hags lit their
firebrands and advanced. The chief gave the signal, and with a yell of
exultation they rushed upon their victim, but fell back with a cry of
surprise, rudely thrust off by three Indians who placed themselves
before the captive.

The women retreated hastily, and the men advanced to know the reason of
this strange interruption. The Raven and his companions were unarmed.
The Indians frowned upon them, uncertain what course to pursue.

'My brothers,' the Raven said, 'I am come to die. The Raven's time is
come. He has flown his last flight. He and his brothers will die with
the little White Bird. The Raven and his friends are not dogs. They have
shed their blood against their enemies, and they do not know how to cry
out. But their time has come, they are ready to die. But they must die
before the little White Bird. If not, her spirit will fly to the Great
Spirit, and will tell him that the Raven and his friends, whom she had
sheltered and rescued, had helped to kill her; and the Great Spirit
would shut the gates of the happy hunting-grounds against them. The
Raven has spoken.'

There was a pause of extreme astonishment, followed by a clamour of
voices. Those who had before espoused the cause of the Raven again spoke
out loudly, while many of the others hesitated as to the course to be
pursued.

The Stag hastily consulted with two or three of his principal advisers,
and then moved forward, waving his hand to command silence. His
countenance was calm and unmoved, although inwardly he was boiling with
rage at this defiance of his authority. He was too politic a chief,
however, to show this. He knew that the great majority of the tribe was
with him; yet the employment of force to drag the Raven and his
companions from their post would probably create a division in the
tribe, the final results of which none could see, and for the
consequences of which he would, in case of any reverse, be held
responsible and looked upon with disapproval by both parties.

'The Raven and his friends have great hearts,' he said courteously.
'They are large enough to shelter the little White Bird. Let them take
her. Her life is spared. She shall remain with our tribe.'

The Raven inclined his head, and, taking a knife from a warrior near, he
cut the cords which bound Ethel, and, beckoning to the Fawn, handed the
astonished girl again into her charge, saying as he did so, 'Stop in
hut. Not go out; go out, bad.' And then, accompa