s a favorite with
Deerfoot. It had attracted his notice during the day, while they were
pushing westward, and it was an easy matter for him to lead the others
back to it when the darkness among the trees was almost impenetrable.

Several facts, more or less pleasant, impressed Jack Carleton. One was
that their camp was so secure from discovery that all three could sleep
without misgiving. Their tramp through the wood had been conducted with
such stealth that it was impossible for any one to have seen them, and
of course it was beyond the power of an enemy to trail them except by
the aid of daylight.

A fact less pleasant, was the absence of provisions. It was a goodly
number of hours since they had eaten, and the Kentuckian possessed an
appetite such as young gentlemen of his age, who spend much of their
time out doors, invariably own. It must not be supposed that either the
Sauk or Shawanoe were deficient in that respect, but they were used to
privation, and seemed to feel no discomfort. Jack Carleton was sure that
Deerfoot often went without food when he could have secured it, for no
other purpose than that of retaining mastery over himself.

"I suppose it is a good way," muttered the discontented youth,
stretching himself out for the night, "but it don't agree with my
constitution. They needn't think they're going to make me whine," he
added, with grim resolution. "I'll starve before I'll ask _them_ for any
thing to eat."

He became interested in his companions, however, and, as is the rule,
when the usual hour for eating passed his hunger grew less.

Deerfoot leaned his long bow against the trunk of the nearest tree, his
quiver lying at the base, and assumed an indolent attitude, his face
toward the fire. The upper part of his body was supported on his left
elbow, which held his Bible so that the firelight fell upon the printed
page. The print was small, the light bad, and it came from the wrong
direction, but the strong vision of the young Shawanoe read it as easily
as if under the glare of the noonday sun.

Half way to the opposite side of the fire was stretched the Sauk, his
posture precisely the same as that of Deerfoot, except that he rested on
his right elbow. Their feet, therefore, were turned toward each other.
His eyes were fixed on the face of the Shawanoe, who was reading the
marvelous volume, and shaping its words into the tongue which Hay-uta
could understand. Eliot, the Indian apostle, translated