d "the teacher," and all the world, but
finally he threatened to tell Mr. Raften. This was the nearest to a
home thrust of any yet, and in some uneasiness the Woodpecker turned
to Little Beaver and said:

"Brother Chief, do you comprehend the language of the blithering
Paleface? What does he say?"

"Ugh, I know not," was the reply. "Maybe he now singeth a death song
in his own tongue."

Guy was not without pluck. He had kept up heart so far believing that
the boys were "foolin'," but when he felt the awful charcoal line
drawn to divide his scalp satisfactorily between these two inhuman,
painted monsters, and when with a final "_weet, weet, weet_"
of the knife on the stone the implacable Woodpecker approached and
grabbed his tow locks in one hand, then he broke down and wept
bitterly.

"Oh, please don't----Oh, Paw! Oh, Maw! Let me go this time an' I'll
never do it again." What he would not do was not specified, but the
evidence of surrender was complete.

"Hold on, Great Brother Chief," said Little Beaver. "It is the custom
of the tribes to release or even to adopt such prisoners as have shown
notable fortitude."

"Showed fortitude enough for six if it's the same thing as yellin',"
said the Woodpecker, dropping into his own vernacular.

"Let us cut his bonds so that he may escape to his own people."

"Thar'd be more style to it if we left him thar overnight an' found
next mornin' he had escaped somehow by himself," said the older Chief.
The victim noted the improvement in his situation and now promised
amid sobs to get them all the Birch bark they wanted--to do anything,
if they would let him go. He would even steal for them the choicest
products of his father's orchard.

Little Beaver drew his knife and cut bond after bond.

Woodpecker got his bow and arrow, remarking "Ugh, heap fun shoot him
runnin'."

The last bark strip was cut. Guy needed no urging. He ran for the
boundary fence in silence till he got over; then finding himself safe
and unpursued, he rilled the air with threats and execrations. No part
of his statement would do to print here.

After such a harrowing experience most boys would have avoided that
swamp, but Guy knew Sam at school as a good-natured fellow. He began
to think he had been unduly scared. He was impelled by several
motives, a burning curiosity being, perhaps the most important. The
result was that one day when the boys came to camp they saw Guy
sneaking off. It was fun to ca