told. It fronted on a little lagoon behind one of
the sand-bars. This was the village where Imbrie was said to have cured
the Kakisas of measles. At present most of the inhabitants were pitching
off up and down the river, and there were only half a dozen covered
tepees in sight, but the bare poles of many others showed the normal
extent of the village.

The usual furore of excitement was caused by their unheralded appearance
around the bend. For a moment the Indians completely lost their heads,
and there was a mad scurry for the tepees. Some mothers dragged their
screaming offspring into the bush for better shelter. Only one or two of
the bravest among the men dared show themselves. But with true savage
volatility they recovered from their panic as suddenly as they had been
seized. One by one they stole to the edge of the bank, where they stood
staring down at the travellers, with their shoe-button eyes empty of all
human expression.

Stonor had no intention of landing here. He waited with the nose of the
Serpent resting in the mud until the excitement died down. Then, through
Mary, he requested speech with the head man.

A bent old man tottered down the bank with the aid of a staff. He wore a
dirty blanket capote--and a bicycle cap! He faced them, his head wagging
with incipient palsy, and his dim eyes looking out bleared, indifferent,
and jaded. Sparse grey hairs decorated his chin. It was a picture of age
without reverence.

"How dreadful to grow old in a tepee!" murmured Clare.

The old man was accompanied by a comely youth with bold eyes, his
grandson, according to Mary. The elder's name was Ahcunazie, the boy's
Ahteeah.

Stonor, in the name of the Great White Father, harangued the chief in a
style similar to that he had used with Ahchoogah. Ahcunazie appeared
dazed and incapable of replying, so Stonor said:

"Talk with your people and find out what all desire. I will return in a
week for your answer."

When this was translated the young man spoke up sharply. Mary said:
"Ahteeah say, What for you want go down the river?"

Stonor said: "To see the white man," and watched close to see how they
would take it.

The scene in the other village was almost exactly repeated. Ahteeah
brought up all the reasons he could think of that would be likely to
dissuade Stonor. Other men, hearing what was going forward, came down to
support the boy. Stonor's boat was rotten, they pointed out, and the
waves in the rapids r