occurred, the men showed
but little emotion. The chief, I observed, now pointed to his prisoner,
by which I feared the worst for poor Piomingo.

As soon as I could venture to address the braves, I inquired for Clarice
and the officer; and great was my dismay to find that they had not
arrived at the camp, nor had Uncle Jeff appeared.

The chief now asked for his daughter.

Maysotta had gone out hunting with her favourite dog Keokuk. There was
no danger of any harm befalling her while she had so good an attendant,
as Keokuk knew when a foe was within a mile or so, and would give her
ample warning; as he would were deer, buffalo, bears, or wolves within
the same distance.

The chief, seeing my disappointment, endeavoured to console me by saying
that perhaps my friends had missed the camp altogether, and had gone on,
and that probably we should soon hear of them; a party of his braves
were still out on an expedition, and they perhaps had fallen in with
Clarice or Uncle Jeff.

No news was received during the night, but, in spite of my anxiety, I
was glad to lie down in a corner of the chief's tent and obtain some
rest, of which I stood greatly in need. During our journey, when we
might at any moment have been attacked by an enemy, I had only slept at
intervals.

I had been for some hours, I fancy, fast asleep, when I was awakened by
a movement made by the chief, who had been lying near by me, wrapped in
his buffalo robe. By the light of the moon, which streamed in through
the unclosed entrance, I saw him get up and leave the tent.

Influenced by a motive for which I cannot now account, I rose and
followed him. My belief is that I was scarcely awake; indeed, I walked
along like a person in a dream. He at once left the camp, and took the
way down to the lower and open ground. I was at some distance behind
him, so he did not hear my footsteps.

After walking for a quarter of an hour or more, I found myself in the
midst of an Indian burial-ground, which I recognized by the number of
small platforms, raised on posts and thatched over, rising in all
directions. Besides the platforms, I observed several strange-looking
figures fixed to the top of tall poles, and composed, as far as I could
judge, of bits of coloured rags and skins, which fluttered in a weird
fashion in the night breeze.

The chief stopped before a couple of these fantastic-looking objects,
and, with folded arms, gazed up at them, uttering some words whic