Part 21 (1/2)
”Yes, yes,” the boy assented readily ”I won't leave you Don't you be afraid of that”
”It is well, for Red Fox would speak before he go He would speak true words to the pale-face He spoke forked words like serpent tongue when he say that whitepapooses to Indian cahty Hand now----”
”_Safe?_” exclaimed Holden, as the information came to him with sudden joy and sudden dread
And the ansas at once a relief and double anxiety
”White men safe--now But before another sun they--they die----”
”Die?” was the exclareeted this announcement
”Yes,” the Indian answered ”Dacotahs foolish They say white reat trouble of water to Indian They say that serpent totem call them to Pleasant Valley, and there they burn unless serpent appear to save theth, for, without allowing the horrified boy tihtly raised hiy
”But white boy brave--white boy good He kind to Red Fox ould have used cruel knife But Red Fox no' papoose now He know that white boy too brave to suffer; Red Fox too bad to live And he would save the pale-face e of the Dacotahs and find Thunder-maker, the Medicine Man Tell him that Red Fox die sorry that he made bad promise--that before he die he bid Thunder-maker speak true to foolish Dacotahs, and tell that white men no' spirits Thunder-maker know Thunder-maker can save white men, and----”
The last word choked in the Indian's throat He gave a gasp, fell back into Alf's arrily into the lad's face
”Be brave!” whispered the boy ”Be brave, Red Fox Manito waits for you
I have forgiven you; He has forgiven you All will be well”
”Red Fox understand He--happy----” were the last words that the poor ly in his young friend's tear-clouded eyes
And it was thus that Bob found his chureat journey was taken to Manito's happy land for the sorrowful
CHAPTER XVIII
HOT ON THE TRAIL
It was a happyevents that each had experienced But it was rather sad, all the sah their trials with but little daic end to poor Red Fox
”He was a high-tempered chap,” said Arnold, when he had listened to his friend's story ”All the saood in hied at the end”
”He seeh,” Alf rejoined ”And IIn a way it wasthe remarks that I did It never occurred to me that he would understand a word----”
”As apparently he did However, it can't be helped now No doubt he had so, or he wouldn't have co sent by your father and ht uess I'll keep my opinions to myself next time, when they are so uncoreed seriously Then, turning to the dead Indian: ”We've got to lay that poor redskin to rest I wonder hoe are to ----”
”And we can't leave the body uncovered The wolves would work mischief in no time”
”Hoould it be if ere to lay hiested Holden ”There are plenty of boulders about, and we could easily cover him with branches first, with stones on the top, to keep off the aniently raised the Indian's body and placed it in a little flower-scented hollow that, after all, was a fitting bed to receive the royal dead--quite as fitting as a dark pit
Then they cast maple branches over it, and carried boulders until a substantial mound was raised
And when all was completed as well as they were able to do it, instinctively both lads knelt beside the grave and prayed for a fewtheir hy, that seerand lesson of all funeral services--that death is not all sadness, for we know of the joy that follows