"Billy Jack is one of the last of his tribe. He is a full-blooded Indian, but he has been to Carlisle, which may account for some things."
"I should say it would," murmured Paul Ardite. "I'm glad I didn't give a war whoop!"
"I learned to use snowshoes when I was a boy," went on the Indian, who, though roughly dressed was cultured. "I have kept it up ever since," he went on. "I have charge of a gang of men getting out some lumber, not far from here, and when Mr. Macksey told me there was a company of moving picture actors and actresses at Elk Lodge I spoke of the snowshoes."
"And when Mr. Macksey told me of it," put in the manager, "I saw at once that we could use a scene with some of you folks on the shoes. So I arranged with Billy Jack."
"Is that your real name?" asked Alice, who had taken a sudden liking to the rugged son of the forest.
"That's one of my real names, strange as it sounds," he answered. "I don't much fancy it; but what am I to do?"
"I like it!" the girl announced, promptly. "It's better than being Running Bear or something like that."
"I had one of those names—in fact, I have it yet," he said, "but I never use it. Flaming Arrow is my real Indian name."
"Flaming Arrow! How romantic!" exclaimed Miss Dixon. "How did you come to get that?"
"Oh, when I was a boy an Indian from a neighboring tribe shot an arrow, with some burning tow on it, over into our camp, just in a spirit of mischief, for we were friendly. I snatched the arrow out of a pile of dry bark that it might have set on fire, and so I got my name. I am a Western Indian," Billy Jack explained, "but of late I have made my home in New England. Now, if you like, I will show you how to use snowshoes."