e, to which deer and other animals
came to drink, or to lick the earth at the water's edge to satisfy the
craving which all animals have for salt. As it was then nearly sundown he
determined to hide nearby, confident he would get a shot at a deer as
soon as darkness came. Concealing himself in some brush at the north side
of the lick, the wind being from the south, he waited.

Scarcely had the sun set when a fine young doe approached the brackish
pool. One shot from his rifle brought the pretty animal down, and in a
few more minutes he had secured the skin and best portions of the meat.
Slinging these over his shoulder, he set out to find the road and Ree's
camp-fire. But he had been careless in keeping his bearings, and walked a
long way in the wrong direction. When he did find the road at last, he
knew not which way to go to find the camp. He secured a light, however,
by flashing powder in his gun, and thus found the tracks of old Jerry and
the cart. He then knew which way to go, but traveled a couple of miles
before coming within sight of the camp-fire.

He heard a rifle shot but paid little attention to it, and saw nothing of
any prowler, though he came up in the direction from which the mysterious
attack was made. When Ree called to him, he had dropped the venison and
it still lay at the roadside a hundred yards from camp.

"We must have an understanding with one another that when either of us
leaves camp, he shall return at a given time unless something happens to
prevent it," said Ree; "then the other will know that something has
happened and can act accordingly. I was probably not more than a mile
away when you found that deer-lick. If you had let me know, it would have
saved a lot of worry on my part. Why, I was just on the point of going in
search of you. And as it was, old boy, you whistled just in time. That
Indian heard you coming before I did, and a little more--"

"And he would have sent me to Kingdom come," said John, finishing the
sentence, very soberly. "Your watchfulness saved me, and I can't--"

"You better get your venison into camp," Ree whispered, interrupting
John's thanks, "I'll crawl over and see how that young Indian's getting
along--poor chap."

The wounded Redskin was conscious as Ree bent over him.

"Don't speak if it will hurt you, but if you can, tell me who fired that
shot at you," Ree urged.

"Black Eagle come soon," was the buck's only answer; and indeed it was
but a few minute