ing suggestions had sown seeds of discord among them.
The dispute waxed hot and fierce, not as to the guilty parties, who were
apparently acknowledged to be the Piegans, but as to the course to be
pursued. Running Stream had no intention that his people and himself
should become involved in the consequences of the crimes of other
tribes whom the Blackfeet counted their inferiors. Eagle Feather and his
Piegans must bear the consequences of their own misdeeds. On the other
hand Eagle Feather pleaded hard that they should stand together in this
matter, that the guilty parties could not be disclosed. The Police could
not punish them all, and all the more necessary was it that they should
hold together because of the larger enterprise into which they were
about to enter.

The absence of the Sioux Chief Onawata, however, weakened the bond of
unity which he more than any other had created and damped the ardor of
the less eager of the conspirators. It was likewise a serious blow to
their hopes of success that the Police knew all their plans. Running
Stream finally gave forth his decision, which was that the thieves
should be given up, and that they all should join in a humble petition
to the Police for leniency, pleading the necessity of hunger on their
hunting-trip, and, as for the larger enterprise, that they should
apparently abandon it until suspicion had been allayed and until the
plans of their brothers in the North were more nearly matured. The time
for striking had not yet come.

In this decision all but the Piegans agreed. In vain Eagle Feather
contended that they should stand together and defy the Police to prove
any of them guilty. In vain he sought to point out that if in this
crisis they surrendered the Piegans to the Police never again could they
count upon the Piegans to support them in any enterprise. But Running
Stream and the others were resolved. The thieves must be given up.

At the very moment in which this decision had been reached Cameron rode
in, carrying with him the incriminating hides.

"Here, Jerry," he said. "You take charge of these and bring them to the
Commissioner."

"All right," said Jerry, taking the hides from Cameron's horse.

"What is up, Jerry?" said Cameron in a low voice as the half-breed was
untying the bundle.

"Beeg row," whispered Jerry. "Eagle Feather t'ief."

"All right, keep close."

Quietly Cameron walked over to the group of excited Indians. As he
approached they open