ed him to lead the way.

Two hours elapsed before they came near the place where the canoe had
been buried. Creeping cautiously among the trees, the settlers came
within rifle shot of the spot, and as they peered keenly about them no
one at first was able to discover the presence of the young Indian.

By the direction of Oliver every man remained in his hiding-place
waiting for the arrival of the Indian boy, who, Sam was convinced, would
soon come to the place. This expectation was fulfilled, as in about ten
minutes the young Indian appeared and started to the sandy shore of the
river.

Without hesitation he proceeded to the spot where the canoe had been
hidden and, as he began to dig the sand, the hunter ordered his
companions to fire upon him. The reports of the five rifles rang out
together.

The young Shawnee leaped high into the air and fell dead upon the sand.
Doubtless he never knew of the unwilling treachery of his foster-brother
by which he and his father had lost their lives.

CHAPTER XV

GATHERING CLOUDS

The grief of the white Shawnee at the death of his foster-brother was
pitiful to behold. Even Sam Oliver and his companions, who seldom showed
any sympathy for the Indians, were not unmoved by his agonized cries of
grief.

In the Shawnee tongue, some words of which all the white men present
understood, the young stranger poured forth his sorrows. He called upon
the spirits of his foster-father and brother to wait for him in their
journey to the happy hunting-grounds. He explained that in no way had
his treachery been of his own choosing. In spite of his protest, he
explained, he had been compelled to direct the white men to the place
where those who were nearest and dearest to him had fallen before their
fire.

Several minutes elapsed and no one of the settlers spoke. Then Sam
Oliver said sharply: "We have had enough of this! I feel just about as
guilty as I do when I shoot a panther cub." Without a further word the
hunter stepped to the place where the body of the young Indian was
lying and scalped his victim. Even Peleg, hardened though he was to the
scenes that were enacted upon the border, shuddered as he saw his
companion perform this act.

At the urgent request of Peleg the white Shawnee was permitted to return
with his newly found friend to bury the body of his foster-father, after
his brother also had received decent burial at his hands.

When this act, in which Peleg had aided