For some time the Delawares fixed their attention upon the Shawnee camp. They particularly noted the high log stockade which inclosed the village on three sides. The only approach was from the river.

"That is a bad place to get into," said Painted Hawk.

The others nodded a solemn assent. They realized that the crafty Shawnees had made their village almost impregnable, and there seemed to be little chance of freeing Spotted Deer.

"My friends, there is no use of feeling bad about this thing," Running Fox told them. "We came here to help Spotted Deer. We must go through with it."

"How do you propose to do this thing?" Painted Hawk asked him.

"I cannot tell you that until I find out about the Shawnee chief," said Running Fox.

At that moment their thoughts were diverted by the sudden appearance of three canoes. They had moved out from the shore and turned up the river. There were two paddlers in each canoe. The Delawares watched closely.

"It is bad," declared Painted Hawk. "Perhaps those warriors are going to meet their chief. Perhaps he will come to the camp in one of those canoes."

"No, I do not believe it," Running Fox told him. "That mysterious person says that Big Dog will cross the ridge. Then he must be coming from the-place-where-the-sun-appears. Those Shawnees are going toward Lowan, the Cold Place."

"Yes, that is true," said Yellow Wolf. "I do not believe they are going to meet Big Dog. I believe they are going up the river to hunt."

Somewhat relieved by the opinions of the two famous warriors, the little company of Delawares sought to banish the doubts which had entered their minds. They had great confidence in Running Fox and they believed he would find a way to overcome the difficulty. Their only fear was that he might have been deceived by the words of the stranger whom he had encountered near the Shawnee camp. Running Fox, however, seemed confident that she was attempting to help them.

They watched patiently through the day, but Big Dog and his friends failed to appear. Then as the evening shadows settled in the valley, they saw the three canoes returning to the camp. There were only two warriors in each canoe. The Delawares felt greatly relieved.

"Well, Big Dog did not come with them," said Painted Hawk. "See, Yellow Wolf, your words have come true."

The paddlers had come ashore, and were carrying the carcass of a deer or an elk toward the camp. It was evident that they were hunters. Having entered the village, they were immediately followed by a great company of people. They made a great commotion and the sounds of rejoicing reached the scouts on top of the ridge.

"They have brought meat—the Shawnees feel good," said Turning Eagle.

Then as darkness closed down and the fires began to twinkle in the Shawnee camp, Running Fox resolved to return to the base of the ridge. He hoped again to meet the mysterious stranger whom he had encountered the previous night. This time, however, he determined to go alone.

"My brothers, pretty soon I am going down there," he said. "Perhaps I will find that mysterious person. Perhaps she will tell me something different."

Each of his friends was eager to accompany him. He refused them and insisted upon going alone.

"It is foolish to go down there alone," Crooked Foot warned him. "Perhaps that person will bring some Shawnees to catch you."

"I will be cautions," Running Fox assured him.

A few moments afterward he departed upon his perilous mission. He reached the base of the ridge in safety, and stopped to search the wide stretch of barren ground that surrounded the camp. The sky was clear and cloudless, and Mauwallauwin had driven the night shadows far back into the depths of the forest. Running Fox realized that it would be folly to expose himself in the open. He moved along at the edge of the timber until he approached the spot where he had encountered the stranger. Then he stopped to listen. He waited a long time but the only sounds came from the camp. Still he determined to loiter.

"Perhaps she will come," he told himself.

Then he heard something moving through the woods behind him. He fitted an arrow to his bow and listened sharply. The warning of Crooked Foot suddenly came to his mind. He realized that he was exposing himself to great peril. The thought made him as alert and watchful as Nianque, the lynx. Having stationed himself in the shadows beneath a great spruce, he had little fear of being seen. The sound had ceased. Running Fox wondered if the prowler had become suspicious. Perhaps he, too, was listening. Then Running Fox heard the soft, querulous call of Gokhotit, the little red owl. It seemed within several bow-lengths of him. The signal thrilled him. He looked eagerly toward the sound but the caller was concealed in the darkness. Running Fox feared to reply. He listened anxiously for the sound of voices. The silence reassured him. It was evident that the caller was alone. Many moments passed, and still he remained silent. Then the call was repeated. It was a perfect imitation and Running Fox admired the skill of the one who had given it. Then he answered it. The notes had barely died away before the same weird voice addressed him from the night.

