you anyway." 
 
 And then Deerfoot had to make peace with 
 his offended majesty. But the stallion never 
 held off long, and George and Victor laughed at 
 the antics of the couple. 
 
 The halt of which I have spoken was made 
 one afternoon, near the southern end of the 
 Laramie range. No more favorable spot could 
 have been selected, for the grass was abundant 
 and of the best quality. A stream of consid- 
 erable size issued from the mountains and flow- 
 ing northeast joined the North Platte, a hun- 
 dred miles away, and there was enough timber 
 to yield all the fuel needed. The horses were 
 unsaddled and unbridled, the pack removed 
 from the back of Zigzag and the three owners 
 were at liberty to do whatever they chose to 
 pass away the hours. It was so late that they 
 stayed in camp till morning, when it was 
 
OVERBOARD. 307 
 
 decided to set off on a hunt, Deerf oot going by 
 himself, while the brothers, as usual, kept com- 
 pany. 
 
 There had hardly been a day since parting 
 from Lewis and Clark that our friends had not 
 seen Indians or signs of them. Sometimes it was 
 the smoke of their camp fires in the distance, and 
 then they caught sight of a band of horsemen, 
 who might number three or four or five times as 
 many warriors. It was the rule of Deerfoot to 
 avoid coming in contact with these wanderers, 
 so long as he could do so without rousing their 
 suspicion by his actions. While in a general 
 way the strangers could be counted upon as 
 friendly, they contained a ratio of lawless if 
 not desperate characters, who were liable to be 
 tempted by the hope of plunder. Whirlwind 
 was quite sure to attract envious eyes. More- 
 over, the party was now in a region which was 
 visited, more or less, by trappers and hunters 
 in the employ of fur companies, or who operated 
 independently. The majority of these men were 
 rough and reckless of the rights of others. 
 They had little faith in the Golden Eule where 
 Indians were concerned, and affrays between 
 them and the native inhabitants were numerous. 
 
308 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 Many a white man who went into the mountains 
 never came out again. He fell a victim to his 
 own wrongdoing and received the fate he had 
 invited so long. Others succeeded in getting 
 through the lines with their pack animals laden 
 with peltries, to St. Louis, to return again the 
 following autumn and to face and overcome, or 
 possibly fail to overcome, the perils they had 
 met so often. 
 
 The sun was shining from a clear, balmy sky, 
 for summer had come, when Deerfoot swept 
 every portion of the visible horizon with the 
 spyglass without detecting a sign of red men. 
 To the westward towered the immense Laramie 
 range, while the plains stretched eastward and 
 were crossed by numerous streams, on whose 
 banks thriving towns and cities have been built 
 in later days. Less than a hundred miles to tl_ ;: 
 southeast was the site of the present city of 
 Cheyenne. 
 
 Before reaching the scene of this encampment 
 the travelers had twice come within range of 
 grizzly bears. The first was ignored, but the 
 second did not choose to be passed by in such 
 cavalier fashion. He first appeared close to 
 camp, much to the terror of the horses, and then 
 
OVERBOARD. 309 
 
 deliberately proceeded to attack everything in 
 sight. He came within a hair, too, of killing 
 Zigzag and Prince before he was brought low by 
 the bullets of all three, Deerf oot burying two in 
 the colossal carcass. 
 
 Black and cinnamon bears were observed, but 
 no disturbance followed on the part of men or 
 brutes. Several times the wolves, coyotes and 
 pumas became so troublesome that a number 
 were killed. Bison 'were so plentiful that 
 hardly a day passed without sight of them. In 
 some instances the droves contained tens of 
 thousands. 
 
 George and Victor Shelton soon found them- 
 selves climbing among the foothills. Deerfoot 
 had gone in another direction, the agreement 
 being that they should return to camp soon 
 after meridian, and not to go far from head- 
 quarters. While none felt misgiving as to dan- 
 ger, all had learned to be circumspect. 
 
 It may be said that the stroll of the boys was 
 as much to gain exercise as to hunt game, 
 though the latter object was the one avowed by 
 them. In those days a person did not have to 
 look far for such sport, but it seemed as if the 
 wild animals scented the danger and kept out 
 
310 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 of the way. When noon came the tired boys sat 
 down beside a mountain torrent, without either 
 having fired his rifle. 
 
 "We haven't heard the report of Deerfoot's 
 gun," said George, "and I don't see that there 
 is any use of hunting further. ' ' 
 
 " Nor do I. I 'm hungry and we shan 't be able 
 to get anything to eat this side of camp. It 
 must be the game noticed that 7 was with you, 
 and they have all run to their holes." 
 
 "We have one consolation," remarked 
 George, ignoring the last sentence. "It will be 
 easier getting back to camp, for it's down hill 
 all the way." 
 
 "But we shall have a good deal of climbing 
 to do. I'm ready to say I've gained enough 
 exercise to last me till to-morrow. I think," 
 added Victor, rising to his feet and looking at 
 the noisy torrent a few feet in front, "that we 
 can shorten the distance by crossing that." 
 
 "How are we going to do it? We're not 
 likely to find it bridged. ' ' 
 
 "I'm sure we shall be able to leap across." 
 
 The two walked to the edge of the stream, 
 which may be described as a furious torrent, 
 rushing between the rocks, which were sepa- 
 
OVERBOARD. 3JJ 
 
 rated by a dozen feet, the upper margin being 
 one or two feet above the surface of the stream. 
 Standing on the edge of the small canon and 
 looking down, the boys saw that the water was 
 of crystalline clearness and was beaten in many 
 places into froth and foam, which sparkled with 
 every color of the rainbow as it shot into the 
 sunlight. The course of the torrent was so tor- 
 tuous and the turns so abrupt that clouds of 
 mist curled upward in places and caused the 
 rocks to drip with moisture. The roar was so 
 loud that the brothers had to shout to each 
 other. 
 
 "We might make a running leap here," said 
 George, "but it isn't worth while to take the 
 risk." 
 
 "There must be narrower portions. Let's 
 look." 
 
 Turning to the left, they had to go only a little 
 way when they found a favorable place. The 
 breadth was no more than seven or eight feet. 
 While they could not shorten the distance to 
 camp very much, the advantage was worth 
 striving for. 
 
 "No risk in that," remarked Victor, looking 
 at his brother, who nodded his head to signify 
 he agreed with him. 
 
3J2 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 "1*11 jump first," added Victor, walking back 
 several paces to gain the necessary start. He 
 could have made the leap without this prepara- 
 tion, but was using only ordinary prudence. 
 George stood to one side and close to the edge, 
 so as to observe every phase of the perform- 
 ance. Despite the apparent safety of the 
 attempt, a strange misgiving came over George, 
 and he turned to his brother to protest, when 
 he saw he had started on his brief run. He 
 carried his rifle in his right hand, took a num- 
 ber of short steps, measuring the distance with 
 his eye, so that the take-off should be exact, and 
 covered the space in a second or two. 
 
 George was watching every movement of the 
 supple limbs, when he uttered an exclamation 
 of horror. At the very moment Victor was 
 gathering his muscles for the leap, and when 
 close to the edge, the dripping stone caused his 
 foot to slip. He fell sideways, let go of his 
 rifle, which shot over the edge, and desperately 
 struggled to check himself. Had there been five 
 seconds at command he would have been saved. 
 George, who made the attempt, could have 
 dashed forward and grasped a foot or leg. Vic- 
 tor could have stopped, but the rock on which 
 
OVERBOARD. 3J3 
 
 he had fallen seemed to be covered with plum- 
 bago. While frantically clutching and vainly 
 trying to grasp some obstruction that would 
 overcome his momentum, he slid over the edge 
 and dropped into the boiling cauldron below. 
 The accident was begun and finished, as may be 
 said, in the twinkling of an eye. 
 
 Wild with affright, George ran to the edge 
 of the torrent and peered over. He caught a 
 glimpse of his brother a dozen yards away, 
 spinning down the torrent. He saw his head for 
 a moment, and then his arms thrown upward, as 
 he disappeared, blindly but vainly struggling to 
 save himself. In an instant he was whirled 
 round a bend in the canon, his body flung aloft 
 by the resistless force of the torrent, but hurled 
 hither and thither, as helpless as a log of wood. 
 
