nd there were the smoke-browned tepees of
the Indians, before which sat the squaws and papooses, and the old men
and women.

The bucks, heads of families, strode back and forth majestically, with
their rifles and old muskets in the hollow of their arms, while the
young men and half-grown boys dashed here and there on their ponies.

It was an animated scene, and the two girls looked at it curiously, for
neither of them had seen anything like it before.

While they were looking out of the window a shadow darkened the doorway,
and they looked up to see a tall young buck Indian standing on the
threshold.

He was very tall for a Northern Indian, and his broad, bronze-colored
face, with its high cheek bones, and prominent, aquiline nose, with the
black, beady eyes between, and the wide, loose-lipped mouth beneath,
caused Miss Croffut to shudder unknowingly.

To her there was something repulsive about the fellow. But Stella looked
at him boldly and inquiringly.

"How?" grunted the Indian.

"What you want?" asked Stella, in a business-like way.

"Me want agent," he answered, with a leer, which evidently he intended
for a smile of fascination.

"Not here," said Stella sharply.

"Where go?"

"Get out."

The Indian stared at her with an expression of amazement, which
gradually turned to one of admiration.

"Heap good-looking squaw," he grunted.

"Get out," said Stella again.

She was not frightened, only disgusted.

"Me Running Bear. Heap big chief. Heap rich. Heap brave. Running Bear
want white squaw. Heap other wives cook for white squaw. Make plenty red
dress."

When the Indian had first entered the room Stella thought that there was
something decidedly familiar about the redskin, but when the name
"Running Bear" fell from his lips, her worst fears were confirmed--this
was the Indian with whom Ted had had trouble during the winter, when he
had broken up the Whipple gang.

As he strode into the middle of the room, with his hand on the butt of
the revolver that hung on his left hip, Miss Croffut uttered a faint
scream.

Stella was not exactly frightened, but she felt that there might be some
danger in being in the room with this Indian brute, with not a white man
in hailing distance.

When he got nearer she smelled liquor. Running Bear had been drinking,
and Stella knew that a drinking Indian is a crazy Indian who will do
things he never would dream of doing when he is sober.

She unconsciously felt