ind always does that."

"Well, what did you do?"

Terry's grin broadened. "I'm not going to spoil it for you by telling,
but if you stick around you'll see a sizeable 'natural' phenomenon
within a day or so. In the east, too, the most favorable quarter!"

The Major could extract nothing further from him, so desisted after an
irate: "Well, you let me in on these stunts after this. You're all
in--and here I lay sleeping all night!"

Terry sobered. "Major, we did not need you--we got along all right."

"We?" Heartsick, the Major sought to plunge the iron deeper. But Terry
had slipped out to clean up at the creek before the girls should come.

That morning they noted that for the first time a number of warriors
hung around the village, watching the hut where the white men lived
with a studied insolence that proved their hostility. Pud-Pud was of
them, and loudest in his talk. At noon a large crowd had gathered,
composed of those most inimical to the strangers.

While the two stood near the entrance to their shack watching the
eddying currents of almost naked humanity they saw Pud-Pud detach
himself from his companions and swagger toward them, spear in hand.

The crowd watched him eagerly as he advanced to test the mettle of the
pale outlanders: Pud-Pud had boasted that he would end this suspense.

The insolent savage advanced, stopped ten feet from them and
brandished his weapon, his attitude one of utter contempt. He spat at
them.

Rage suffused the Major's face and his hand crept into his shirt
front, but before he could withdraw the gun Terry whispered a
restraining caution.

"I know him, Major,--a grandstander."

Terry stepped in front of the Major and returned the savage's stare. A
moment they battled, then the Hillman saw something in the white face
that disconcerted him, so that his offensive black eyes lost their
hint of insult, wavered, fell. As Terry moved toward him slowly,
Pud-Pud hesitated, then gave way before the stern visage of the
approaching American.

Terry, boring him with cold gray eyes, came faster: retreating rapidly
to maintain his distance from the white man, Pud-Pud hurried his
backward pace toward the ring of silent Hillmen who watched them.
Heedless of his steps, conscious only of an overwhelming desire to
maintain a safe distance from this purposeful white man whom he had
affronted, Pud-Pud backed away, eyes fastened upon the pale avenger.

Moving suddenly to the right, Terry fo