Part 15 (1/2)

”Who are you, reds, to be beaten to obey the first loud voices? Shall the howling wolf put fear into your hearts, to drag down a prey that he dares not attack alone? Or are you children of your rightful chief? Who is chief of the Dacotahs--Thunder-hty Hand?”

”The fiery totehty Hand,” answered one of the warriors The hubbub had fallen, and all were listening intently--partly with the native courtesy that forbids the rude interruption of speech, and partly because the better self was beginning to replace the moment's frenzy

”Ah,” resu of the pale-face rong We thought that the chief was Thunder-maker, as you hastened to obey _his_ words”

”Thunder-an Swift Arrohen the forreat chief Will you braves suffer this insult to the wearer of the fiery totem?”

”Ka--Kawin!” was the chorus that met this question, and the dark looks that had been directed towards the Englishmen but a little while since were now turned towards the defeated Medicine Man, as standing sullen and silent

But Thunder-h he was apparently huive him his due, he was a man of wonderful resource, and when he saw that the tide was turning against him he was quick to meet the occasion

”My brothers, listen not to the words of Thunder-maker,” he said quietly, and with a pretence of sad emotion that he had failed to influence the other Indians to take the right course ”Did not Thunder-ic? Did he not say that no weapon could prevail against those hty Hand rest in teepee He not coht, unless the war-cry call his--say Let theht, and at another sun ill bring thereatest of warriors, and chief of the greatest of all tribes, the Dacotahs I have spoken”

”And spoken well,” said Holden, thinking that it ht be well to propitiate the Medicine Man for the ti forith a pretence of picking up soh to whisper, so that only the Englishhty Hand looks upon the pale-faces, it may be that the friends of Thunder-maker have looked first!”

The words were spoken with all the venoe threat, and before Holden couldloudly to Swift Arrow

”The Dacotahs shall see great ain turn eyes upon the evil water-spirits Thunder-o to his teepee He would speak with his little children that they show n to reply He turned to the English-knife severed the cords that bound theainst the redmen may not be bound in the ca The pale-faces will forgive ood man, and Manito smiles upon the kind heart,” returned Arnold quietly

Thoroughly worn out with the events of the previous day as well as the exciting incidents of the night, the two friends were glad to be at liberty to return to their tent and stretch their tired limbs upon the robes that had been provided for the of old Swift Arrow, and soon the camp was once more in peace

Little was said by either of the men as they lay down at opposite parts of the teepee, and it was not long before sleep came to the relief of weariness

For a couple of hours or lishrey daas beginning to chase the shadows from the forest, Holden suddenly awoke It was not the cal rest, but that sudden return of the senses that one soer

Holden sat up and looked round Nothing strange was to be seen within the tent, and when he looked through the entrance all seemed peaceful without The brown teepees were not even stirred by abreeze

Not a soul was to be seen, and it was too early even for the birds to sing theiranthems

He looked at Arnold, and saw that his friend was still enjoying profound rest So, laughing at his oeakness, Holden returned to his robes and was soon dozing again

Then a second tier than before

He raised hiht elbow, and as he did so was startled by a sound that is calculated to strike terror into the hearts of men quicker than the nal of a rattlesnake--the harsh alarm that is unmistakable even when heard for the first ti was poised in the centre of the tent, with head thrown back in the attitude to strike It had been startled by Holden's sudden , and noas armed to repel its supposed enemy

The ht be sufficient to frighten the deadly little rope of flesh, and then----?

The continued sound of the rattle had roused Arnold by this tied to do so withouthis lips

”Keep still There's a rattlesnake in the tent It's got an eye on me, and----”