"Out with it, my boy."
"That white daughter of old Many Bears can speak English. She understood what I said, and answered me."
It was dark, or Steve would have seen that the face of his friend grew as white as his hair, and then flushed and brightened with a great and sudden light.
For a moment he was silent, and then he said, in a deep, husky voice,
"Don't say any more about it to me, Steve. Not till I speak to you again. I'm in an awful state of mind to-night."
Steve had somehow made up his mind to that already, but he was saved the necessity of saying anything in reply.
Red Wolf rode closer to him at the moment, and said,
"Knotted Cord is young. Been on war-path before?"
"Say yes, Steve," muttered Murray.
"Yes, I'm young. Seen a good deal, though. Many war-paths."