Dick and his cousin had seen samples of this queer picture writing before that time, and understood how the Indians depend on the natural sagacity of a woodsman, whether red or white, to decipher the meaning of the various characters. (Note 3.) "What can it all stand for?" demanded Roger, as he gazed blankly at the several lines of characters. "Perhaps we may have to call on some of the Mandans in the village to explain it to us." "We will do that in the end, anyway," Dick said, "in order to make certain; but, if we look this over closely, right now, we may get an idea of what Beaver Tail meant by sending it." "You don't think then, Dick, it was intended just as a greeting to us, so as to let us know the chief has not forgotten his young paleface brothers?" "No, I feel sure it has a more serious meaning than that," the other declared. "In fact, Roger, something tells me it may be in the nature of a warning." "A warning, Dick! Do you mean the Sioux chief wants us to tell Captain Lewis it will be all his life is worth to keep heading into the land of the West, now that spring has come?" "I was thinking only of ourselves when I said that, Roger." "And that the warning would be for our benefit, you mean? But, Dick! how could Beaver Tail, so far away from here, know of any danger that hung over our heads?" "Let us examine the bark message, and perhaps we shall learn something that may explain the mystery. The first thing we see is what looks to be a man facing the sun that is half hidden by the horizon." "Yes, that hedgehog-looking half circle is meant for the sun, I can see that. And, further along, we find it again, only on the left side of the man who is now creeping toward it. What do you make that out to be?" "It is plain that one represents the rising, and the other the setting sun," Dick explained, with lines of deep thought marked across his forehead. "Now, an Indian always faces the north when he wants to represent the points of the compass, so it is plain that the first sun lies in the east." "And he wanted us to know that this man was heading into the east first of all; is that what you mean, Dick?" "Yes, and look closer at the figure, Roger. It is not intended to be an Indian, you can see, for he has a hat on his head. It strikes me we ought to know that hat, cleverly imitated here; what do you say about it?" "Oh! it must be the odd-looking hat that French trader, François Lascelles, always wore, Dick. He means that it was toward the rising sun François started last fall, just as we know happened. And now here he is, again, the same hat and all, creeping straight toward the _setting_ sun. Does that mean the trader came back again, in spite of the warning Captain Lewis gave him?"