Part 9 (1/2)

On every side the prairie sweeps away in long grassy swells and hollows, rolling off to the base of the Blue Mountains

The caish aspect that an Indian cahted warrior points to a dim speck far over the prairie toward the land of the Bannocks A white man would have scarcely noticed it; or if he had, would have thought it only so at thestraight toward the caer it is, doubtless, from the Bannocks Once the whole camp would have rushed to arms at the approach of a rider from that direction, for the two tribes had been at bitter enmity; but of late the peace-pipe has been smoked between theht arouses considerable curiosity and much speculation as to the object of the visitor

He is a good rider, his horse is fleet, and in less tiht possible reaches the caes that are farthest out, and springs lightly to the ground

He does not go on into the camp, but stands beside his horse till advances are s bark at hiround; he stands beside it immovably, and to all appearance is ready so to stand till sunset Sonize him as one of the bravest of the Bannocks He looks like a daring, resolute man, yet wary and self-contained

After a while one of the Cayuse warriors (for this was a carave salutation was exchanged

Then the Bannock said that he wanted to see the Cayuse chief, Snoquale, for the chief of the Bannocks had sent a ”talk” to the Cayuses

The warrior left him to speak with Snoqual that the chief and the warriors had gone to the council-lodge and were ready to hear the ”talk” that their brother, the chief of the Bannocks, had sent the hair-rope, to a bush, and followed the brave to the lodge

It was a large ae A crowd of old athered around the door Within, on one side of the roo the chief, who sat on the opposite side Near the door was a clear space where the

He entered, and the doorway behind him was immediately blocked up by the motley crowd excluded from the interior Not a warrior in the council looked at him; even the chief, Snoqualer advanced a few paces into the room, stopped, and stood as impassive as the rest Then, when the demands of Indian stoicism had been satisfied, Snoqualmie turned his face, a handsoer

”The warrior comes to speak the words of our brother, the chief of the Bannocks; he is welcome Shall we smoke the pipe of peace before we hear our brother's words?”

The Bannock gazed steadily at Snoqual the Cayuse could not fathom

”Why should the peace-pipe be sreat council a o? Did not Snoqualmie say then that the two tribes should henceforth be as one tribe, and that the Bannocks should be the brethren of the Cayuses forever?”

”Those were the words,” replied the chief with dignity ”Snoqualotten theer; they saw that so The Bannock drew his forht, and his resolute features expressed the bitterest scorn

”Nor have the Bannocks forgotten At the council you talked 'peace, peace' Last night so men surprised a little ca horses,--and slew them and ran off the horses Is that your peace? The Bannocks will have no such peace _This_ is the word the chief of the Bannocks sends you!”

Holding up the peace-pipe that had been siven to the e of Cayuse sincerity, he broke the long slender steers, and dashed the pieces at Snoqualmie's feet It was a defiance, a contemptuous rejection of peace, a declaration of war more disdainful than any words could have made it

Then, before they could recover froh the crowd at the door,--for an instant's stay was death Even as he leaped, Snoqualmie's tomahahizzed after him, and a dozen warriors were on their feet, weapon in hand But the swift, wild draone

Only, a brave who had tried to intercept his passage lay on the ground outside the lodge, stabbed to the heart They rushed to the door in ti back to give a yell of triumph and defiance

In less time than it takes to describe it, the horses tethered near the lodges were mounted and twenty riders were in pursuit But the Bannock was considerably in advance now, and the fine black horse he rode held its own nobly Out over the prairie flew the pursuing Cayuses, yelling like de now and then to utter a shout of derision

Back at the lodges, the crowd of spectators looked on with excited comain on hi farther from them!” ”See, he throay his blanket!” ”They are closer, closer!” ”No, no, his horse goes like a deer”

Out over the prairies, fleeting like the shadow of a hurrying cloud, passed the race, the black horse leading, the Cayuse riders close behind, their long hair outstreaainst their horses' sides, their whips falling without mercy Down a canyon they swept in pursuit and passed from the ken of the watchers at the camp, the black horse still in the van

But it could not cope with the fresh horses of the Cayuses, and they gained steadily At last the pursuers caitive knew too well the reason why Woe unto hi his horse's neck, chanting a weird refrain as if char it to its utmost speed, and ever and anon looked back with that heart-shaking shout of defiance But steadily his pursuers gained on hiside and reached out to seize his rein Even as he touched it, the Bannock's war-club swung in air and the Cayuse reeled dead froe burst froitive

But at length his horse's breath grew short and broken, he felt its body tremble as it ran, and his enemies closed in around him

Thrice the war-club rose and fell, thrice was a saddle eht, he was dragged from the saddle and bound hand and foot