ause they were untrue.

"The Shawanoe was walking through the wood, when the Great Spirit
whispered, 'Take care; a snake is crawling through the grass; he is
called Hay-uta; he will strike his fangs through the moccasin of
Deerfoot, unless he crushes him with his heel; Hay-uta was not brave,
because he hid behind a tree, and he pointed his gun through the bushes,
meaning to shoot the Shawanoe before he could chant a word of his
death-song.'"

This charge was an exasperating one, and instantly raised the anger of
the warrior to white heat.

"The dog of a Shawanoe holds his tomahawk and bow; let him lay them
aside as Hay-uta does his weapon, and then it shall be shown who is the
brave warrior."

It was a curious fact that while this wrathful conversation was going
on, the couple had been steadily backing away from each other. The act
showed that in spite of the token of comity that had just passed between
them, they were mutually so suspicious as to be ready to fly at each
other. The last taunt forced the quarrel to the exploding point.
Deerfoot slipped the cord which held the quiver of arrows in place over
his head, by a motion so quick as scarcely to be perceptible, flung his
bow a rod from him, tossed his tomahawk a dozen feet away, and whipping
out his hunting-knife, grasped it with his left hand, and defiantly
confronted the Sauk, who was scarcely behind him in taking up the gauge
of battle.

CHAPTER XXI.

CHRISTIAN AND PAGAN.

The North American Indian is treacherous by nature, and will take any
advantage over a foe, no matter what its nature. The Sauk had failed to
bring down Deerfoot by the same unscrupulous means he had employed in
other instances, but he was on the watch to repeat his tactics.

When uttering the taunt which brought about the personal collision, he
flung his gun from him, and seized the handle of his tomahawk, as if
with the purpose of throwing that also aside, the manner of his
challenge implying that he meant the battle should be fought with the
knives alone. Even the sagacious Deerfoot did not suspect him for the
moment, when, on the point of grasping his knife, as he did when defying
Tecumseh, the Sauk drew back his tomahawk and hurled it with incredible
swiftness at the head of Deerfoot. There was a vicious spitefulness in
the act which sent the missile as if fired from a gun.

Nothing could have attested the Shawanoe's miraculous activity and
quickness of eye so clearly