eerfoot himself. Consequently he drew from Hay-uta, the Sauk, every
particle of knowledge which he possessed; that, however, amounted to
little more than has already been told. But that which the Shawanoe
sought was a full account of their dress, their looks, arms and
accouterments--such an account being more important to the young warrior
than would be supposed.

The information he gained may be summed up: the strangers were taller,
more powerful and better formed than Sauks. Each carried a rifle,
tomahawk and knife as his weapons; they had blankets, and their
clothing, while nearly the same as that of the Sauks, was of a darker
and more sober color. They had no beads or ornaments; their leggings,
moccasins, and the fringe of their hunting shirts, were less gaudy in
color than those of the other party. Their moccasins were well worn,
from which it was fair to infer they had traveled a long distance.

Hay-uta stated another fact which should be known: when the two parties
discovered each other, the strangers showed a desire to engage in a
fight, not that there was any special cause for so doing, but as may be
said, on general principles. Though the Sauks were five to their four,
they were afraid of the strangers, and they opened the negotiations for
the transfer of Otto, with a view of diverting hostile intentions. The
Sauks had the reputation of being brave and warlike, but they did not
feel safe until many miles of trackless woods lay between them and the
strangers.

So much, therefore, was known, and surely it was little enough. Hay-uta
added the remark that as nearly as he could tell, Deerfoot and Jack were
close to the very path which the strangers had taken on their way home.
It might be they were on the trail itself, if such a thing be deemed
possible, where no footprints in the forest existed, for since the
passage of the four dusky aliens and their prisoner, the wilderness had
been swept by storms which had not left the slightest trace on the
leaves that could be followed, and, though our friends might be stepping
in their very tracks, it was hardly possible that the lynx eyes of the
young warrior could detect it.

When Deerfoot and Hay-uta had talked awhile longer, the former turned to
Jack and amazed him by the remark:

"Hay-uta will go with us to give what help he can to find our brother
who is lost."

The news was as pleasant as it was surprising. It did seem singular that
the one who had helped take