Part 6 (1/2)

THE MEDICINE MAN

During the h the woods the Indians were not communicative

Once or twice Arnold attempted to draift Arrow into conversation, but the old man merely listened in solemn silence He refused even to respond to direct questions

Eventually a clearing was reached where a large nue, and thence the two captives were escorted to a tent that stood a many others They were politely requested to enter, and, on obeying, they found that the teepee was otherwise euard at a little distance from the entrance, while Swift Arrow departed with the rest of his brethren

”There's no doubt but that we are prisoners,” re to ht

”The whole affair is a puzzle,” said his companion ”Why on earth they should take us prisoners passes ard us as enemies They would not have been so polite and considerate if that had been their thought”

”That's just it,” laughed Arnold, who, like his son, had the gift for worrying little until he knew exactly what to worry about ”That's just what surprises me We are treated as prisoners, and not as prisoners My ier”

The time allowed for speculation was soon curtailed by the sound of h presently there was silence, and a loud voice called to those within--

”The eyes of Mighty Hand would gladly rest on the sight of the White Men”

”Hefrom the couch of fur ”He's too polite to enter the teepee uninvited”

”By all hed Holden

The two men then advanced, while one threw open the flap of the tent

And the picture that ers with admiration, for it seemed to throw the years back to the days when the Indian ruled the prairie--the days that knew the youth of Ballantyne and the pried in a semicircle before the tent was a crowd of braves and warriors--all arrayed in the picturesque garb that was unspoilt by any touch of Saxon attire, such as is co redskins of the present day Except that the old-time bows and arroere replaced by est any association hite men and white round of natives that ilishure He was an Indian of enormous size--tall, squarely built, and equally proportioned

His head was surle feathers that were continued like a wing right down his back and nearly touched the ground His black hair was threaded with many coloured beads, soets of pure gold Necklaces of beads and ani in ings and moccasins were a mass of beads, feathers, and porcupines' quills woven in intricately fantastic designs And, over all, there hung in graceful folds an erreat chief of the Dacotahs Mighty Hand was his name, and that hand was famed for its deeds of valour as equally for its deeds of kindness He was solebeen separated fro to maintain the old life in the forest and on the prairie rather than a workhouse existence in a Government Reserve He led his people far from the haunts of white ame that supplied his people's needs Powder and other necessaries he obtained fro-stations But he was known as a ular life and failure to coulations had been hitherto winked at by the officials

When the English before them in a majestic attitude that at once proclaimed his royal blood He was unarers

At the chief's right side stood Swift Arrow; at the left was a figure that formed a weird contrast to the other two This one was lean, bent, and twisted like a gnarled tree that had been starved and warped in the forest His dress was alike native, but the grotesque ornaments of aniruesoave the wearer an appearance that was repulsive to Saxon eyes This freak of figure and dress was Thunder-reat Medicine Man of the tribe Without his presence no state conclave was co was ever decided

It ht that the ti these several features was silishmen in nising the bearing of the chief, prohty Hand could understand--judging from his first salutation

”The white brothers of the redreat chief,” he said ”The white brothers have been in great danger froreat chief's braves snatched therateful that their lives have been saved, and they are glad to meet the chief and thank him for as done”

The Indian listened in silence, and, at the pause that followed, he returned in deep tones, as if he were repeating a lesson that he had learnt by heart--

”_Out from the silver waters, when the moon is round, they shall come

They shall be pale-face, and they shall look likerejoinder! To neither of the captives did it convey any knowledge Arnold, however, deemed that the best course would be to assuarded as prisoners