the shelter of some
brush to learn who the newcomer might be.

He was not kept long in waiting. The sounds came closer and closer, and
presently a tall Indian came into view, astride a horse, and carrying an
odd-looking burden in his arms.

"Yellow Elk!" almost burst from Pawnee Brown's lips. The Indian he
mentioned was a well-known chief, a warrior noted for his many crimes,
and a redskin whom the government agent had tried in vain to subdue.

The scout crouched back still further and drew his pistol, for he felt
that Yellow Elk was on no lawful errand, and a meeting would most likely
mean a fight. Then he made a discovery of still greater importance--to
him.

"Bonnie Bird, as sure as shooting! So Yellow Elk is the horse thief. The
rascal! I've a good mind to shoot him down where he sits!" He handled
his pistol nervously. "What is that he is carrying, wrapped up in his
blanket? Ha!"

A murmur of amazement could not now be suppressed. In shifting his
burden from one shoulder to the other the Indian had allowed the
blanket to fall partly back, and there was now revealed to Pawnee Brown
the head and shoulders of a beautiful, but unconscious white girl. Nor
was that all. The girl was--Nellie Winthrop!

CHAPTER X.

MR. ARBUCKLE'S STORY.

"Father! father! speak to me! Tell me that you are not dead!"

Over and over again did poor Dick repeat these words as he sat by the
side of that wet and motionless form on the muddy river bank. The boy's
heart seemed to be breaking.

But suddenly there came a change. He saw one of his father's arms
quiver. Then came a faint twitching of an eyelid.

"He is alive!" gasped Dick. The joy of the discovery nearly paralyzed
him. "Father! father!"

No answer came back, indeed, it was not to be expected. Kneeling over
his parent, Dick set to work to resuscitate the almost drowned man.

Fortunately the youth had, during his school days in New York, heard a
lecture on what was best to do in just such a case, so he did not labor
in ignorance. His treatment was as skillful as memory and his love for
his parent could make it, and in less than half an hour he had the
satisfaction of seeing his father give a gasp and open his eyes.

"Father, don't you know me?"

"Dick!" came the almost inaudible reply. "Where--where am I?"

"You are safe, father. You fell into the river and came near to
drowning."

"Is that so? I did not know there was a river near here."

Mr. Arbuckle was