 Frantic and hardly conscious of what he was 
 doing, George dashed along the edge of the 
 canon, which sped faster than he could run. 
 One moment he was on the point of leaping into 
 the raging waters in the blind effort to save Vic- 
 tor, but the certainty that that would only add 
 another victim held him in restraint, and he 
 continued running, stumbling and praying in 
 agony for Heaven to intercede while it was yet 
 time. 
 
3J4 OEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 Suddenly he saw a man standing on the other 
 side of the canon some rods below, and staring 
 wonderingly at him. George raised his voice so 
 that it pierced the uproar like the notes of a 
 trumpet : 
 
 "Save him! Save him! He fell into the 
 water!" 
 
CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 JACK HALLOWAY AGAIN. 
 
 THE man was quick-witted. The words and 
 the frenzied gestures told a story which 
 he understood. Standingclose to the edge 
 of the stream, he peered into it and caught sight 
 of a white face, loosely flapping limbs and the 
 helpless drift of a human being, borne toward 
 him with the speed of a race horse. The top of 
 the bank was so near the surface that the man 
 dropped on his face, so as to be able to reach 
 forward and downward to the foaming torrent. 
 
 He saw the body coming, and braced himself 
 for the herculean effort that would be necessary 
 in the next breath. Reaching so far that he was 
 in danger of losing his own balance, he coolly 
 awaited the critical moment. Then his big hand 
 closed like the paw of a grizzly bear on the 
 shoulder of Victor Shelton. A tremendous 
 wrench and he was dragged out and dropped 
 limp and senseless at the feet of his rescuer. 
 
 George Shelton saw this much, and, hardly 
 
 315 
 
3J6 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 knowing what lie was doing, made a desperate 
 effort to leap the chasm, that he might join the 
 couple. But his foot slipped, too, and only by a 
 superhuman effort did he save himself from 
 tumbling into the swirling wrath of water. 
 Scrambling to his feet, he sped downward to 
 Victor and the stranger. The latter showed his 
 coolness by getting to work without the least 
 delay. Victor was senseless and had swallowed 
 a good deal of water. He seemed to be 
 drowned. 
 
 The man held him by the heels and was stand- 
 ing him on his head. Then he rolled him over 
 and pressed his chest, with that oscillation 
 which is helpful in restoring seemingly drowned 
 persons, while the breathless George stood idly 
 by watching everything with straining eyes. He 
 could do nothing but pray and hope. 
 
 At the end of a minute or two he saw, with joy 
 unspeakable, the signs of returning life. Victor 
 was on his back, as if dead, when he partly 
 opened his eyes ; but there was no expression in 
 them. His rescuer was scrutinizing the lad's 
 face and noted the awakening of consciousness. 
 Straightening up, he said with a sigh : 
 
 "He's all right now; but he couldn't have 
 come nigher pegging out." 
 
JACK HALLOWAY AGAIN, 3J7 
 
 66 You have saved him ! You have saved him ! 
 Oh, how can I thank you?" 
 
 And yielding to the reaction, George sobbed 
 like a child. The stranger looked at him with- 
 out speaking, and gave his attention again to 
 the prostrate form. Victor speedily regained 
 his senses, and, with a little help from the man, 
 sat up. He stared wonderingly at his new 
 friend and then at his brother, striving man- 
 fully to master his emotions. With the wag- 
 gery that cropped up at the most unexpected 
 times, he turned to George with the question : 
 
 "Are you crying because he saved my life?" 
 
 "I'm crying for joy. I had given up all 
 hope." 
 
 "So had I. I tell you I came pretty near 
 being a goner. Please help me up. ' ' 
 
 George took his hand and almost lifted Victor 
 to his feet. As he came up he made a grimace, 
 because of the pain that wrenched him. He was 
 so battered and bruised that the wonder was 
 that several bones had not been broken. 
 
 "Where's my rifle?" suddenly asked Victor, 
 looking about him. 
 
 "In the bottom of the canon, I reckon." 
 
 "Mebbe you'd like to make a dive for it," 
 suggested the man. 
 
3J8 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 "No, I've had enough of that. How shall 1 
 thank you for what you have done?" 
 
 "By not saying anything about it. By a piece 
 of good luck I happened to be on the spot in time 
 to give you a lift." 
 
 The boys now looked more closely at the Good 
 Samaritan. He was attired in the dress com- 
 mon among the trappers and hunters of the 
 Northwest in those days, and was a magnificent 
 specimen of physical manhood, being fully six 
 feet in height, with a broad, massive frame and 
 an immense grizzled beard, which flowed over 
 his chest and covered his face almost to the 
 eyes. He had laid down his long, formidable 
 rifle when he hurried to the rescue of the boy, 
 and he now stooped and picked up the weapon. 
 Moving back a few paces, so as to get beyond 
 the noise made by the rushing waters, he said, in 
 his gruff but not unpleasant voice : 
 
 "Tell me how this thing happened." 
 
 George briefly gave the particulars of the 
 mishap, to which the man silently listened. 
 
 "You ain't the only younker or man either 
 who has lost all by a little slip. The next time 
 you want to make a big jump be sure of your 
 footing. What are you two chaps doing in this 
 part of the world?" 
 
JACK HALLOWAY AGAIN. 3J9 
 
 "We have been across the continent, almost 
 to the Pacific, and are now on the way to our 
 home in Ohio." 
 
 "You ain't traveling alone, are you?" 
 
 "No; we have a companion, who is off some- 
 where in the mountains, but will soon join us in 
 camp." 
 
 " 'Pears to me you've been on a powerful 
 long tramp." 
 
 "We have. We spent last winter among the 
 Blackfeet, and are homesick." 
 
 "I reckon your camp ain't fur off, and we 
 may as well go there." 
 
 "We shall be glad to have you with us, for 
 you have proved the best of friends." 
 
 "Thar! Thar! Drop that; talk about some- 
 thing else." 
 
 When Victor tried to walk he had to lean on 
 the shoulder of his brother, and the pain from 
 his bruises compelled him at times to stop and 
 rest. The burly trapper offered to help, but 
 Victor thanked him and got on quite well with 
 the assistance of George. The man walked a 
 few paces behind the two, that he might not 
 hurry them too much, and because it belonged to 
 the boys to act as guide. 
 
320 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 "Who is the man youVe got with you?" 
 
 "He is a young Shawanoe Indian named 
 Deerfoot," replied George Shelton. 
 
 "What!" exclaimed the trapper, stopping as 
 if shot. "Do you mean that handsome young 
 warrior who went through the country below us 
 last summer with a Blackfoot redskin and two 
 younkers?" 
 
 "The same. We are the boys that were with 
 him." 
 
 "Wai, I'll be skulped!" added the other, as 
 if he could not do justice to his feelings. "I 
 never dreamed of anything like that." 
 
 "Like what?" asked George. 
 
 "Seeing that Shawanoe agin. Say, he's a 
 great one, ain't he?" 
 
 "You know him, then?" 
 
 "Wai, I reckon. He done me the greatest 
 favor of my life greater than what I done that 
 chap of yourn a little while ago. ' ' 
 
 "I don't see how that can be," remarked the 
 limping Victor;" "but Deerfoot is always doing 
 good to others." 
 
 "Didn't he ever tell you anything about 
 
 "You haven't told us your name." 
 
 "I'm Jack Halloway." 
 
HALLOW AY AGAIN. 32) 
 
 The boys agreed that they had never heard 
 the Shawanoe mention him by name. Victor 
 added : 
 
 "He is the last one to speak of his good deeds, 
 and he doesn't like to hear anyone else speak 
 of them.' ' 
 
 "He'll hear some one talk when I see him," 
 chuckled the trapper, with a shaking of his her- 
 culean shoulders. 
 
 Because of Victor's hurts the descent among 
 the foothills to camp took a long time, and the 
 afternoon was well gone when the three reached 
 headquarters. While a little way off the three 
 caught sight of the Shawanoe, who had started 
 a fire and was broiling buffalo steak for supper. 
 He looked with surprise at sight of Victor lean- 
 ing on the shoulder of his brother and walking 
 with difficulty, and at the towering form behind 
 them. Ceasing his work, he came forward to 
 greet the party. He paid no attention to the 
 man until George Shelton told of the mishap 
 in which the life of Victor was saved by the per- 
 son behind them. 
 
