ent
out to get some water that was cool. After the Indian had had his fill,
Dan used the remainder of the water in washing his wounds and then
bound them up. After this he got out an old blanket, and he and Ralph
placed the wounded fellow on this. Before, the red man's face had had a
scowl on it, but now it became more friendly.

"White boys heap good," he grunted. "Big Foot no forget dem," and he
nodded his head suggestively. He had been shot in the leg, and was
suffering from loss of blood.

"Tell me who robbed the cabin," said Dan, for he felt that Big Foot had
had nothing to do with it.

The Indian knit his brow in speculation.

"White boy ask Big Foot hard question," he said, presently.

"But you must know."

"Big Foot t'ink know, not sure. Big Foot crawl in here out of hot sun.
He half dead. Udder man come, rob place while Big Foot half dead."

"Well, who do you imagine the other man was? It couldn't have been one
of your tribe."

"I t'ink him half my tribe. I t'ink him 'Merican-Indian, um Hank
Stiger."

"Hank Stiger!" cried Dan. "Father, did you hear that?"

"What is it, Dan?"

"This Indian was half in a faint when the cabin was robbed, but he
thinks the thief was Hank Stiger."

"That is not improbable, for Stiger was around this vicinity and did
not fight with the Comanches. He could easily have come in after we
went off on the trail. When was the robbery committed?"

"Him come in at the last sundown," answered Big Foot, meaning the
evening before.

"Alone?"

"Yes."

"And which way did he go?"

The wounded red man could not answer this query, and he now became so
exhausted that the others questioned him no further.

The fire was started up, and a generous meal for all hands was
prepared, of which the Indian was given all that was good for him. Then
the red man went to sleep, while the Radburys began to mend the
battered door and put things into shape generally. Poke Stover went off
to the timber, to find out what had become of Ralph's deer, and to see
if any of the enemy were still lurking in the vicinity.

It was learned by nightfall that no Indians were around for miles, and
this made the Radburys breathe much more easily. Strange to say, Stover
had found the deer just where Mr. Radbury had left it, and now brought
it in.

"A good shot, lad," said the old frontiersman to Ralph. "No one could
have made a better."

"Yes, it was a good shot," answered the boy. "I'm afraid I'll not be