The Way of an Indian

ash threw approving glances after the Bat as he strode proudly about the camp. He was possessed of all desirable things conceivable to the red mind. Nothing that ever bestrod

to entertain, for his four ponies would buy no girl fit for him. The captur

ed the plan of a trip to the far south-to the

er bands. To be sure, the Bat had no skins of ponies to barter with them, but good fortune is believed to stand in the path of every young man, somewhere, some time, as he wanders on to meet it. Delaye

ir and made the land to thunder while the Bat flew in swift spirals like his prototype. Many a carcass lay

ddling after possible prairie dogs, tepee ponies, pack-animals with gaudy squaw trappings, old chiefs

they slowly raised the brow of a hill they saw in the shimmer of the distance

w-Eyes!" s

cks fly-going hither and yon to see what is happening in the land.

strike them, Red Arrow? That I could never understand. They have many guns, blankets, paints,

e powder and guns or the knives. What could we do without iron arrow-heads? Do you remember how hard it was to make bone arrowheads, when we were boys and could not ge

ong pony, when they do not look,

e will

behind them. Having assembled to the number of a hundred or so, the chiefs held a long consultation, each talking loudly from his horse, with many gestures. After some minutes, the head war-chief declared in a high, rough voice that the man must go to the Yellow-Eyes

decorated themselves until they assumed all hues-some red, and others half white or red a

The cavalcade of the Yellow-Eyes had halted in a compact mass, awaiting the oncoming Indians. They had dismounted and gone out on the sides away from the carts, where t

wo peace-bearers shook hands. Breaking into a run, the red line swept on, their ponies' legs beating the ground in a vibratory whi

Yellow-Eyed men rose slowly from the grass and reste

ds. Not a sound was to be heard but the occasional stamp of a pony's hoof on the hard ground. The beady eyes of

We will camp near by them to-night, and tomorrow we will exchange gifts. Go back, Chis-chis-chash, or the white chief says it is war. We do not want war." This and much more said the chief and h

strength, did much as usual, except that the camp-soldiers drove the irrepressible boys back, not minding to beat their ponies with their whips when th

hearts they sat under a hill-top all through the cold darkness, and their souls were much chastened by resisting the impulses to run off the white man's ponies, which they conce

urned before daylight to their ow

noted the piles of bales and boxes as he passed in, a veritable mountain of wealth; he saw the tall white men in their buckskin and white blanket suits, befringed and beribboned, their long, light hair, their bushy beards, and each carrying a well-oiled rifle. Ah, a rifle! That was what the

ts to know if you wa

f that I must have a gun,

ive for a gun?" asked

pony," replied our hero

st give three ponies. He is too young to

hat I will give him two

ss. The white chief means what he says. He says you must leave

the boy. A gun was necessary fo

ven into the stock, and was bright in its cheap newness. As the Bat took it in his hand he felt a nervous thrill, such as he had not experienced since the night he had pulled the dripping hair from the

ith his three ponies, which he drove up to the white man's pen,

ar-pony-the one he had stolen from the Absaroke. He spoke, and the interpreter con

f a liar," and the boy warrior wore himself into a frenzy of excitement as he yelled: "Tell him if he does not give me the gun he will feel this war-

-pony in place of three ponies, and give y

h the lie hot on his lips," and the Ba

the naked youth, sitting there on his war-pony: "Go awa

reter had not yet turned away his eye, the Bat had an arrow dra

two camp-soldiers rushed to the enraged Bat and led his

ow was missing. All the Indians had heard of how the white trader had lied to the boy, and they knew the retribution must come. The trading was o

as rapidly as possible to get westward of the mountains before the snows encompassed them. But by night and by day, on their little flank in rear or far in front, rode two vermilion warrior-boys, on painted po

ted through the hills; and that, too, many times. The tracks showed that the ponies were strong and went

not notice at once that the ponies and mules were traveling rapidly away to the bluffs. When the distance to which the ponies had roamed drew their attention at last, they looked hard and put away their pipes and gathered up their ropes. Two ponies ran hither and thith

ns! In

red-the herders

wild stampede, while behind them sped the Bat and Red Arrow, waving long-lashed whips, to the ends of which were suspended blown-up buffalo-bladders, which struck the hard ground with sharp, explosive thumps, rebou

only one ending with the long start. Mile by mile the darkness was coming on, so that when they could no lo

war-pony with the leveled bow; some even whispered that Mr. McIntish had lied to the boy, but no one dared say that

d made to go slow by the blinded sign, he gave up the trail, to hunt for the Chis

p with their camp, which he entered with appropriate ceremony, followed by his retinue-half-breed interpr

e squaws brought kettles of buffalo-meat, and the eager youngsters crowded the door until a camp-soldier stood

eturn. He accused them of perfidy, and warned them that from thence on no more traders would ever come into their country, but would give their guns to the Absaroke, who would thus be able to overwhelm them in war. No more would t

be, he began slowly to talk, making many gestures. "If the white chief had tracked the stolen ponies

ed the snare into which the chief had led

a young Indian gained the center of the lodge and stood up very straight in

council tepee of the Chis-chis-chash and lied to all the chiefs. He did not

e interpreter. A murmu

his eyes. The ponies are not here. They are far away-where the poor blind Yellow-Eyes cannot see them even in dreams. There is no man of the Chis-chis-chash here who knows where the horses are. Before t

ed the responsibility of the Bat's actions on

young warrior had convicted him of forged words. What would the white chief do to recompense the wrong if his horses we

white liar can talk. If the chiefs and warriors of my tribe were to take off my hide with their knives-if they were to give me to the Yellow-Eyes to b

to me now the bright new gun which lies by his side. It is a pretty gun, be

orses, except those I choose to keep. Is it

ght in the middle of the tent, the light from the smoke hole ill

an ashen-green; his right hand worked nervously along his gun-barrel. Thus he

m after, and the Bat quickly rescued them from among the ashes. Gathering the tokens and girding them about his body, the Bat continued: "If the white liar will march up this river one day and stop on the big meadows by the log house, which has no fire in it; if he w