 During this brief interchange the trapper 
 kept in the background, with his eyes on the 
 Shawanoe. Needless to say, Deerfoot had rec- 
 V a 
 
322 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 ognized him at the first glance. Not suspecting 
 this, the man now came forward, the moving of 
 the beard about his mouth showing that he was 
 grinning and chuckling. 
 
 "I reckon you don't remember me, Deer- 
 foot. " 
 
 "Deerfoot could never forget his brother, 
 Jack Halloway," replied the youth, extending 
 his hand, which was warmly grasped by the 
 trapper. 
 
 "I'm powerful glad to meet you agin, Shawa- 
 noe, though I hadn't much hope of ever doing 
 so. Talk about friends, you beat 'em all, and 
 I'll be skulped if you don't look handsomer than 
 ever no you don't, for that couldn't be. Shake 
 agin, pardner." 
 
 Deerfoot was as pleased to meet his old 
 acquaintance as the latter was to see him. All 
 seated themselves on the ground about the 
 blaze, and as night had not yet come the meal 
 was deferred until more was learned of what 
 had taken place during the interval between the 
 former meeting and the present coming 
 together. 
 
 "Why is my brother in the mountains at this 
 season of the year?" asked Deerfoot, when the 
 trapper had lit his pipe. 
 
JACK HALLOVAY AGAIN. 323 
 
 Of course cold weather is the time for trap- 
 ping fur-bearing animals. The custom in the 
 olden days was for the hunters to go into the 
 mountains in the autumn, spend the time until 
 spring in gathering peltries, and then bring 
 them to civilization for sale. It was now sum- 
 mer, and it was not to be supposed that Jack 
 Halloway was engaged on professional business 
 in the Laramie Mountains. He explained: 
 
 "Last fall I took a partner Dick Burley by 
 name and we put in the winter among the 
 beaver runs and mountains over to the north- 
 west. We done so poor that I let Dick start 
 with the pack animals for St. Louis, without me 
 going with him. He hadn't more than half a 
 load, and we made up our minds that we'd got to 
 find new trapping grounds or we shouldn't 
 make enough to pay for our salt. So me and 
 Dick parted and IVe been on the tramp for two 
 months. ' ' 
 
 "How did you make out?" asked Victor, who, 
 having found an easy position for his aching 
 body, felt it his duty to join in the discussion. 
 
 "I hit it when I came to this part of the coun- 
 try. A few miles south are hundreds of beaver, 
 foxes, otter and other critters whose furs we're 
 
324 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 after. I don 't think a single one of 'em has ever 
 been trapped. There 's where me and Dick will 
 try it next fall." 
 
 6 ' Then you will soon go home 1 ' ' 
 
 "I intended to start to-morrow. My horse is 
 a little way back among the foothills, stuffing 
 himself with enough grass to last him a week." 
 
 "My brother will go with us," said the 
 pleased Deerfoot. 
 
 "If you don't feel too proud to have me for 
 company, I'll be mighty glad to go with you." 
 
 "Nothing will suit us better," said George, 
 heartily. It was natural that he and Victor 
 should feel profoundly grateful to the trapper. 
 Even had he not done them so measureless a 
 service they would have liked him from the first. 
 
 It was not until the night had fully come, the 
 evening meal eaten and the fire replenished, 
 though the weather remained mild, that a full 
 interchange took place among the different 
 members of the little party. Victor suffered 
 less from his bruises, and with his blanket 
 wrapped about his shoulders showed no effects 
 from his terrifying adventure. The horses 
 were left to themselves, Jack Halloway saying 
 that no attention need be given to his, despite 
 
JACK HALLOWAY AGAIN. 325 
 
 the possibility of some thieving Indian making 
 off with him. The trapper expressed unbounded 
 admiration of Whirlwind, and could not under- 
 stand how Deerfoot had ever gained such a 
 piece of property. George and Victor did not 
 dare to explain in the presence of the Shawanoe, 
 but each determined to do so on the first oppor- 
 tunity, despite the risk of another "disciplin- 
 ing" at the hands of the modest youth. 
 
 After Jack had smoked awhile and the chat 
 had gone on without any special point, he turned 
 to the Shawanoe and said: 
 
 "IVe seen you stealing a look at me now and 
 then and I know what you done it for. ' ' 
 
 " Yes, Deerfoot did so ; but my brother cannot 
 tell the reason. ' ' 
 
 "You've been trying to find out from my 
 looks whether IVe stuck to the pledge I made 
 you a year ago to give up drinking whiskey. ' ' 
 
 "That was the reason; Deerfoot was almost 
 but not quite certain." 
 
 " Have you any doubts left ? ' ' 
 
 The Shawanoe smiled. 
 
 "Only a shadow." 
 
 "Wai, you can kick that shadow out of sight! 
 I haven't drank a drop of the stuff since that 
 
326 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 night, a year ago, when I flung my flask into the 
 creek, after hearing your sermon, that shook me 
 down to my toes." 
 
 Deerfoot leaned over and offered his hand 
 again to happy Jack Halloway, who turned to 
 the boys. 
 
 " Being as he never told you, I might as well 
 give you the story." 
 
 Thereupon the trapper related in his charac- 
 teristic fashion the incident of which you heard 
 long ago. The eyes of the boys kindled and Vic- 
 tor said: 
 
 "That is only one of a hundred things Deer- 
 foot has done." 
 
 Catching a warning look from the Shawanoe, 
 Victor said in desperation : 
 
 "I'm not going to try to give a list, Deerfoot, 
 but won't you let me tell Jack how you whipped 
 the greatest war chief of the Blackfeet and how 
 he became a Christian?" 
 
 "There is no need of that, but my brothers 
 may tell what happened to them when they dis- 
 obeyed Deerfoot." 
 
 "I'll do that if you don't shut down on the 
 other story." 
 
 The Shawanoe would have refused, but the 
 
JACK HALLOVAY AGAIN. 227 
 
 trapper's curiosity had been stirred and he 
 insisted upon hearing of the incident. As a 
 compromise the Indian youth rose to his feet 
 and sauntered out to where Whirlwind was still 
 cropping the juicy herbage. He would not stay 
 and listen to what he knew was about to be said. 
 The boys were glad to have him absent, for it 
 left them free to speak what they pleased, and 
 you may be sure that Victor and George did not 
 mince matters. Their account of that remark- 
 able combat and its results was told with 
 graphic eloquence. Then George added the 
 story of Deerfoot 's encounter with the grizzly 
 bear and his defeat of the Assiniboine, whose 
 life he spared. Inasmuch as the boys had never 
 been able to draw the particulars of that com- 
 bat from Deerfoot, Victor had to embellish it 
 with his own imagination, and he did it to per- 
 fection. He was in the midst of a description of 
 how the Shawanoe beat the best marksmen, run- 
 ners and leapers of -the Blackfeet when Deerfoot 
 came back to the camp fire. 
 
 "Now let my brothers tell of what happened 
 to them when Deerfoot was through with Tag- 
 garak." 
 
 "You needn't worry; I didn't forget that. 
 
328 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 "Well, Jack, you see Deerfoot forbade me and 
 'George to come anywhere near, but we couldn't 
 stay away. He found it out, cut a big gad and 
 splintered it over our shoulders and we couldn't 
 Jielp ourselves. " 
 
 And then Jack Halloway threw back his head 
 and roared with laughter, declaring that he had 
 never heard so good a story. 
 
CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 A TEMPERANCE AGITATOR. 
 
 44 T 'LL never forget that ride home last year," 
 said Jack Halloway, " after I pulled out 
 in the night and left Deerfoot with 
 you younkers asleep by the camp fire. It took 
 me a week to reach St. Louis, and there wasn't 
 a drop of whiskey to be had on the road. For 
 two or three days I was the most miserable crit- 
 ter that ever limped on two legs. I'd have give 
 my whole, load of peltries to get that flask back 
 agin, but there was no help for it. Twice I rode 
 up to the camp fires of In j ins, hoping to buy 
 some fire water from them, but neither party 
 had a drop. Then I buckled down to it. 
 
