long as there was a chance of success.

Thus matters stood until the shadows of night began closing over the
prairie. During the interval, many glimpses of the Sioux had been
caught, as they moved backward and forward at will, sometimes mounted
and often on foot. The sentinel kept his place on the crest of the hill,
or rather, he exchanged it with one of his brother warriors, who walked
about, sat down, smoked his pipe, and used every means at his command to
cause the time to pass comfortably to him.

The failure of the arrival of help caused not only surprise but distress
to Melville Clarendon; for there was but one way of interpreting it:
something had befallen his parents by which they were prevented from
reaching the settlement.

The youth had tried all through the afternoon to drive away the
misgivings which had troubled him on this score; but he could do so no
longer. It was in keeping with the tactics of the Indians that, after
arranging to attack the home of Clarendons, they should circle to the
northward, so as to approach it from the direction of the settlement.
Had they done this, with a view of shutting off all escape to Barwell,
it was more than likely they did it early enough in the day to meet the
pioneer and his wife hurrying from the place of danger.

Had this meeting taken place, nothing could have saved the couple.
Melville secured some consolation from the belief that, if such an awful
calamity had overtaken his parents, the Sioux would give evidence of the
fact. That is to say, they would have taken possession of the horses and
enough of the property for the lad to see them on the first survey of
the assailants.

The fact that he did not detect anything of the kind might be accepted
as proof that no meeting had taken place with the particular party under
the leadership of Red Feather.

But that question was easily answered by Red Feather himself. He assured
Melville that he and his warriors had come from the south, arriving on
the spot only a short time before the appearance of the brother and
sister on the other bank of the stream. He had waved his blanket at the
children as a taunt, not supposing they would come any closer after
seeing him; but, riding over the hill, he peeped cautiously back, and
learned that Melville, not catching the meaning of the gesture, was
approaching his home. Thereupon the chief called back his men who were
riding off, and arranged to secure the young birds returni