George stopped, and opened his coat. He pointed toward his heart and said,—
"Old-man, if you want to kill me, shoot me, but you shall not take away my flour and leave me to starve."
"Very well," said the chief sternly, "then, Man-that-draws-the-handcart, you shall go south."
In the language of these Indians, to go south means to die. They think the soul journeys to the southward after death. Old-man meant to say that Northrup should die.
"You shall go South!"
"Very well," said George, looking the Indian in the eye, "I will go south, then; but if I go south, you shall go with me, and just as many more as I can take. Remember, Old-man, you must go south if I do."
Old-man knew Northrup very well. He knew that if anybody tried to kill him, George's sure aim would be taken at Old-man first of all. George had also told all of his men to shoot the chief if there should be any trouble.
After lingering for two days, the Indians stole a bag of chopped buffalo meat, or pemmican, and an old gun. With these they went off, and George hurried away to a better camping place, where they could not find him again.