ins?"

"If you don't shut up, Al," said Dick, "I'll thrash you with this
good handy stick that I've found here."

"All right," replied Albert, laughing; "I didn't mean to harrow
up your feelings any more than I did my own."

Albert was tired, and the measure of content that he now felt was
soothing. Hence, his drowsiness increased, and in ten minutes he
went comfortably to sleep. Dick's eyes were yet open, and he
felt within himself such new supplies of energy and strength that
he resolved to explore a little. The task that had seemed so
hard two or three hours before was quite easy now. Albert would
remain sleeping safely where he was, and, acting promptly, Dick
left the hollow, rifle on shoulder.

It was an easy slope, but a long one. As he ascended, the trees
grew more thickly and near the ascent were comparatively free
from undergrowth. Just over the hill shone a magnificent full
moon, touching the crest with a line of molten silver.

Dick soon reached the summit and looked down the far slope into a
valley three or four hundred yards deep. The moon shed its full
glory into the valley and filled it with rays of light.

The valley was at least two miles wide, and down its center
flowed a fine young river, which Dick could see here and there in
stretches, while the rest was hidden by forest. In fact, the
whole valley seemed to be well clothed with mountain forest,
except in one wide space where Dick's gaze remained after it had
alighted once.

Here was human life, and plenty of it. He looked down upon a
circle of at least two hundred lodges, tent-shaped structures of
saplings covered with bark, and he had heard quite enough about
such things to know these were the winter homes of the Sioux.
The moonlight was so clear and his position so good that he was
able to see figures moving about the lodges.

The sight thrilled Dick. Here he had truly come upon human life,
but not the kind he wished to see. But it was vastly interesting,
and he sought a closer look. His daring told him to go down the
slope toward them, and he obeyed. The descent was not difficult,
and there was cover in abundance--pines, ash, and oak.

As he was very careful, taking time not to break a twig or set a
stone rolling, and stopping at intervals to look and listen, he
was a half hour in reaching the valley, where, through the trees,
he saw the Indian village. He felt that he was rash, but wishing
to see, he crept closer, the