you come from?"

"Sh--sh--," said Thlucco. "Injun know. Injun no fool. Injun want
Sam."

"What do you want with Sam?"

"Sam git caught! Injun no fool. Injun see."

"What do you mean, Thlucco? Speak out. If there is any danger, I want
to know it."

"Ugh! Injun know Jake Elliott!"

"What about Jake?" asked Sam.

"Um, Jake Elliott _devil_. Jake hate Sam. Jake hate General Jackson.
Injun no fool. Injun see."

Sam was interested now, but it was not easy to draw anything like
detailed information out of Thlucco.

"What makes you think that, Thlucco? What have you seen or heard?"

"Um. Injun see. Injun know. Injun no fool. Jake cuss Sam. Jake cuss
Jackson. Injun hear."

"When did you hear him curse me or General Jackson, Thlucco?" asked
Sam.

"Um. To-day! 'Nother day, too! 'Nother day 'fore that."

"What did he say?"

"Um. Jake _cuss_. Um. Jake gone."

"What!" exclaimed Sam. "Gone! where?"

"Um. Injun don't know. Injun know Jake gone."

"When did he leave camp?"

"Um. When Sam go 'way Jake go too! Injun follow Jake. Jake cuss Injun.
Injun come back."

"Is that all you know, Thlucco?"

"Um. That's all. That's 'nough. Jake gone 'way."

Sam jumped out of the boat and waked the boys.

"Where did Jake Elliott go to-night?" he asked.

None of the boys knew.

"Did any one of you see him leave camp?"

"Yes," answered Billy Bowlegs, "but we didn't pay much attention to
him. He's been so glum lately that we've been glad to have him out of
sight."

"Has he ever gone away before?" asked Sam.

"No, only he never stays right in camp. He sleeps over there by them
trees," said Billy Bowlegs, pointing to a clump of trees about forty
or fifty yards away, "an' I guess he's only gone over there. He never
stays with us when you're not here."

Sam strode over to the trees indicated, and searched carefully, but
could find no trace of Jake there. Returning to the camp he asked:--

"Did any of you observe which way he went when he went away?"

"Yes," answered Sid Russell, "he went toward his trees."

"That is toward the town," answered Sam.

"Yes, so it is."

"Have you observed anything peculiar about his conduct lately?"

"No," replied Billy Bowlegs, "only that he's been a gettin' glummer
an' glummer. I'll tell you what it is, Captain Sam, I'll bet a big
button he's deserted an' gone home. He's a coward and he's been scared
ever since he found out that you wa'n't foolin' about this bein' a
genu-_ine_, d