ween them.

Suddenly Deerfoot feinted, like a skillful boxer, with the hand which
grasped his knife. The vigilant Sauk was equally quick to parry and
counter. He was as spry as a cat, and never once took his burning eyes
from the face of the hated youth. Then he feinted in turn, and the
Shawanoe, by his action, showed he was prepared for any demonstration,
no matter what.

These preliminaries continued several minutes, when Deerfoot, in moving
to the left, caught the toe of his moccasin in some obstruction and
stumbled. He threw up his arms, as one will instinctively do, and for a
single second was off his guard, though he recovered with incredible
quickness. Any spectator of the strange combat would have given a gasp
of terror, for the instant the stumble took place, the Sauk bounded
forward with upraised knife and brought it down with a sweep like that
of a panther's paw.

But what seemed an accident on the part of Deerfoot was done with
deliberate intent. He wearied of the idle circling, and, confident of
his own ability to outwit his antagonist, he dropped his guard for the
very purpose of drawing out the other. Hay-uta was so certain of his own
triumph that he made the mistake which the skillful fighter never makes;
he drew upon his own strength and self-poise by emitting a shout of
exultation; but the downward sweeping arm clove vacancy only, and ere he
could recover he was struck in the chest by the head of Deerfoot, who
butted him with the force of a Japanese wrestler, sending the warrior
several feet over on his back. The shock was so unexpected, as well as
tremendous, that the knife flew from his hand, and he nearly fainted
from sheer weakness.

Inasmuch as Deerfoot was able to butt him in that style, it will be
admitted that it would have been equally easy for him to have buried his
knife to the hilt in the body of his enemy, but he chose not to do so.
Instead, he quietly picked up the weapon and held one in each hand,
while the Sauk was entirely disarmed. The latter had been frightfully
jarred. The blow in the stomach fairly lifted him off his feet and drove
the wind from his lungs. He lay for a moment, with his lips compressed,
his body griped with pain, and with no more ability to defend himself
than an infant. He kept his black eyes fixed on the youthful conqueror
while writhing, and the latter stood off several paces and calmly
confronted him, as though viewing the natural phase of such a contest.