en he heard a horse's footfall at the
door of his lodge.

"Ho, atay (father)!" came the welcome call.

"Mechinkshe! mechinkshe!" (my son, my son), he replied in unrestrained
joy. Old Wezee now stood on the threshold and sang the praise song for
his son, ending with a warwhoop such as he had not indulged in since he
was quite a young man.

The camp was once more alive with the dances, and the dull thud of the
Indian drum was continually in the air. The council had agreed that
Antelope was entitled to wear a war-bonnet of eagles' feathers. He was
accordingly summoned before the aboriginal parliament, and from the wise
men of the tribe he received his degree of war-bonnet.

It was a public ceremony. The great pipe was held up for him to take the
smoke of high honor.

The happiest person present was the father of Antelope; but he himself
remained calm and unmoved throughout the ceremony.

"He is a strange person," was the whisper among a group of youths who
were watching the proceedings with envious eyes.

The young man was strangely listless and depressed in spirit. His old
grandmother knew why, but none of the others understood. He never joined
in the village festivities, while the rest of his family were untiring
in the dances, and old Wezee was at the height of his happiness.

It was a crisp October morning, and the family were eating their
breakfast of broiled bison meat, when the large drum at the council
lodge was struck three times. The old man set down his wooden basin.

"Ah, my son, the war-chiefs will make an announcement! It may be a call
for the enlistment of warriors! I am sorry," he said, and paused. "I
am sorry, because I would rather no war-party went out at present. I
am getting old. I have enjoyed your success, my son. I love to hear the
people speak your name. If you go again upon the war-path, I shall no
longer be able to join in the celebrations. Something tells me that you
will not return!"

Young braves were already on their way to the council lodge. Tatoka
looked, and the temptation was great.

"Father, it is not becoming for me to remain at home when others go," he
said, at last.

"Ho," was the assent uttered by the father, with a deep sigh.

"Five hundred braves have enlisted to go with the great war prophet
against the three confederated tribes," he afterward reported at home,
with an air of elation which he had not worn for some moons.

Since Antelope had received the degree of