"Who is the White Panther?" asked the chief.
"He is the bravest of pale-faces, and Snowdrop will give her life to him!"
"Tell me where he is, that I may go and kill him. He is a dog!"
Hardly had the words escaped his lips before he received a blow upon the side of his head which knocked him from his horse, and laid him senseless upon the ground.
"There, ye everlastin' skunk!" exclaimed Jehiel, for it was he had administered the blow, "that'll l'arn ye not to be callin' names!"
The Pawnees seized their weapons when they saw their chief go to the ground, but at the motion, the Sioux also put themselves in readiness to repel any attack.
Slowly the Pawnee chief rose to his feet, and for a moment he seemed to be measuring the strength of Jehiel, then his smothered indignation found vent, and he exclaimed:
"The pale-face shall die!"
"Waal, he won't, unless he runs across a smarter red-skin than you are!" exclaimed Jehiel.
"If he is not a coward he will fight the great chief of the Pawnees, and White Wolf will surely kill him!" said the chief.