d man wheeled his pony in the opposite direction,
doubling on his own course. This compelled him to swing over to the
other side in order to continue his use of the animal as a shield. He
executed the movement with wonderful deftness, but a singular condition
was against him.

Young Starr had just formed the decision that the best, if indeed not
the only thing he could do, was to shoot the steed of his foe. This was
easy, and with the Indian dismounted he would be at a great
disadvantage, though likely still to use the body of his animal as a
guard against the marksmanship of his enemy; but the latter counted on
the flurry giving him his opportunity.

Thus it happened that at the moment the Winchester was at Warren's
shoulder, and his eye was ranging along the barrel, he caught a glimpse
of the dusky body in the act of whisking over that of the pony. The
glimpse was only momentary, but under the peculiar conditions it was
just what was needed. The youth fired, and with such accuracy that the
warrior lunged over his steed, and sprawled in the snow on the other
side.

The released animal threw up his head with a snort, and trotted toward
the ridge as if he, too, had felt the sting of the bullet and was
hastening away from a possible repetition.

The sight of the Indian on the ground told the youth of the success of
his shot, but it did not lead him to do anything rash, as would have
been natural in the flush of triumph. The Sioux was not yet killed, and
was still capable of mischief.

Warren rode rapidly a few yards toward him, and then brought Jack to an
abrupt halt. He had seen something suspicious in the actions of his
enemy.

"Is he shamming?" was the question he asked himself, as he leaned
forward, carefully keeping the head and neck of Jack in front of his
body, and on the alert against a treacherous shot.

The Sioux seemed to have fallen on his side, with his face turned partly
away from the youth. With surprising quickness he shifted his position
so as to confront the horseman, and still lay prostrate in the snow, as
if unable to rise.

There might be a sinister meaning to this. The pretence of being
mortally disabled was an old one with his people, as many a white man
has learned when too late. If he were trying the artifice in the present
instance, he did it skilfully.

Under the belief that he was powerless to inflict further harm, nothing
was more natural than that the youth should ride forward wit