say if he told him? What would his father have done?

He swung about quickly and raised the rifle to his shoulder. But the
Indian lad had gone. Not an object moved upon the further shore of the
creek and, after a minute or two of hesitation, the white boy stumbled
on through the stream and reached the other bank. He was angry with
himself for being afraid of Crow Wing, and he was also angry that he had
not seen the face of the stranger at the campfire. It must have been
somebody whom Crow Wing knew and did not wish the white boy to see.
Enoch Harding continued his homeward way, his mind greatly disturbed by
the adventure and with a feeling of deep resentment against the Indian
youth.

CHAPTER V

THE PIONEER HOME

Enoch arrived feeling not of half so much importance as he had on
starting from the Breckenridge farm. His adventure with Crow Wing had
mightily taken down his self-conceit. Like most of the settlers he had
very little confidence in the Indian character; so, although Crow Wing
had rendered the defenders of the Grants a signal service that very day,
Enoch was not at all sure that the red youth was not helping the
Yorkers, too.

But when he came out of the wood at the edge of the great corn-field
which his father had cleared first of all, and saw the light of the
candles shining through the doorway of the log house, he forgot his
recent rage against Crow Wing and hurried on to greet those whom he
loved. The children came running out to meet him and the light of the
candles was shrouded as his mother's tall form appeared in the doorway.
Bryce, who was eleven years old, was almost as tall as Enoch, although
he lacked his elder brother's breadth of shoulders and gravity of
manner. Enoch was deliberate in everything he did; Bryce was of a more
nervous temperament and was apt to act upon impulse. He was a
fair-haired boy and was forever smiling. Now he reached Nuck first and
fairly hugged him around the neck, exclaiming:

"We thought you were shot! However came you to be so long comin' back,
Nuck? Mother's quite worritted 'bout you, she says."

Katie, the fly-away sister of ten, hurled herself next upon her elder
brother and seized the heavy rifle from his hands. "Look out for it,
Kate!" commanded Nuck. "It's been freshly primed." But Katie was not
afraid of firearms. She shouldered the gun and marched bravely toward
the house. Mary, demure and curly headed, and little Harry, remained
nearer the door