way in which Joe received his proposal to accompany
them. He walked on to the edge of the prairie, however,
and then stopped.
"The Pale-faces must go alone," said he; "Mahtawa
will return to his tent."
Joe replied to this intimation by seizing him suddenly
by the throat and choking back the yell that would
otherwise have brought the Pawnee warriors rushing to
the scene of action in hundreds. Mahtawa's hand was
on the handle of his scalping-knife in a moment, but