oot the first Redskin I come across."

"Better not, Jake," said one of his men. "They're all friendly Injins
about here."

"What's the odds to me!" yelled the drunken wretch. "I'll shoot the
first I see as I would a rabbit."

At that moment they were passing a bluff covered with timber, and,
unfortunately, a poor old Indian woman came out of the wood to look at
the horsemen as they flew past.

Without an instant's hesitation Jake swerved aside, rode straight up to
the old creature, and blew out her brains.

Accustomed as they were to deeds of violence and bloodshed, his comrades
were overwhelmed with horror at this, and, fearing the consequences of
the dastardly murder, rode for life away over the plains.

But the deed had been witnessed by the relatives of the poor woman.
Without sound or cry, fifty Red men leaped on their horses and swept
with the speed of light along the other side of the bluff, which
concealed them from the white men's sight. Thus they managed to head
them, and when Jake and his gang came to the end of the strip of wood,
the Red men, armed with rifle and revolver, were in front of them.

There was something deadly and unusual in the silence of the Indians on
this occasion. Concentrated rage seemed to have stopped their power to
yell. Swift as eagles they swooped down and surrounded the little band
of white men, who, seeing that opposition would be useless, and,
perhaps, cowed by the sight of such a cold-blooded act offered no
resistance at all, while their arms were taken from them.

With lips white from passion, the Indian chief in command demanded who
did the deed. The outlaws pointed to Jake, who sat on his horse with
glaring eyes and half-open mouth like one stupefied. At a word from the
chief, he was seized, dragged off his horse, and held fast by two
powerful men while a third bound his arms. A spear was driven deep into
the ground to serve as a stake, and to this Jake was tied. He made no
resistance. He seemed to have been paralysed, and remained quite
passive while they stripped him naked to the waist. His comrades, still
seated on their horses, seemed incapable of action. They had, no doubt,
a presentiment of what was coming.

The chief then drew his scalping knife, and passed it swiftly round the
neck of the doomed man so as to make a slight incision. Grasping the
flap raised at the back of the neck, he tore a broad band of skin from
Jake's body, right down his back