"Deerfoot, you remember I told you that while I was in the lodge of Ogallah, an Indian came in who was one of the five that had taken Otto away?"
The Shawanoe nodded his head to signify he recalled the incident.
"He made some of the queerest gestures to me, which I could no more understand than I could make out what his gibberish meant, but when I described his actions to you, you said they meant that Otto was still alive—that is, so far as the Indian knew?"
"My brother speaks the truth: such was the message of the Sauk warrior."
"They say all the red men can talk with each other by means of signs, but, without asking you to explain every word of the Sauk, I would like to hear again what it was he meant to tell me."
"He said that Otto had been given to a party of Indians, and they had started westward toward the setting sun with him."
"But why did they turn him over to the strangers?"
"Deerfoot was not there to ask the Sauk," was the reply of the young Shawanoe.
"That is true, for if you had been, you would have known all about it; but, old fellow, you can explain one thing: why do you not make your way to the Sauk village and get those warriors to give you the particulars?"
Such it would seem was the true course of the dusky youth, on whom it may be said the success or failure of the enterprise rested. He was silent a minute as though the question caused him some thought.