ence of men who came near him or he sent
them from him with a repulsion as strong as the attraction to those who
liked him.

He felt the smothering power of this spell over his own mind now and
tried to break it.

"Mr. Brown," Townsley began haltingly, "I've brought you here now. You
are snug in camp. I'd like to take my team back home."

"To-night?"

"To-night."

"It won't do."

"Why not?"

"I won't allow this party to separate until the work to which God has
called me is done."

"I've done my share."

"No. It will not do for you to go yet."

"I'm going--"

"You're not!"

Brown faced the man and held him in a silent look of his blue-gray eyes.

Townsley quailed before it.

"Whatever happens, you brought me here. You are equally responsible with
me."

Townsley surrendered.

The threat was unmistakable. He saw that he was trapped. Whether he
liked it or not, he had packed his camp outfit, harnessed his horses and
driven over the trail on a hunting expedition. He knew now that they
were stalking human game. It sent the chills down his spine. But there
was no help for it. He had to stick.

Brown spent the night alone reconnoitering the settlement of the
Pottawattomie, marking the place of his game and making sure that no
alarm could be given. All was still. There was nowhere the rustle of a
leaf along a roadway that approached the unsuspecting quarry.

Saturday dawned clear and serene. His plans required that he lie
concealed the entire day. He could stalk his prey with sure success on
the second night. The first he had to use in reconnoitering.

When breakfast had been eaten and Brown had finished his morning
prayers, he ordered his men to lie low in the tall grass and give no
sign of life until the shadows of night should again fall. They were
not allowed to kindle another fire. The fires of the breakfast had been
extinguished at daylight.

The wind rose with the sun and the tall wild flowers swayed gracefully
over the dusty figures of the men. They lay in a close group with Brown
in the center leading the low-pitched conversation which at times became
a debate.

As the winds whispered through the moving masses of flowers, the old man
would sometimes stop his talk suddenly and an ominous silence held the
group. He had the strange power of thus imposing his will on the men
about him. They watched the queer light in his restless eyes as he
listened to the voices within.

Suddenly he awaked