Leaning his rifle against the tailboard, the hunter stooped, seized each ankle, and raising his hands so that they were at his own hips, and with a moccasin on either side, he ran fifty yards out on the plains. Then dropping the feet, he turned about and dashed back, with the cool remark: “We may as well keep his gun, fur he won’t need it any more.” “Shagbark, that was risky on your part; even where it lies it is much closer than I like, for we shall all have to see it in the morning.” “No, you won’t; it’ll be gone afore sunup.” “Will they dare come near enough to take it away?” “Keep yer eyes peeled.” Leaving Fleming to himself, the guide made another cautious visitation of the sentinels. It was now not far from midnight and the change of guard must soon be made. Alden Payne was left for the last before returning again to Fleming. Shagbark had formed a strong liking for the youth, and this feeling was deepened by the last exploit of Alden. “Wal, younker, have ye diskivered anything new?” asked the man, in his low voice, which could not have been heard twenty feet away. “Nothing at all; how is it with you?” “The same way; ye obsarve the Injins knows that one of the sentinels keeps his eyes open all the time and they ain’t taking any chances they don’t have to take.” “But I have been shifted to this side,” replied his young friend, as if he accepted the compliment in all seriousness; “some of them, therefore, ought to show up here.” “That’s jest the p’int; the varmints knows we ’spects something of that sort, and have moved ye over to _this_ side, where ye’ll give ’em the same kind of welcome ye did afore.” “Come, now, Shagbark, that’s enough,” protested Alden; “it happened to fall to me to pick off that wretch, but anyone else in my position would have done the same.” “P’raps,” grunted the guide, and that was the utmost he would admit. “Well, I declare!” exclaimed Alden excitedly, turning to his companion; “that beats all creation!” “What do ye now mean?” inquired the veteran. “What’s become of Jethro?” Strange that during all this time no one had noticed the absence of the colored lad, but he had been missing for more than an hour. “What do you think has become of him?” asked Alden. “Dunno, and can’t say I keer; the best use we kin put him to is to slip a yoke over his neck and let one of the oxen take a rest.” There may have been some justice in these rough sentiments, but Alden could not dismiss the matter thus. Despite Jethro’s cowardice, his master felt a strong affection for him. They had been companions from early boyhood, and the African showed a dog-like regard for his master. He would willingly go hungry or suffer pain for his sake, though he drew the line at Indians. Noticing the distress of the youth, Shagbark, with more consideration in his voice, asked: “When did ye see him last?”