It seemed, however, as though the strange redskin tried to urge Red Knife to wait, but the young brave was determined to go on down into the valley. At last he seemed almost to break away from the other and push on toward the edge of the bluff. Cody knew that neither of the actors in the drama below could be seen from the village. Red Knife was determined, and left the one who had accosted him. The latter shrank back and watched him for a moment. Then suddenly Cody saw him gather himself, jerk the tomahawk from his belt, and swing the weapon high in the air! Cody caught himself from crying out, but he _did_ leap up as the fatal blow fell. The strange Indian cast himself upon Red Knife’s back and clove the unconscious red man’s skull with a mighty blow of the hatchet. Red Knife went down in a heap! Cody pulled himself together and, through the glass, watched the traitor stoop over the fallen man, strip the scalp from his head, and then dart away among the rocks. Steeped in guilt as he was, the scout knew the villain would not remain near the scene of his atrocious act. Therefore he risked going down to the place himself. Poor Red Knife was truly disposed of. The hatchet had killed him instantly. And all the hopes Cody had based upon his good offices were dissipated at once. The scout stood there for some time and communed with himself. Should he risk going on into the village now? Or should he await some favorable opportunity of undermining Boyd Bennett’s power before putting himself within the bandit’s grasp? CHAPTER XXXVIII. WHITE ANTELOPE’S PERIL. There was much disturbance in the encampment about this time, as Buffalo Bill had seen when making his observations from the high peaks about the valley. The Indians ran to and fro like ants, and runners frequently went out, or came in by the northern roads. This meant surely that Oak Heart was communicating with the other chiefs, and the scout feared that, stirred up by Boyd Bennett in his character of medicine chief, the Sioux leader was preparing for another attack like that on Fort Advance. Rumors ran rife among the Indians regarding the movements of the bluecoats, and the numbers of them who had come to bury the dead whites after the recent ambush in which Oak Heart himself had taken part. The old chief, believing that Lieutenant Danforth was coming to attack his encampment, had taken part in this sanguinary struggle himself. Now certain warriors brought strange rumors into the village. It was said that Pa-e-has-ka was on the war-path, too. And that he was leading the whites to the encampment. So spoke the Death Killer, the white medicine chief of the Sioux, who was gaining great influence with the young men of the tribe.