trying to make his way through the
door, and formed another plan.

With little effort he raised the sash in the narrow window on the
right. About half-way to the top was a wooden button to hold the lower
sash in place when raised. The occupants of the house used no care in
securing the windows, since, as I have explained, they were too narrow
to allow any person, unless very thin of figure, to force his way
through them.

Red Feather seemed to forget that he had tried to take the life of one
of the white persons only a few minutes before; but, since no return
shot had come from within the building, he must have concluded the
defenders were panic-stricken, or else he showed a daring that amounted
to recklessness; for, after raising the sash, he pushed the curtain
aside, and began carefully shoving his head through the opening.

Now, the house being of logs, it was necessary for the chieftain to
force his shoulders a slight distance to allow his head fairly to enter
the room. This required great care and labor, and more risk on the part
of the Sioux than he suspected--since he should have known that it is
easier to advance under such circumstances than to retreat, and,
inasmuch as it was so hard to push on, it was likely to be still harder
to retreat.

Dot Clarendon, like her brother, was so interested in another direction
that she failed for the time to note that which was of far more
importance.

But the feeling that she and her brother were in a situation of great
danger became so strong that she felt there was only One who could save
them, and, just as she had been taught from earliest infancy, she now
asked that One to take care of them.

Sinking on her chubby knees, she folded her hands, shut her eyes and
poured out the simple prayer of faith and love to Him whose ear is
never closed to the appeal of the most helpless. Her eyes were still
closed, and her lips moving, when the noise made by Red Feather in
forcing himself through the narrow opening caused her to stop suddenly
and look around.

The sight which met her gaze was enough to startle the bravest man. The
head and shoulders of a hideous Sioux warrior were within six feet of
where she was kneeling. The Indian was still struggling but he could get
no farther, and, as it was, he was wedged very closely.

It must have caused strange feelings in the heart of the wicked savage
when he observed the tiny figure kneeling on the floor, with clasped
hands, c