 "On the fourth night when I camped I was 
 almost crazy. As I rolled about in my blanket, 
 not able to sleep a wink, I remembered what 
 Deerfoot had said to me about praying. Strange 
 I'd never thought of it before. Wai, I got on 
 my knees, and if ever a poor wretch prayed it 
 was Jack Halloway, and I kept it up for two or 
 
 329 
 
330 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 three hours. I was about ready to let go when 
 the thing ivhich I was praying for came to me! 
 
 " Just as plain as I have heard your voices, I 
 catched the words, 'It's all right; you've con- 
 quered your temptation; you're boss now/ 
 Some folks may laugh, but it won't do for 'em 
 to say where Jack Halloway can hear 'em that 
 thar's nothing in the Christian religion. I know 
 better, 'cause I've got it right there!" 
 exclaimed the trapper, thumping his heart. 
 
 "From that time forward everything was 
 rosy with me. The sun never shone so bright, 
 the birds never sung so sweet and I never felt 
 so happy through and through. I shouted and 
 yelled for joy and walloped the horses, just 
 because I couldn't help it. If I had met anyone 
 at those times he would have set me down as 
 drunk. So I was drunk with pure joy and 
 religion. 
 
 "At St. Louis I sold my peltries for the big- 
 gest price I've got in ten years. I took the 
 money home and throwed it into the lap of my 
 little, sweet, gray-haired mother, who just 
 stared at me, not knowing what it meant. When 
 I made it all clear she began crying, and then she 
 dropped on her knees and I dropped alongside 
 
A TEMPERANCE AGITATOR. 331 
 
 of her, and when she got through praying I took 
 up the job and kept things humming for another 
 half hour. After I'd let up I grabbed her in my 
 arms, and we danced about that cabin, just as 
 she used to do when she was the belle of the 
 town, and we laughed and frolicked and made 
 a couple of fools of ourselves. 
 
 "When she asked me to tell her the meaning 
 of my short rein-up and change of my life, I 
 give her the whole thing. It was the work of a 
 young Shawanoe Injin called Deerfoot, who 
 was the most ginooine Christian on either side 
 of the old Mississippi. She asked all about you, 
 Deerfoot, and she said she hoped she would 
 meet you some day. So when we get back to St. 
 Louis I'll introduce you." 
 
 "Deerfoot will be glad to see the mother of 
 my brother," softly replied the Shawanoe, in 
 a voice tremulous with feeling. He and the boys 
 listened with absorbed interest to the graphic 
 story told by the trapper. 
 
 "French Pete keeps the worst whiskey hole 
 along the Mississippi. It is down by the river 
 side and is the main drinking place in the town. 
 He has got hundreds of dollars from the fami- 
 lies of the trappers who come down the river in 
 
332 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 the spring, and for years he has gathered in 
 about every cent I could rake together. 
 
 "Wai, after I had been home about a week I 
 strolled down to his place one moonlight night. 
 I told mother not to worry about me, for I would 
 blow my own head off before I'd ever swaller 
 another drop of red p 'ison. When I opened the 
 door of the ramshackle cabin, Pete looked up 
 with a grin, and said as how he was wondering 
 where I'd kept myself so long, for he had heerd 
 I'd got back and done unusual well. He was 
 glad to welcome me, and asked what I'd have 
 and the treat was on him for old friendship's 
 sake. 
 
 " There didn't happen to be anybody else in 
 the place at the time, for it was early in the 
 evening. I walked up to the bar and leaned on 
 it familiar like, and asked Pete if he didn't think 
 he'd made enough money in ruining other folks 
 to quit the bus 'ness. He showed he didn't know 
 what I meant by the strange question. I then 
 said I'd stopped the foolery for good, and give 
 him my opinion of him as the worst wretch in 
 town. He had sot out the whiskey bottle on the 
 bar and shoved out the cork with his thumb and 
 forefinger. I 'spose that was to let me get a 
 
A TEMPERANCE AGITATOR. 333 
 
 whiff of the stuff. I got it. I reached out my 
 hand, pushed the cork back in the bottle, and 
 then grabbing it by the neck brought it down on 
 the bar with a bang that broke it into a dozen 
 pieces and sent the whiskey flying about the 
 room. 
 
 "When Pete seed what I was up to he made a 
 swipe at me, remarking several swear words at 
 the same time, but I landed him one under the 
 ear that sent him back so hard aginst the bottles 
 behind him that he bounced forward agin, and 
 I grabbed him. 
 
 "He made just the sort of club I wanted. 
 You see I had him by the shoulders and I could 
 swing his heels free and easy like. "Wai, I used 
 him that way. For the next ten or fifteen min- 
 utes the only music in that place was the pant- 
 ing of Pete and the crash and smash of bottles. 
 The fumes of the stuff filled the room like the 
 mist you sometimes see rising from a kenyon in 
 the mountains. "When I got through I don't 
 believe there was a whole bottle left, and as I 
 stepped about the floor I splashed in whiskey, 
 just as we do when the Mississippi overflows 
 the streets. I tossed Pete over into one corner, 
 and, not seeing any more blessed work to do, 
 
334 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 passed out the door. I met two friends on their 
 way for a drink. When they said good evening 
 I remarked off-hand that they'd find plenty of 
 whiskey inside without asking for it, and went 
 on to my home. 
 
 "I expected Pete would make a row about 
 what I'd done and I would be catched in the big- 
 gest kind of a row, but there ain't much law in 
 St. Louis just now, on account of the change 
 from Spanish rule to French and then to Ameri- 
 can. Besides, Pete hasn't got many friends, 
 and I reckon he knew he wouldn't get much sym- 
 pathy. He rigged up his place after awhile and 
 laid in a new stock of p'ison, but it'll take a long 
 time for him to make up the losses that f ollered 
 his inviting Jack Halloway to have a drink. 
 Shawanoe," added the trapper, abruptly turn- 
 ing to the Indian, "I want to ask you a ques- 
 tion." 
 
 ' ' Deerf oot will be glad to answer if he can. ' ' 
 
 "When I went down to French Pete's place 
 and smashed things and cleaned it out, as I've 
 been stating, did I do right ? ' ' 
 
 Instead of directly answering, the Shawanoe 
 asked : 
 
 "Has the conscience of my brother ever whis- 
 
A TEMPERANCE AGITATOR. 335 
 
 pered to him that he did wrong in breaking the 
 whiskey bottles !" 
 
 "No, I rather think it's the other way. When 
 I started home I felt my conscience clapping me 
 on the shoulder and saying, 'You hit it right 
 that time, old fellow,' and ever since, when I 
 think of it, I hear the same soft words. ' ' 
 
 There was a twinkle in the eyes of Deerfoot 
 as he gently replied : 
 
 "My brother should always do what his con- 
 science tells him to do. ' ' 
 
 "Good! That settles it! But I've got some- 
 thing more interesting than all that to tell you. 
 If French Pete didn't do anything to me for 
 what I'd done to him, he laid a deep plan to get 
 Ms revenge. You see he's afraid to tackle me 
 in the open, for I may say there ain't a man liv- 
 ing that Jack Halloway is afeard of barring 
 one." 
 
 "Who is he?" asked Victor Shelton, slyly 
 nudging his brother. 
 
 "Deerfoot the Shawanoe." 
 
 The face of the Indian flushed and he pro- 
 tested : 
 
 "Deerfoot would be only a pappoose in the 
 hands of my brother." 
 
336 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 "P'raps, but you'd never be in his hands, 
 I've studied your build and quickness, and the 
 chap that can whip a Blackfoot war chief with- 
 out using a weapon is the best fellow in the 
 world to let alone I beg pardon, Deerfoot. I'll 
 drop it. 
 
