“All right. Hunting, I see?” “Yeh; me huntin’ for dam deer.” “Wal, did you get on their track?” “Purty nigh track o’ sunken’.” “Track of what?” demanded the captain, in a towering passion. “Me don’t know; tink him dam Mingo,” eagerly replied the savage. “Umph! our tracks looks a good deal alike.” “Yeh! much like,” repeated the Indian. “If I’s sure you were following me, Bill, I’d shoot you in a minute.” The small restless eye of the Shawnee fairly snapped with electric blackness for an instant as he gazed at the captain; but the latter returned his look with his own glittering orbs and awed him at once. “I hardly think you would try such a thing, because I always treated you gentlemanlike; kicking you out the house when you gave me any of you jaw, and licking you like blazes when you insulted the woman. And you chaps got such a whipping from our boys that I hardly believe you will try any of your tricks very soon again.” “Shawnees do nothing; much ’fraid.” “S’pose so. Come, Bill, be honest. Did the Shawnees stop a flat-boat up the river and butcher all hands?” “No; big lie; nebber do such thing.” “Well, I don’t believe they did. Where’s Simon Girty and that devil, Pete Johnson? Raising the devil among your people?” “Girty am so (imitating the action of scalping) and Johnson gone back with own folks.” “You don’t say?” asked the captain, swallowing the falsehood. “Yeh; me help to do it to Girty.” “Umph! that’s one good thing you have done in your life. How came them to scalp Simon Girty.” “Him want to kill all whites: he do too much.” “I haven’t seen you around the settlement since you went off so drunk. Thought maybe you were gone.” “Bill go live with squaw and take care of ’em.” “Oh, married, I see. Well, that’s all right, I s’pose—but I started out on a deer hunt, and I am of the opinion that it’s few deer we shall see if we stand here talking.” “Very good; Bill shoot deer, too.” Captain Parks returned to his hiding place, and the Indian followed, and passed beyond and concealed himself behind him. The Shawnee held his rifle toward the captain, and continually raised his head as though he expected the approach of some animal; but the captain soon became convinced that these glances were bestowed upon himself. They remained in this position for an hour. At the expiration of that time the captain arose and expressed his determination of going home. The savage arose also, and they started together. When within a few miles of home, they reached a large brook, in which were thrown several stones, to assist in crossing over. Without hesitation, our friend stepped on these and commenced passing. As he reached the opposite shore, he turned suddenly around to see the savage. This movement saved his life, for at that instant the savage raised his rifle and fired. The bullet shattered the powder-horn at the captain’s waist, and before he could recover, the Indian uttered a yell of defiance and disappeared in the forest.