Part 7 (1/2)
They looked, and as they looked they saw the linento be free, and at the sa of an old-time policeman's rattle
”Rattlesnakes!” exclaihed when he saw that the sound had been recognised
”Come! Come, my children!” he cried, as he turned his face upwards
”Cohter!”
Then he shook the knot of the bundle, and out fro, writhing sos that caused the onlookers to shudder and the Medicine Man to laugh, as he repeated carelessly--
”Coreat medicine in the ears of Thunder- One re the ominous rattle--moved slowly doards till it rested on the man's shoulder Then Thunder- to a whisper
Afterwards his face lit up with understanding
”Huh!” he exclaimed ”Did not the spirit of Thunder-maker speak true?
Come, my little papoose! You shall show for who his head so as to look along his shoulder, the Indian suddenly grabbed the writhing reptile with his teeth, after which (holding the other serpent with his right hand) he co until he had cleared an open circular space, of which the Indians and the whiteto the round, while he uttered a wild shriek
Once on the earth, the snake glided swiftly in several directions, while all watched the creature with tense excitement Then for a second it seelishave a cry of triumph, tucked the one snake into a fold of his robe and bent down, round And as his hands htened out its body till it lay stiff and straight as a piece of wood
Thunder-maker paused Then he rose up slowly and looked with triuht into the chief's face
”My children say that the time has come to take the cloud from the Dacotah My papooses shoho_ answer call of fiery totem!”
CHAPTER VII
THE FRIEND IN NEED
Even considering the serious nature of their quest and the plight they were in, it was not possible for the boys to refrain fro as caricatured by the singer
But they had sufficient wisdo” It is not always safe in the backwoods to announce your presence too suddenly where strangers are concerned--especially strangers who are not of the white skin
”That's a rum sort of music to come upon a hundred rin, to his chum
”Let's hope that it co of civilisation about it,” said Alf
”It doesn't sound quite like a white lish--probably a half-breed”
”What do you think we ought to do?”
”Investigate We've got no choice We're lost; that's certain enough