 "When it was getting time for me to think 
 about going to the beaver runs agin Dick Burley 
 come to me and proposed that we should be 
 pardners. Dick is a good fellow and I always 
 liked him, for he hasn't a streak of yaller in his 
 make-up. The only objection to him was that he 
 liked firewater too well. He spent enough money 
 at French Pete 's to support that rogue. Dick 's 
 wife and two children were in rags, and the poor 
 woman had to work herself almost to death to 
 keep from starving. I had talked with Dick 
 many times, not neglecting to give him a good 
 cussing now and then, but it didn't amount to 
 nothing. In the hope of being able to do him 
 good I agreed to go with him to the Northwest. 
 
 "Wai, you wouldn't 'spicion what a trick 
 French Pete and Dick was trying to play on me. 
 It was the idea of Pete, but Dick promised to 
 do his part. Pete agreed to let Dick have a 
 whole keg of his best or rather worst whis- 
 
A TEMPERANCE AGITATOR. 337 
 
 key without charging him a cent. He was 'to 
 take it with us, with the sole purpose of getting 
 me into the habit of drinking again. Their 
 ca 'elation was that when we got away up in the 
 Northwest, where it was sometimes cold enough 
 to freeze the tail off a brass monkey, and Dick 
 took his swigs reg'lar like, I'd be sure to knock 
 under and jine him. I couldn't stand it to see 
 him enj 'ying such bliss and telling what a lot of 
 good it done him. 
 
 "I never spicioned anything of the kind, but 
 when I set eyes on that keg stored among the 
 things on our pack horses I fixed my plan of 
 campaign. Being as it was meant to last four 
 or five months -it wouldn't do for Dick to draw 
 on it too heavy at the start. Then, too, as I said, 
 he expected me to come in on the chorus, and he 
 was saving up for that glad day. 
 
 " Every time Dick took a drink, which I must 
 say waren't often, of course he invited me to 
 jine, but when I said no, that was enough and he 
 let me alone. Oh, he was shrewd, and was play- 
 ing his cards like a boss of the game. 
 
 ' 'Wai, we had only one brush with the In j ins, 
 and we got to the place we had fixed on without 
 any harm, and with most of the whiskey still in 
 
 22 
 
338 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 the keg. It was where I had been doing my 
 trapping for several years before I went further 
 South, which was the reason I happened to meet 
 you in that part of the world last summer. 
 
 "We set our traps as usual, turned our horses 
 out to grass and stowed our blankets and things 
 in a big holler tree, in which I had cut a door, 
 with a buffalo skin that hung down in front. 
 The first thing Dick carried in was the whiskey 
 keg. * I think more of that, ' he remarked, as he 
 sot it down tender like, as if it was a sick baby, 
 'than everything else in the outfit.' I made no 
 reply, but I was busy thinking, and when he 
 wa'nt looking I done some chuckling and laugh- 
 ing that would have made him open his eyes had 
 he knowed of it. 
 
 "One night when Dick was sleeping particu- 
 lar sound I sneaked out of the holler tree with 
 the keg. I had to be powerful careful, for we 
 folks larn to sleep light, but 1 managed it with- 
 out waking him. Having made up my mind long 
 before what I would do, I didn't make any mis- 
 take. Eaising the cask, with the stuff jingling 
 and sploshing about inside, I brought it down 
 on the p 'int of a rock with a force that made it 
 split open like a watermelon. In a few minutes 
 
A TEMPERANCE AGITATOR. 33* 
 
 every drop had soaked into the ground and it 
 was a thousand miles to French Pete in St. 
 Louis. 
 
 "I had to tell Dick the truth the next morning. 
 The minute he opened his eyes he went for his 
 morning dram. I remarked that we didn't need 
 whiskey in them parts, and being as I had 
 become a temperance man it was agin my prin- 
 ciples to have any of the p'ison around. 
 
 "Wai, Dick was that mad he turned white. 
 When he realized that there was no way of his 
 getting a drink for months he collapsed. Then 
 he roused up and said as how the insult, being a 
 mortal one, we'd have to settle it outside. I was 
 looking for something of that kind and replied 
 that I was agreeable. 
 
 "Dick's idea was that we should use our 
 knives and to keep to it till one was killed or he 
 hollered ' Enough!' which neither of us would 
 do to save his life. I said the best plan would be 
 to use our fists. A duel with knives was liable to 
 be over sudden, while a fist-fight would last 
 much longer, and therefore give both more 
 enjoyment. It wouldn't be any trouble for him 
 as got the upper hand to pound the other to 
 death, and being as the whole thing would be in 
 
340 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 doubt till it was over, the advantage in the way 
 of real happiness was obvious. 
 
 " After some argument Dick seed the p'int, 
 and agreed, and we went at it. Wai, I needn't 
 dwell on the particulars. Dick put up a stiff 
 fight, and might have give me a good deal of 
 trouble if it hadn't been that he was weakened 
 by whiskey, while I had long got rid of the 
 effects of the last drop. He had to knock under, 
 and when he found the only way to save himself 
 was to yell ' Enough!' he done it, though, as I 
 said, he would have held out if he had been 
 using knives. 
 
 "I rested from pummeling him, but told him 
 he couldn't get up till he had told the Lord what 
 a mean scamp he was and had asked His for- 
 giveness and promised to try to live a Christian. 
 Dick wasn't expecting anything like that, and he 
 b'iled over with rage. But it did no good, and I 
 banged him agin, good and hard, and told him 
 I never would stop till he knocked under. 
 
 "I had to soothe him a good while before he 
 give in. He said he would do as I wished and 
 then I let him up. He wanted to wait till night, 
 but I wouldn't allow it, and he went down on his 
 knees and sailed in. I made him pray out loud, 
 
A TEMPERANCE AGITATOR. 34* 
 
 so as to be sure he put things in right shape. 
 Xow, Deerfoot, tell me whether I managed that 
 job right. " 
 
 The Shawanoe was puzzled, for the trapper 
 had submitted a new phase of the most interest- 
 ing question to him. But Deerfoot was shrewd. 
 
 "Let my brother finish his story." 
 
 "Oh, the job came out all right. Dick was 
 sulky and ugly for a few days, though I made 
 him stick to his prayers every morning and 
 night. But bye and bye, when the whiskey got 
 out of him, he begun to improve. One day he 
 laughed, but was so scared by it that he didn't 
 speak till night. Soon after that he told me he 
 felt a good deal better, which the same I replied 
 was because he was getting over the long drunk 
 he had been on for a dozen years. 
 
 "Wai, Dick continued to improve. His spirits 
 rose, his appetite was stronger, he could stand 
 more work, and I noticed that in praying he 
 yelled louder than ever. All these was good 
 signs and showed that I had managed the bus- 
 'ness right, so I won't ask your opinion on my 
 style, Deerfoot. 
 
 "Then Dick told me of the job that French 
 Pete and him had put up on me. I could afford 
 
342 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 to laugh, but Dick was that mad that he was 
 eager to get back to St. Louis, so that he could 
 go down to Pete's place and smash things as I 
 done. But I talked him out of that, and he 
 promised me he wouldn't undertake the 
 bus 'ness till I could jine him. You know there 's 
 a sweetness about such work that I 'spose made 
 me selfish. I warn't willing he should have all 
 the enj'yment to himself. 
 
 "I've showed my faith in Dick by sending him 
 home with the peltries. You see it isn't like a 
 chap trying to make a man of himself when the 
 temptation is at his elbow. Dick had to go with- 
 out for months, and that give him enough time 
 to become master of himself. All that I'm 
 afeard of is that he'll get impatient when he 
 catches sight of French Pete's place and forget 
 his promise to me." 
 
CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 "GOOD-BYE/' 
 
 r I ^HE remainder of tlie homeward journey 
 
 was without special incident. It was 
 
 several days before Victor Shelton fully 
 
 recovered from the pounding caused by his fall 
 
 into the torrent. The loss of his rifle was keenly 
 
 felt, but he did not fret, for it would have been 
 
 ungrateful after his marvelous escape. 
 
 Jack Halloway's spirits were irrepressible, 
 and his good nature was like so much sunshine. 
 The only fault to be found with him was his 
 inclination to burst into song, without waiting 
 for urging on the part of his friends. He was 
 gifted with a tremendous voice, but unfortu- 
 nately he had no more idea of a tune than a 
 grizzly bear. But no one could criticize the 
 fellow, who was the life of the little party. 
 
