hotel. He put up his own
horse, looking after his feeding and bedding.

"You have some work to do, Ginger, for your Queen and country to-morrow,
and you must be fit," he said as he finished rubbing the horse down.

And Ginger had work to do, but not that planned for him by his master,
as it turned out. At the door of the Royal Hotel, Cameron found waiting
him in the shadow a tall slim Indian youth.

"Hello!" said Cameron. "Who are you and what do you want?"

As the youth stepped into the light there came to Cameron a dim
suggestion of something familiar about the lad, not so much in his face
as in his figure and bearing.

"Who are you?" said Cameron again somewhat impatiently.

The young man pulled up his trouser leg and showed a scarred ankle.

"Ah! Now I get you. You are the young Piegan?"

"Not" said the youth, throwing back his head with a haughty movement.
"No Piegan."

"Ah, no, of course. Onawata's son, eh?"

The lad grunted.

"What do you want?" inquired Cameron.

The young man stood silent, evidently finding speech difficult.

"Eagle Feather," at length he said, "Little Thunder--plenty Piegan--run
much cattle." He made a sweeping motion with his arm to indicate the
extent of the cattle raid proposed.

"They do, eh? Come in, my boy."

The boy shook his head and drew back. He shared with all wild things the
fear of inclosed places.

"Are you hungry?"

The boy nodded his head.

"Come with me."

Together they walked down the street and came to a restaurant.

"Come in and eat. It is all right," said Cameron, offering his hand.

The Indian took the offered hand, laid it upon his heart, then for a
full five seconds with his fierce black eye he searched Cameron's face.
Satisfied, he motioned Cameron to enter and followed close on his heel.
Never before had the lad been within four walls.

"Eat," said Cameron when the ordered meal was placed before them. The
lad was obviously ravenous and needed no further urging.

"How long since you left the reserve?" inquired Cameron.

The youth held up three fingers.

"Good going," said Cameron, letting his eye run down the lines of the
Indian's lithe figure.

"Smoke?" inquired Cameron when the meal was finished.

The lad's eye gleamed, but he shook his head.

"No pipe, eh?" said Cameron. "Come, we will mend that. Here, John,"
he said to the Chinese waiter, "bring me a pipe. There," said Cameron,
passing the Indian the pipe after filling it, "smoke