oing eastward, for common sense will
teach you they haint been tooken that way; a chap with your good sense
will pick up some clue that'll show you the way through."

"My brother speaks the words of wisdom," said Deerfoot, who was much
impressed by the utterances of the trapper: "Deerfoot will not forget
what he has said; he will carry his words with him and they shall be his
guide; Deerfoot says good-bye."

And with a courteous salute to the three, the young warrior walked a few
steps, broke into a light run, and was out of sight before his intention
was fairly understood. The trappers looked in each others' faces,
laughed, made some characteristic remarks, and then turned to their own
business.

Deerfoot the Shawanoe had determined to follow the advice given by Burt
Hawkins the trapper. It certainly was singular that such an
extraordinary woodman as the Indian should profit by the counsel of a
white man, even though he was a veteran; but Deerfoot had studied the
problem so long that his brain was confused, and, having fixed his own
line of conduct, he only needed the endorsement of some sturdy character
like the hunter. He had received that endorsement, and now he could not
use too much haste.

His intention was to journey rapidly southward, in the direction of the
present State of Arkansas, until he should reach some of the Indian
villages that were there a hundred years ago. He would push his
inquiries among them, just as Burt Hawkins had suggested, pressing the
search in other directions, until able to pick up some clue. After that,
it would be an easy matter to determine the line of policy that would
lead to success.

Any one engaged in such a task as that on which the young Shawanoe had
entered, needs to take all the observations he can, for the knowledge
thus gained is sure to be of great help. The Indian scanned the country
opening to the southward, and, as was his custom, turned his face toward
the first elevation which would give him the view he was so desirous of
obtaining.

The elevation was similar to those with which the reader became familiar
long ago, and the sun had not yet reached the horizon when the lithe
warrior had climbed to the crest of the ridge, and was scanning the
wilderness which opened to the south and west. He was in a region where
he was warranted in looking for Indian villages, and his penetrating
eyes traveled over the area with a minuteness of search hardly
imaginable by the r