 The course of our friends was southeast, lead- 
 ing through the present States of Wyoming, 
 Colorado and into Kansas, where they struck 
 the trail of the year before. This was followed 
 
 343 
 
344 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 across Missouri, and, without mishap, all four 
 reached in due time that old French town on the 
 Mississippi. 
 
 Deerfoot and the boys stayed there for one 
 night and a part of a day. It was a visit which 
 they always remembered. The only fly in the 
 ointment was the discovery by Jack Halloway 
 that Dick Burley, after all, had broken his 
 promise. He had not been in St. Louis twenty- 
 four hours when he sauntered down to French 
 Pete 's place. That worthy met him with a grin, 
 supposing he had come to make his report, 
 whose nature was not doubted. Then Dick, 
 after denouncing the fellow as he deserved, pro- 
 ceeded to business in as emphatic a fashion as 
 Jack had done the preceding year. He was 
 equally thorough, perhaps more so, for he not 
 only left the place a wreck, and the proprietor 
 senseless, but "laid out" two brawlers who hap- 
 pened to be present and were imprudent enough 
 to try to help the landlord. 
 
 "I've one hope," said Jack, in telling of the 
 incident. ' * Pete will start up agin and then it '11 
 be my turn to make a friendly call on him. ' ' 
 
 In that humble home, on the upper margin of 
 the straggling town of St. Louis, Jack Halloway 
 
"GOOD-BYE/' 345 
 
 introduced George and Victor Shelton and 
 Deerfoot to his mother. She was a sprightly 
 little lady, who could not have weighed a hun- 
 dred pounds, and whose soft, wavy, white hair 
 and pink cheeks and regular features spoke of 
 the unusual beauty that was hers when she was 
 the belle of the town. She had a serene beauty 
 and winsomeness that warmed the hearts of the 
 callers from the moment they first saw her. 
 
 As soon as the introductions and greetings 
 were over, Jack caught his mother in his arms 
 and tossed her as high as the ceiling would per- 
 mit, catching her as she descended and kissing 
 her as if she were a little child. Then, waving 
 the others to seats, he dropped into the single 
 rocking chair and held her on his knee during 
 the conversation that followed. Her soul was 
 wrapped up in this massive boy with the 
 strength of a giant, and her happiness over his 
 restoration to her after her years of prayer had 
 a pathos and sweetness that nothing else in all 
 the world could give. 
 
 When the chatter had gone on for a few min- 
 utes Jack drew his mother's face down beside 
 his own and whispered: 
 
 "Did you ever see as handsome a chap as 
 
34* DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 that young Indian sitting over there in the cor- 
 ner? Look how modest he is, as if he didn't 
 wish to be noticed. Didn't you remember, when 
 I told you his name is Deerfoot, that he's the 
 chap that made me throw away my flask of 
 whiskey and was the cause of my becoming a 
 man?" 
 
 "No," replied the astonished parent, "I 
 didn't recall it. I must have a talk with him 
 before he leaves us." 
 
 It was arranged after supper that George and 
 Victor should go to the home of Dick Burley to 
 sleep. Eoom could have been made for them in 
 the cabin of Jack Halloway by letting the three 
 rest on the floor, and he and his mother would 
 have been pleased; but the brothers showed 
 good taste by accepting the invitation of Burley, 
 at whose house, for the first time in many 
 months, they slept in a bed. There was happy 
 content in that home also, for what loving, 
 devoted wife is not thankful when her husband 
 is restored to her and is in his right mind? 
 
 That humble home where Jack Halloway 
 smoked his pipe, with his mother knitting beside 
 him and Deerfoot a little way off in his chair, 
 was the picture of serene, grateful pleasure on 
 
GOOD-BYE/' 347 
 
 the cool summer night, long ago, when the three 
 sat in converse. 
 
 The youth was so drawn to the pure, sweet- 
 faced, motherly lady that he could not refuse 
 her request to tell her about himself. He talked 
 more freely than was his wont, and said many 
 things he would not have said in the presence of 
 others. She penetrated the nobility of the 
 youth, who could read and write well, whose 
 mind was stored with considerable knowledge, 
 whose woodcraft ap'proached as near perfection 
 as mortal man can attain, and whose strength, 
 skill and prowess (as she gathered from inci- 
 dents brought out in the course of the evening) 
 were the superior of any person's whom she had 
 ever seen. In addition, as she said to her son 
 the next day, anyone would be tempted to talk to 
 Deerf oot, because it was such a pleasure to look 
 upon the handsome countenance and to make 
 him smile and show his beautiful teeth. 
 
 So it was that Deerfoot was compelled to tell 
 the whole story of his encounter with Taggarak, 
 with its remarkable sequel ; of his fight with the 
 grizzly bear, and his conquest of Whirlwind, the 
 peerless stallion. He never would have done 
 this but for the persistent questioning of Mrs. 
 
348 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 Halloway. The boys had told Jack enough on 
 the long ride from the mountains to St. Louis 
 for him to give his mother the necessary point- 
 ers, and he helped her in driving the Shawanoe 
 into a corner, where he could not otherwise 
 extricate himself. 
 
 The wonderful thing in the estimation of the 
 good woman was that the hero of these and 
 many other exploits was a Christian. She had 
 never seen one of his race who professed to be a 
 follower of the Meek and Lowly One, though she 
 had heard of such from the missionaries; but 
 she agreed with her son that no more perfect 
 exemplar of Christianity was to be found any- 
 where. 
 
 On the morrow, when the time came to part, 
 Mrs. Halloway took the hand of Deerfoot in her 
 dainty palm, and in a trembling voice thanked 
 him for what he had done for her through what 
 he did for her son. She promised to pray for 
 him every day of her remaining life, and while 
 he stood trying to keep back the tears she 
 added : 
 
 "Please bend your head a little." 
 
 He bent down and she touched her lips to his 
 forehead, and, still holding the hand, said so 
 
"GOOD-BYE." 349 
 
 that all, Jack, the Shelton boys and Dick Burley, 
 could hear, as they gathered round to say the 
 parting words : 
 
 1 1 Well done, good and faithful servant !" 
 The benison thus bestowed remained with 
 Deerf oot all the way home and to the end of his 
 life. In the cool depths of the forest, amid the 
 fragrance of brown leaves, the bark of trees and 
 of bursting bud and blossom, and by the flow of 
 the crystal brook, he heard the gentle whisper. 
 It came to him when the snow sifted against his 
 frame and the bite of the Arctic blast was as 
 merciless as the fangs of the she-wolf. Above 
 the crash of the hurricane that uprooted and 
 splintered the century-old monarchs of the 
 woods the words rang out like the notes of an 
 angel's trumpet, and in the watches of the night, 
 under the star-gleam or in the fleecy moonlight, 
 while stillness brooded over a sleeping world, 
 the music swung back and forth like a censer 
 through the corridors of the soul, with a sweet- 
 ness that told him the strings of the harp 
 throbbed under the touch of the fingers of God 
 himself. 
 
CHAPTER XXVIH. 
 
 RETROSPECT.* 
 w AM the son and only child of Taggarak, a 
 
 I 
 
 leading war chief for many years of the 
 Blackfoot Indians. I had an elder 
 brother, but he died before reaching manhood. 
 I remember the visit made by Deerfoot the 
 Shawanoe to our tribe, in the autumn and winter 
 of 1804 and 1805. He came from Ohio, in com- 
 pany with two brothers named Shelton, that 
 were white, and with Mul-tal-la, who belonged to 
 our own people, and had made the journey east- 
 ward into the Shawanoe country. Mul-tal-la 
 had a companion when he left us, but he was 
 accidentally killed after arriving in the East. 
 
 "I was not quite five years old when I first 
 saw Deerfoot and his two friends, yet I can 
 never forget him, for he was the most remarka- 
 ble youth, white or red, that I ever met" 
 
 (Here follows a description of Deerfoot 's 
 
 "[Statement of Ap-pa-pa-alk, a member of the Blackfoot tribe, given to 
 Rev. J. Y. Dilworthy, missionary, on the 21et of October, 1869.] 
 
