hed berries was magical. As he looked up in the homely, twisted
countenance, his expression spoke his gratitude. The dwarf grinned. The
language of thankfulness needs no interpreter. Deerfoot came to the
upright posture, and, reaching forward, took one of the stranger's
hands in his own and patted it, murmuring his thanks.

The dwarf pointed to the twigs and berries remaining untouched and said
something, which was made clear by the rapid flitting of his forefinger
from them to the wounded member. The meaning was plain. The patient was
to use them as the others had been used. Deerfoot signified in his
usual way that he understood the direction.

The dwarf stood for a few minutes silent, with his eyes on the face of
the Shawanoe seated before him. Then he spoke again, and Deerfoot would
have given much to have understood the words, but he could not form the
remotest idea of their meaning. The visitor stopped and picked up his
bow from the ground, turned and swung with his awkward gait up the
slight slope, passed from sight behind the pile of rocks, and the
Shawanoe never saw or heard of him again.

CHAPTER IX.

IN THE ROCKIES.

There was wonderful virtue in the remedy used by the dwarf Indian. You
and I know that in many a mountaineer's cabin and barbarian's wigwam
are found curatives which surpass anything known to what we call
medical science. The proofs of this fact are too numerous to be
questioned.

As Deerfoot rode away with Whirlwind on a walk, he knew his hurt had
been greatly benefited. With his foot hanging, the flow of blood
downward tended to increase the pain, but there was not only less of it
than at any time since his mishap, but it was perceptibly decreasing.
The swelling was going down, for the stocking was becoming looser. He
timidly tapped the ribs of the stallion with his heel and was delighted
to find it caused less of a twinge than he expected.

At the first water he paused, but would not allow Whirlwind to kneel to
help him dismount. He let himself down rather gingerly and did not
suffer therefrom. At the side of the little stream he examined his
injury. The swelling was markedly less and he was able to press it
without wincing. He had brought away the surplus berries, but, instead
of using them, moistened the old binding and replaced it. It might be
that he would not be able to find more of the remedy, and it was
prudent to husband the supply. Observant as he was, he did not recall