After the fracas was over, and Van Dorn went to the camp, he was delighted to find Ralph there a prisoner.
“Aha!” he cried, gazing malignantly upon the helpless boy, “you are back again, are you? You see you can’t keep away from me if you try. How do you think you feel?”
And the brutal villain, elated over the recovery of his prize, gave the boy a kick.
Ralph could not cry out on account of the gag in his mouth, but he moaned with pain.
“Ha, ha!” laughed the wretch, in devilish glee, “it tickles you, don’t it? I must try to tickle you a little more before I lose sight of you again.”
Then he turned to one of the redskins at hand.
“Who brought him in?”
“Little Deer and others.”
“Send Little Deer to me,” commanded the white leader.
Little Deer, a small, well-made Indian, noted for his fleetness of foot, as well as his skill in hunting the animal after which he was named, was called in according to orders.