Not only did she receive the salute willingly, but threw her free arm around the neck of the Indian and gave him a kiss. "Red Feather, what made you come down the chimney?" questioned Melville when the Indian had released his sister. "Can't come oder way," was the instant response. "True; but why do you want to enter this house?" "Be friend of white folk--come tell 'em." "I am sure of that; but what can you do for us?" Red Feather gave no direct answer to this question, but walked upstairs. As he did so he left every one of his weapons on the lower floor, and by a glance cast over his shoulder expressed the wish that the brother and sister should follow him. They did so, Dot tripping ahead, while Melville retained his weapons. Reaching the upper floor, the Sioux walked directly to the window through which the shots had come that shattered the two panes of glass. There was a curious smile on his swarthy face as he pointed at the pane on the left, and said-- "Red Feather fire _dat!_" The explanation of his remark was that had Melville kept his place in front of the window at the moment the rifles were discharged, only one of the bullets would have hit him, and that would have been the one which Red Feather did not fire. [Illustration: "'She make him good Injin--he be her friend always.'"--Page 51] The shot which he sent into the apartment, and which filled the youth with so much indignation, had been fired for the purpose of making the other warriors believe the chieftain was as bitter an enemy of the brother and sister as he was of all white people. Having convinced his followers on this point, he made his position still stronger with them by declaring his purpose of descending the chimney, and having it out with them, or rather with the lad, within the building. Red Feather peered out of the window, taking care that none of his warriors saw him, though they must have felt a strong curiosity to learn the result of his strange effort to overcome the little garrison. Melville supposed that he had arranged to communicate with them by signal, for the result of the attempt must be settled quickly. The youth took the liberty of peeping forth from the other window on the same side of the house. Only two of the Sioux were in their field of vision, and their actions did not show that they felt much concern for their chief. They were mounted on their horses, and riding at a walk towards the elevations from which Red Feather had waved his blanket to the brother and sister when on the other side of the stream. Melville's first thought was that they had decided to leave the place, but that hope was quickly dispelled by the action of the warriors. At the highest point of the hill they checked their ponies, and sat for a minute gazing fixedly to the northward in the direction of the settlement. "They are looking for our friends," thought the youth, "but I am afraid they will not be in sight for a good while to come."