 350 
 
RETROSPECT. 35* 
 
 appearance, his traits, his skill with rifle and 
 bow, his athletic prowess and his unequaled 
 woodcraft. This need not be repeated, since you 
 are familiar with it. The statement which fol- 
 lows, however, is one of the most remarkable 
 ever penned.) 
 
 "I was in the Big Lodge on the afternoon 
 Deerfoot spoke to many of our people of the 
 white man's God, who, he said, was the God of 
 the red man as well. Young as I was, I stood at 
 the knee of my mother, thrilled and almost 
 breathless under the spell of the simple elo- 
 quence of the Shawanoe, many of whose words 
 I remember. In the midst of his address my 
 father, Chief Taggarak, strode into the lodge. 
 He passed so close to me that his knee brushed 
 my shoulder. My mother and I looked up at 
 him, but he did not see us, nor did he notice any- 
 one except Deerfoot. His eyes were fixed on 
 the young Shawanoe, and we all thought he 
 meant to attack him. 
 
 "Deerfoot saw him enter, stopped speaking 
 and looked steadily at the chief as he drew near. 
 Deerfoot always carried his knife at his girdle, 
 though of course he had laid aside his gun. I 
 remember wondering why he did not draw his 
 
352 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 weapon, but, instead of doing so, he placed his 
 hands behind his back and calmly surveyed Tag- 
 garak, without the least sign of fear. From 
 what I afterward learned, I am sure that if my 
 father had attacked the Shawanoe, the chief 
 would have been quickly overcome, if not killed. 
 
 "Within two paces of Deerfoot, Taggarak 
 wheeled about, faced his people and made an 
 impassioned avowal of his belief in the Chris- 
 tian religion. He declared that the true God 
 had spoken to him when he tried to hide himself 
 in the woods and to close his ears against His 
 words. That 'God had not allowed him to sleep 
 or eat or drink or rest till he threw himself on 
 his face, and with streaming eyes begged Him to 
 forgive and take him into His favor. 
 
 ' ' Never was there such excitement among the 
 Blackf oot tribe as was caused by the declaration 
 of their greatest war chief that he had become 
 a Christian. It almost rent the tribe in twain. 
 We had a number of villages and different 
 chiefs, but Taggarak was the greatest of them 
 all. 
 
 "It was clear to everyone that he looked upon 
 Deerfoot the Shawanoe as more than an ordi- 
 nary human being. In truth I thought and still 
 
RETROSPECT. 353 
 
 think the same, and I believe you will agree with 
 me when you hear the rest of my story. Tag- 
 garak asked Deerf oot whether he should give up 
 his chieftaincy, and was ready to do whatever 
 the Shawanoe advised. Deerfpot told him to 
 remain chief as long as he lived, but to be mer- 
 ciful to his enemies, never to fight except in 
 defence of his home and people, and to pray to 
 God morning and night and to do all he could to 
 please Him in his actions, his words and his 
 thoughts. Deer foot did much in the" way of 
 teaching him, and Taggarak became a Christian, 
 as did my mother and myself and others of our 
 tribe, though I never understood all the height 
 and depth and breadth of God's love and plans 
 until I had grown to manhood and talked with 
 the missionaries. 
 
 ' ' Christianity would have been firmly planted 
 among my people but for the acts of the white 
 men themselves. When the expedition of Lewis 
 and Clark came through our country one of 
 them killed a Blackfoot. No doubt there was 
 some justification for the act, but it made our 
 tribe the enemies of the white men, and many 
 who professed to love the God of the palefaces 
 now cast away such love and would have none of 
 
 28 
 
354 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. < 
 
 it. Taggarak was much grieved and indignant 
 over the action of the white men, but nothing 
 could weaken or shake his faith in Chris- 
 tianity." 
 
 (The incident alluded to occurred July 27, 
 1806. A party of Blackfeef stole a number of 
 horses belonging to Lewis and Clark 's party, 
 were pursued, and one of the Indians killed and 
 another wounded. The tribe was so embittered 
 toward the whites that they were treacherous 
 enemies to them for many years afterward.) 
 
 "From the year, following this sad event, 
 however, the authority of Taggarak waned. He 
 did not care for power, and was content to let it 
 slip gradually from him and pass to others. I 
 could have become chief had I wished it, but I 
 knew I was distrusted because I professed 
 Christianity, and the Blackf eet and I thought so 
 differently about everything that I remained a 
 simple warrior, content to serve my father and 
 mother, as an obedient son. 
 
 "I did not know for years of the encounter 
 between Taggarak and Deerfoot in the wood, 
 when the chief sought his life, but was overcome 
 and then spared by the Shawanoe. Deerfoot 
 never spoke of it, and I was almost grown when 
 
RETROSPECT. 355 
 
 my father told my mother and me of the strange 
 incident, which was the means of the chief's 
 accepting the religion that the youth taught by 
 word and example. 
 
 "When Deerfoot left our village, Taggarak 
 begged him to visit him again. He urged so 
 hard that the youth ,said he would do so if he 
 could, but he saw little hope and thought their 
 next meeting would have to wait till both passed 
 into the hunting grounds above. 
 
 "Taggarak meditated much over the coming 
 of Deerfoot. As he grew older he often went to 
 the elevation, a little way from our village, and 
 near where he had been overcome by the Shawa- 
 noe, and passed hours gazing toward the East, 
 looking and hoping for sight of the youth who 
 did not come. He always went alone to the spot 
 and did not suspect his action was noticed by 
 anyone. But at the request of my mother, I 
 stealthily followed the chief. He seated himself 
 on a broad, flat rock, which gave him a view of 
 many miles of mountain, wood and stream, and 
 it seemed that for the hour I watched him he 
 never took his gaze from the point in the sky 
 where the sun first showed itself. I have some- 
 times wondered whether my father mistook any 
 
356 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 approaching warrior for the Shawanoe. I never 
 learned, for not once did he ever refer to those 
 lonely visits to the elevation. 
 
 1 ' One day my father said, with his old stern- 
 ness of manner, that since Deerfoot was not 
 . coming to see him, I must take a message to the 
 Shawanoe in his distant home. It was a start- 
 ling command, but was not unwelcome to me. I 
 had heard much of the white man's country, and 
 knew the palefaces were fast pushing into our 
 own. I had listened to Mul-tal-la's wonderful 
 stories times without number, and often 
 resolved that when an opportunity came I 
 should visit the white towns and settlements. 
 
 "I was glad, therefore, when my father spoke 
 as he did, and still more glad when Mul-tal-la, 
 although he had a wife and two children, offered 
 to go with me. He was anxious to see Deerfoot 
 and the acquaintances he had made many years 
 before, whose memory was always a pleasure to 
 him. 
 
 "My father's message to the Shawanoe 
 amounted to little. I was to tell him the chief 
 was still true to his faith, and to ask him 
 whether he could come to the chief, and, if he 
 could not, whether he still remembered Tagga- 
 rak. That was all. 
 
RETROSPECT. 357 
 
 "I was a grown man when, with Mul-tal-la as 
 my companion, I rode down from the Blackf oot 
 country and we set out on the long journey he 
 had made more than twenty years before. He 
 remembered every river, stream, mountain and 
 prairie, though the settlements had brought 
 many changes, and on the way to the Ohio he 
 met several acquaintances. 
 
 "It would be of no interest to tell of our jour- 
 ney, though we had more than one adventure. 
 The first place we visited was the little town of 
 Woodvale, so familiar to Mul-tal-la, and which 
 had grown to that extent that it had taken a new 
 name. 
 
 "There we found George and Victor Shelton, 
 almost in middle life, both married and among 
 the leading citizens. They were filled with joy 
 to see Mul-tal-la, and did all they could to make 
 our visit pleasant. But we had talked only a 
 little while when we were grieved to learn that 
 Deerf oot, who had moved to the west of the Mis- 
 sissippi, had been dead a good many years. Not 
 only that, but the manner of his death was the 
 saddest of which I had ever heard. (See "The 
 Last War Trail.") 
 
