d, Mr
Charles?"

"I can't say that I ever did," said Charley, laughing.

"You can't think how troublesome it is," continued Jacques, with a look
of earnest simplicity. "I shook and trembled pretty well, but the more
I tried to grow pale, the more I grew red in the face; and when I
thought of the six broad-shouldered, raw-boned lads in the camp, and how
easy they would have made these jumping villains fly like chaff, if they
only knew the fix I was in, I gave a frown that had well-nigh showed I
was shamming. Hows'ever, what with shakin' a little more and givin' one
or two most awful groans, I managed to deceive them. Then I said I was
hunter to a party of white men that were travellin' from Red River to
St. Louis, with all their goods, and wives, and children, and that they
were away in the plains about a league off.

"The big chap looked very hard into my face when I said this, to see if
I was telling the truth; and I tried to make my teeth chatter, but it
wouldn't do, so I took to groanin' very bad instead. But them Sioux are
such awful liars nat'rally that they couldn't understand the signs of
truth, even if they saw them. `Whitefaced coward,' says he to me, `tell
me in what direction your people are.' At this I made believe not to
understand; but the big chap flourished his knife before my face, called
me a dog, and told me to point out the direction. I looked as simple as
I could, and said I would rather not. At this they laughed loudly, and
then gave a yell, and said if I didn't show them the direction they
would roast me alive. So I pointed towards a part of the plains pretty
wide o' the spot where our camp was. `Now, lead us to them,' said the
big chap, givin' me a shove with the butt of his gun; `an' if you have
told lies--' he gave the handle of his scalpin'-knife a slap, as much as
to say he'd tickle up my liver with it. Well, away we went in silence,
me thinkin' all the time how I was to get out o' the scrape. I led them
pretty close past our camp, hopin' that the lads would hear us. I
didn't dare to yell out, as that would have showed them there was
somebody within hearin', and they would have made short work of me.
Just as we came near the place where my companions lay, a prairie wolf
sprang out from under a bush where it had been sleepin'; so I gave a
loud hurrah, and shied my cap at it. Giving a loud growl, the big Injin
hit me over the head with his fist, and told me to keep silence. In