he rifle and knife were forgotten, in their
absorption. Doubtless the Cherokees interpreted aright the gesture, so
significant, so obvious to their methods of life. Both the cheera-taghe
were armed with pistol as well as tomahawk and scalping-knife.

Perhaps because of this they felt secure, at leisure, acquiescently
allowing the event to develop as it needs must,--or perhaps realizing
the significance of the discovery to the young strangers, their
palpitant eagerness to gauge its result, their dread of reprisal, of
forced renunciation of their booty, the Indians permitted themselves a
relish of the torture of an enemy on a more aesthetic scheme than their
wont.

The two cheera-taghe, the shadow of their feather-crested heads in the
moonlight on the sand of the grotto almost as distinct as the reality,
spoke suddenly to each other, and the discomfited gold-seekers, who had
learned to comprehend to a certain extent the language, perceived with
dismay the sarcasm that lengthened their suspense. For it was thus that
the rulers among the Cherokees rebuked their own young people, not
upbraiding them with their misdeeds, but with gentle satire
complimenting them for that in which they had notably failed.

"A reward for hospitality we find in these young men," said one, whose
voice was hoarse and croaking and guttural and who was called Kanoona
(the Bull-frog).

"Strangers to us, yet they requite us, for we treated them as our own,"
said Oo-koo-koo.

"They treat us as _their own!_" the croaking, satiric, half-smothered
laughter of this response intimated an aside. Then Kanoona in full voice
went on, "Open and frank as the day, they keep no secrets from us!"

"They are honest! They rob us not of the yellow stone which the Carolina
people think so precious!" rejoined Oo-koo-koo, while O'Kimmon and
L'Epine looked from one to the other as the cheera-taghe sustained this
fugue of satiric accusation.

"Not they," croaked the responsive voice, "for behold, we have long time
fed and lodged them and given them of our best. We have believed them
and trusted them. We have befriended them and loved them."

"And they have befriended and loved us!" said Oo-koo-koo.

Then silence. The river sang, but only a murmurous rune; the mute
moonlight lay still on the mountains; the wind had sunk, and the
motionless leaves glistened as the dew fell; a nighthawk swept past the
portal of the grotto with the noiseless wing of its kind.

"Had