.

"Shake the ca'tridges out of your bag on the ground!"

Eli turned his cartridge bag over, and the cartridges which it
contained rattled to the ground.

"Turn your pockets out!"

A turning of the pockets disclosed no further ammunition.

Indian Jake took Eli's rifle from the ground, emptied the magazine,
and placed the rifle in the tent.

"Where's your boat?" he asked.

"Just down here."

"You go ahead. Show me."

Eli guided Indian Jake to the boat, and while he remained on the bank
under threat of the rifle, the half-breed went through his belongings
in the boat in a further search for ammunition. Satisfied that there
was none, he replaced the things as he had found them, and was
grinning amiably when he rejoined Eli upon the bank.

"Come 'long up to camp," he invited, quite as though Eli were a most
welcome guest.

"Give me that silver fox!" Eli's anger had mastered his surprise.

"I won't give un to you, but don't be mad, Eli," Indian Jake grinned
in vast enjoyment.

"You stole un!" Eli burst out. "And you were thinkin' to do murder!"

"Did I now?"

"You did!"

Indian Jake did not deign to deny or confess. Eli, at his command,
returned to camp. Indian Jake handed him the tea-kettle.

"Fill un at the river," he directed.

While Eli obeyed silently and sullenly, Indian Jake lighted a fire,
and when Eli returned put the kettle on. Then he brought forth his
frying-pan, filled it with sliced venison, and as he placed it over
the fire, remarked:

"Knocked a buck down this mornin'."

Eli said nothing. The odour of frying venison was pleasant. Eli was
hungry, and when the venison was fried and tea made, he swallowed his
pride and silently accepted Indian Jake's invitation to eat.

When they had finished, Indian Jake cut a large joint of venison, and
presented it to Eli with his empty rifle, remarking as he did so:

"The deer's meat's a surprise. I like to surprise folks. Taste good
goin' home. I'll keep the ca'tridges. You might hurt somebody if you
had un. You'll get quite a piece down before you camp to-night."

"Were you takin' that silver?" asked Eli, changing his accusation to a
question.

"Maybe I were and maybe I weren't," Indian Jake grinned. "'Twouldn't
do me any good to tell you if I had un, and if I told you I didn't
have un you wouldn't believe me. Maybe I've got un. You better be
goin'. I'd ask you to stay, Eli, and I'd like to have you, but you
don't like me and you'd better g