cious hatred this vagrant redskin held toward him. To
appeal for mercy would delight the miscreant and not aid the prisoner.
He tried another tack.

"What do you want with me, Motoza?"

The question pleased the Sioux, who, partly lowering his rifle, still
held it ready for instant use. His ugly countenance was broken by the
old grin.

"Huh! You call Motoza tief, eh?"

"That's what I called you, and that's what you are!"

"Huh! Me kill you!"

"_You_ can do that easily enough, but you'll never live to brag about
it. If the officers don't hang you, Hank Hazletine will make daylight
shine through your hide! He is only waiting for an excuse."

"White man dog--me not afraid--me kill _him_!" said the Sioux, with a
dangerous glitter in his snake-like eyes.

"You can't do it too soon. But what are you waiting for?"

Motoza had not counted upon such defiance; but if it lessened his
contempt it did not diminish his hate nor weaken his purpose.

"You go; me follow; me point rifle if you run; if you call, me shoot!"

"Which way do you wish me to travel?"

The Sioux pointed toward the bend in the valley for which Fred was
making when checked in this peremptory manner. To obey was to take him
further from his comrade, but he obeyed.

As he moved off, Motoza picked up the two weapons from the ground,
thrusting the revolver into the girdle at his waist, while he carried
the Winchester in his other hand. Fred heard him a few paces in the
rear, as well as the repetition of his threats to fire on the least
attempt of the prisoner to regain his freedom or to attract the
attention of his friends.

The youth never doubted that he would carry out this threat, and he
would have been a zany to draw the explosion of wrath. He walked forward
and did his best to obey the orders of his enemy in spirit and letter.

The young man thought intently. The shock of the belief that instant
death impended was somewhat softened by the knowledge that the crisis
was deferred for a time at least, though it was impossible to guess for
how long.

What was the ultimate intention of the Sioux? It seemed probable to Fred
that he was afraid to slay him at the spot of capture, since the body
would be sure of discovery by his friends, with a good chance of
learning the identity of the assassin. What more likely, therefore, than
that he was conducting him to some remote place, where his body would
never be found?

It was not natural that an active,