 "We stayed for several weeks in Ohio and 
 
358 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 met many old friends of the Shawanoe. The 
 one whom I best remember was Simon Kenton, 
 who had great fame as a hunter, and who had 
 always been a close comrade of Deerfoot. He 
 was an old man when I saw him, but as strong 
 and active as many who had lived only half his 
 years. He came to Woodvale the night before 
 we left on our return and stayed with Victor 
 Shelton. His eyes filled with tears when he 
 spoke of Deerfoot, and said that the memory 
 of the brave, blameless life he lived in all cir- 
 cumstances had more to do with making Ken- 
 ton himself a Christian than did the camp 
 meeting at which he professed conversion. 
 
 " Well, we set out for home, and though a part 
 of the journey was made in winter we met with 
 no mishap. When we arrived, Mul-tal-la went 
 straight to his lodge to see his wife and children 
 and I hurried to my home, where I knew the 
 chief had long expected me. I was greatly 
 relieved to find him and my mother well. 
 
 " When I came into my father's presence, and 
 before I had time to do more than speak my 
 pleasure, he raised his hand as a command for 
 me to keep silent. 
 
 " *I know what you would say, but you need 
 
RETROSPECT. 359 
 
 not tell me. Deerf oot has been here and told me 
 all/ 
 
 " <But Deerf oot is dead/ I replied; 'that can- 
 not be/ 
 
 " 'Did I not say he has visited me since you 
 were gone, and told me all?' 
 
 "And then, forbidding me to open my lips, 
 he related the full story of Deerf oot 's death. He 
 gave the particulars, and was not wrong in the 
 slightest one. The chief need not have forbid- 
 den me to speak, for I could not say a word for 
 a long time afterward. He told me nothing 
 more. I cannot explain it. ' ' 
 
 (Possibly psychologists may find the explana- 
 tion of this remarkable fact in mental telepathy, 
 but how shall we explain the still more extra- 
 ordinary statement that follows!) 
 
 "My mother had grown old and feeble and 
 died a few months after I came home. I noticed 
 that father stopped going to the elevation 
 beyond the village and looking toward the rising 
 sun for the coming of Deerfoot. Nor did he 
 seem to wish to speak of him, though I know the 
 Shawanoe was much in his thoughts. The chief 
 gradually failed, and when the weather grew 
 cold he did not leave his lodge. 
 
360 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 "He and I lived together. I gave him 
 affectionate attention and did not let him lack 
 for comfort. Others often visited him, for the 
 Blackfeet could not forget that he had been one 
 of their greatest war chiefs. Our lodge was not 
 fashioned like the others. One side was the face 
 of a large rock, against which we always kindled 
 the fire. At each of the opposite two corners 
 was a strong post. These were connected at the 
 tops by a horizontal beam and from each post 
 was stretched another beam, whose farther end 
 rested on the rock. This and the three beams 
 gave support for the framework of the roof, 
 which was made of the boughs of trees. The 
 sides and walls were of thick bark lined with 
 buffalo robes. This made the square room 
 below free of all supports or posts. My bed of 
 furs was at one side and that of my father oppo- 
 site. An opening in the roof, where it joined the 
 rock and exactly over the fire, gave an outlet for 
 the smoke. 
 
 "One calm, cold night in autumn, after I had 
 piled a deal of wood on the blaze and seen that 
 my father was warmly wrapped in furs and 
 sleeping comfortably, I lay down and fell asleep 
 almost at once. It could not have been long 
 
RETROSPECT. 361 
 
 afterward that I was awakened by the sound of 
 people talking together. At first I thought they 
 were outside the lodge, but the fire was burning 
 so bright that it was like noonday within and I 
 saw that the two persons who were conversing 
 were standing only a few paces from me. 
 
 "One was Chief Taggarak, my father. His 
 face was turned partly away and toward me and 
 there could be no mistake as to him. The other's 
 back and one shoulder hid his features, but 
 something familiar in his appearance and the 
 sound of his voice struck me. While I was look- 
 ing and listening he shifted his position and I 
 saw his face. 
 
 "It was Deerfoot the Shawanoe! 
 
 "No one who had ever seen that Indian youth 
 could possibly make an error. I never looked 
 upon such comely features or such a graceful 
 form, nor did I ever listen to so musical a voice. 
 Like a person in a dream, I felt no special sur- 
 prise at seeing before me a person who had died 
 years before. 
 
 ' ' I studied him from head to foot. One of the 
 first things I noticed was that the stained eagle 
 feathers, which he always used to wear in his 
 hair, were not there, nor did he have his knife at 
 
362 DEERFOOT IN THE MOUNTAINS. 
 
 his girdle nor was his rifle in his hand. I don't 
 suppose they have need of such things in 
 heaven. 
 
 "During this talk between Deerfoot and my 
 father I did not speak or rise to my feet. I 
 expected the Shawanoe to say something to me 
 and I had no wish to break in upon the talk. 
 They spent ten or fifteen minutes thus, and then 
 Deerfoot took the hand of my father, pressed it 
 warmly and turned to go. As he did so, he 
 seemed for the first time to see me. He stopped, 
 looked down, smiled and uttered my name. Then 
 he checked himself, walked to the corner of the 
 lodge, drew aside the buffalo robe which served 
 as a door and passed out into the night. 
 
 "My father stood for a minute looking after 
 him, and then, with a glowing face, turned 
 to me: 
 
 " 'Did you see him?' 
 
 " 'I did, and heard his voice.' 
 
 " 'You lost nothing of what he said to me?' 
 
 " 'Not a word.' 
 
 " 'Tell them to no one. Now sleep.' 
 
 "It was a long time before I closed my eyes, 
 and when I did so the wonderful words that had 
 fallen from the lips of Deerfoot were in my ears. 
 
RETROSPECT. 363 
 
 To me the strangest part of this strange experi- 
 ence is that which followed. When morning 
 came I found I could not remember a syllable 
 that the Shawanoe had said. I spoke to my 
 father, and he talked of the visit of Deerf oot as 
 he would have talked of the visit of one of our 
 own Blackfeet. I told him I had forgotten the 
 Shawanoe 's words and asked him to tell them 
 to me again. He replied that God did not wish 
 me to remember them and he denied my request, 
 which I respected him too much ever to repeat. 
 
 " Chief Taggarak lived several years longer. 
 I have tried many times to recall the words 
 spoken by Deerf oot when he visited my father, 
 but I have never succeeded in bringing back a 
 single one of them." 
 
 [THE END.] 
 
THE 
 
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 A ROMANCE OF TENNESSEE 
 
 The story of Edward Ballington and his love affairs 
 with two delightful girls in charming contrast, forms the 
 plot of this captivating love story. On the threads of 
 
tills narrative is woven the story of a blind man who 
 meets the catastrophe of sudden darkness in a spirit of 
 bravery, sweetness and resignation which commands the 
 love and respect of every reader. 
 
 12mo. Cloth. 332 pages 
 Price $1 .25 Postpaid 
 
 SONGS AND STORIES FROM TENNESSEE 
 
 In truth Mr. Moore, in this collection of songs and 
 stories of Dixie Land, has created a work that will live 
 2bng in the traditions of the South and longer in the 
 hearts of his readers. One has only to read "Ole Mistis," 
 the first story in this collection, to feel the power of Mr. 
 Moore's genius. It is at once the finest story of a horse 
 race ever written, a powerful love story and most touch- 
 ingly pathetic narrative of the faith and devotion of a 
 little slave. 
 
 12 mo. Cloth. 358 pages 
 
 Price $1.25 Postpaid 
 
 THE OLD COTTON GIN 
 
 "The "Old Cotton Gin" breathes the passionate 
 patriotism of the South, her dearest sentiments, her pathos 
 and regrets, her splendid progress and her triumphant 
 future. This poem is a popular favorite throughout the 
 South, and has been adopted officially in some states. 
 The author is one of her truest sons. All the pages of 
 the book are decorated with original drawings, including 
 seven exceedingly fine full-page illustrations. 
 
 Bound in Imported Silk Cloth. Size 6} x 9} inches 
 
 Price $1 .OO Net. Postage 10 cents 
 
 ALL OF THE ABOVE BOOKS ARE HANDSOMELY 
 ILLUSTRATED BY WELL-KNOWN ARTISTS 
 
 THE JOHN C. WINSTON CO., Publishers 
 
 WINSTON BUILDING PHILADELPHIA