ly explained to Two Arrows that a visit of peace was
planned, and that he was to be marched home again, but the face of the
young Indian clouded. That was the one thing he stood in mortal dread
of. He thought of the jeers and derision sure to greet him from all
other Nez Perce boys when they should see him come home without any
glory, and he hung back.

"Mount now," shouted Yellow Pine, with a motion towards the animal he
had selected.

A horse! To ride back, instead of returning tired and on foot. That was
quite another matter.

"Whoop!" he could not have restrained that yell of relief, and in an
instant he was in the saddle. He had been used to riding a barebacked
pony, and that made his present outfit the more splendid. All his vanity
and ambition came pouring back upon him, and he almost felt as if he had
captured that squad of pale-faces and was bringing them in as prisoners.
He dashed forward at once, with Sile on one side, Yellow Pine on the
other, and the rest following, except a camp-guard of two miners.

Less than an hour later all the Nez Perce band came out under the trees
to see what was coming.

"Two Arrows!" almost breathlessly exclaimed Na-tee-kah. "Caught some
pale-faces this time."

"Got horse," said Ha-ha-pah-no.

Long Bear and his warriors did not say a word, for they were all but
dumb with astonishment from the moment that they recognized the
returning wanderer. What would not that remarkable boy do next? Had he
killed anybody? Had he really stolen all those white men, or had they
stolen him? There he was, anyway, and in a few moments more Yellow Pine
and Judge Parks had said "How?" to Long Bear and his best men. Indian
manners required that Two Arrows should be silent before his elders
until spoken to, but Long Bear almost instantly inquired,

"Where find boy?"

"In camp," said Yellow Pine. "Try to steal horse. Too many pale-face.
Catch him. All safe. Big thief some day. Boy now."

All of Two Arrows's dream of glory went out of sight before the grim
smiles with which the Nez Perce warriors heard that explanation. They
perfectly understood the matter, and that the pale-faces before them
wished to be good friends. On their part, they were a good deal more
than willing, for they had much to gain from peace and very little from
war with mounted riflemen.

"Prisoner?" groaned Na-tee-kah.

"Boy all right," grumbled Ha-ha-pah-no, indignantly. "Find pale-face
camp anyhow. Go right in. Old b