chief seemed to take it for granted that he
was silenced by logic.

"This is the Little Big Horn River," Bright Sun said, "and you
behold now in this village, which extends five miles on either
side of it, the Seven Fireplaces of the Sioux. All tribes are
gathered here."

"And it is you who have gathered them," said Dick. He was
looking straight into Bright Sun's eyes as he spoke, and he saw
the pupils of the Sioux expand, in fact dilate, with a sudden
overwhelming sense of power and triumph. Dick knew he had
guessed aright, but the Sioux replied with restraint:

"If I have had some small part in the doing of it, I feel proud."

With that he left them, and Dick and Albert rode on into the
valley of the river, in whatsoever direction their bridleless
horses might carry them, although that direction was bound to be
the one in which rode the group surrounding them.

Some of the squaws and boys, who caught sight of Dick and Albert
among the warriors, began to shout and jeer, but a chief sternly
bade them to be silent, and they slunk away, to the great relief
of the two lads, who had little relish for such attention.

They were full in the valley now, and on one side of them was
thick undergrowth that spread to the edge of the river. A few
hundred yards father the undergrowth ceased, sand taking its
place. All the warriors turned their ponies abruptly away from
one particular stretch of sand, and Dick understood.

"It's a quicksand, Al," he said; "it would suck up pony, rider,
and all."

They left the quicksand behind and entered the village, passing
among the groups of lodges. Here they realized more fully than
on the hills the great extent of the Indian town. Its
inhabitants seemed a myriad to Dick and Albert, so long used to
silence and the lack of numbers.

"How many warriors do you suppose this place could turn out,
Dick?" asked Albert.

"Five thousand, but that's only a guess. It doesn't look much
like our own valley, does it, Al?"

"No, it doesn't," replied Albert with emphasis; "and I can tell
you, Dick, I wish I was back there right now. I believe that's
the finest valley the sun ever shone on."

"But we had to leave sometime or other," said Dick, "and how
could we tell that we were going to run into anything like this?
But it's surely a big change for us."

"The biggest in the world."

The group in which they rode continued along the river about two
miles, and then stopped at a point w