In the first place, the night might be called dark, for the crescent moon was at the horizon, and although one might distinguish a form at ten yards distance, it would be next to impossible to declare whether the man was white or red. Then again there were but a few hundred braves in the village, and these scattered along its entire length did not serve to even partially fill the lodges. Where some of the late inmates were the reader knows, for brave Custer and his men fought hard, and each dragoon slew at least one Indian before going under. What the main portion of the Sioux were about at this time will soon be made manifest, but a suspicion of the truth might be gleaned from the occasional shots that were borne by the wind from the north, where Reno had entrenched himself on one of the bluffs overlooking the river. Red Goliath kept on his way as if he had been among the lodges before, and, to tell the truth, this was not his first visit to the village. Several nights before he had made one with the same purpose that he now had in view; but an unlucky tumble over a drunken brave had brought the Indians swarming around him like so many bees, and it took all the power the giant possessed to escape. He managed to do it, however, and by means of the canoe which we have seen him use, in coming to the point once more. After moving forward some ten minutes, even Mason, some distance in his rear, could hear the boisterous sound of laughter and loud talking. Where it came from would not prove hard to say, for a brilliant light, within a dwelling that seemed to be half cabin and half lodge, proclaimed its whereabouts. There could be no doubt but what it came from white men, or at least men who were pale faces in looks but red devils by nature. Goliath crept towards this lodge, and in another moment was beside it. The boy moved around on the other side, and by dint of using the caution that seemed to be a part of his nature, managed to gain the dense shadow of the northern side without making an iota of noise. Then the thought intruded itself, what if the giant should take a notion to make a circuit of the lodge? He would certainly be found out, and Mason knew that discovery by this man meant death. This action was promptly executed. The skins composing the lodge were loose at the bottom, and a pile of furs lay just within. A glance at the two inmates showed that they were interested in the contents of a suspicious-looking keg, and paid no attention to anything else. It took the boy but a moment to glide like an eel under the skin of the lodge, and hide among the furs. From here he could watch the two men and hear all that was said without being in danger of discovery.