laring,
while he breathed hard and showed his teeth, "is a coward. His daughter
Softswan is a chicken-hearted squaw; and her husband Big Tim is a
skunk--so is Little Tim his father."

These remarks, being thoroughly in accord with the sentiments of the
braves, were received with a storm of "Ho's," "How's," "Hi's," and
"Hee's," which effectually drowned the cheeky one's "Hum's," and greatly
encouraged the chief, who thereafter broke forth in a flow of language
which was more in keeping with his name. After a few boastful
references to the deeds of himself and his forefathers, he went into an
elaborate and exaggerated description of the valorous way in which they
had that day stormed the fort of their pale-face enemies and driven them
out; after which, losing somehow the thread of his discourse, he fell
back on an appallingly solemn look, blinked, and sat down.

This was the signal for the recurrence of the approving "Ho's" and
"Hi's," the gratifying effect of which, however, was slightly marred
when silence was restored by a subdued "Hum" from the cheeky comrade.

Directing a fierce glance at that presumptuous brave, Rushing River was
about to give vent to words which might have led on to the fighting
stage, when he was arrested, and, with his men, almost petrified, by a
strange fizzing noise which seemed to come from the earth directly below
them.

Incomprehensible sounds are at all times more calculated to alarm than
sounds which we recognise. The report of a rifle, the yell of a foe,
could not have produced such an effect on the savages as did that
fizzing sound. Each man grasped his tomahawk, but sat still, and turned
pale. The fizzing sound was interspersed with one or two cracks, which
intensified the alarm, but did not clear up the mystery. If they had
only known what to do they would have done it; what danger to face, they
would have faced it; but to sit there inactive, with the mysterious
sounds increasing, was almost intolerable.

Rushing River, of all the band, maintained his character for reckless
hardihood. He sat there unblenched and apparently unmoved, though it
was plain that he was intensely watchful and ready. But the foe
assailed him where least expected. In a little hole right under the
very spot on which he sat lay one of the zigzag crackers. Its first
crack caused the chief, despite his power of will and early training, to
bound up as if an electric battery had discharged him. The se