"You have come—it is good," it said. "Are you alone?"

For a moment Running Fox hesitated to reply. The question made him suspicious. His silence seemed to anger the stranger.

"Come, come, do not be so cautious," she said, irritably. "If you are afraid of me, run away like Muschgingus, the rabbit, and leave your brother to die."

The taunt roused his anger. He instantly accepted the challenge.

"Hi, woman, take care," he said, warningly. "Those are bad words to speak to a Delaware. Now listen to what I am going to tell you. I came here because I am not afraid of you. If you have something to tell me, speak. I will listen."

"It is good," said the stranger. "I see that you are brave like your brother, Spotted Deer. Well, my son, I will not bring any harm upon you. I have come here to tell you something. Now listen to my words."

"Wait," interrupted Running Fox. "Are you alone?"

"Yes."

"Then go over there in that light place and sit down."

"No, no, I am going to stay here," she insisted.

Her caution dispelled the suspicions of Running Fox. He realized that if she had intended to betray him into ambush she would have accepted his offer. He began to feel secure.

"Well, do as you like about it," he said.

"I have talked with your brother about you," she told him. "Spotted Deer feels strong because you are near. He says you will do something big. Now you must listen to my words. Do not try to go into that camp. It is useless. If you go there you will surely die with Spotted Deer. There is only one thing to do. You must watch until Big Dog comes. Then you must kill him. You must also kill those two great warriors. It will be a hard thing to do, but you must be strong. Then perhaps I will be able to get Spotted Deer out of the camp before the Shawnees kill him. There is not much time. They are talking bad against him. If Big Dog does not come into the camp before the third sun comes, I believe they will kill your brother."

"Woman, you speak big words," declared Running Fox. "I told my friends about them. They said, 'Perhaps that person is a Shawnee. Perhaps she is trying to fool you.' We have watched sharp. One sun has passed. Big Dog has not come."

"Listen, you Delaware," she said, angrily. "If you do not believe my words, then shake them from your ears and go away. One sun has passed. Another will soon come. Before that sun goes away Big Dog will cross that ridge. He will come down that trail. Now I have told you about it. If I get Spotted Deer out of the camp I will send him up there on the ridge to look for you. Tell your friends that they are foolish to talk against me. Pretty soon they will see that I have done a big thing for them. Now I am going away."

"Wait," urged Running Fox. "Tell me who you are? Do you live in the Shawnee camp?"

There was no response. Made reckless by his eagerness to learn the identity of his mysterious ally, he moved stealthily toward the spot where he had heard her. The maneuver was useless. She had gone.

"Well, she must be a great Medicine Person," Running Fox told himself. "I believe she will give me power to help Spotted Deer."

Encouraged by the thought, he hastened away to take her message to his friends. He had barely begun to climb when he heard the dogs barking furiously at the Shawnee camp. He stopped and listened uneasily. Then, as the racket ended as suddenly as it began, he wondered if the strange Mystery Woman had entered the village.

"My friends, I have talked with that mysterious person and nothing bad has happened to me," Running Fox told his companions. "Now I know that she is trying to help us."

"Tell us her words," Painted Hawk said, eagerly.

"She says that Spotted Deer knows about us," Running Fox told them. "She says that he feels strong about it. She says that Big Dog and his brothers will cross this bridge before the next sun goes away. She says we must stop them. She says if they get away, Spotted Deer must die. My brothers, I believe the words of that mysterious person. I believe she is a good friend."

"Do you know who she is?" inquired Painted Hawk.

"No," replied Running Fox. "When I asked her about it she went away. I crept ahead to stop her. When I got there she was gone. It is mysterious. It must be that she is a great Medicine Person."

"Well, if she feels good toward us, perhaps she will give us power to do big things," Dancing Owl suggested, hopefully. "Perhaps she will tell us how to get into the Shawnee camp."

"No, I do not believe she will tell us how to do that," said Running Fox. "She says it would be a foolish thing to do. She says we would be killed. She says we must catch Big Dog. Then she will try to get Spotted Deer away."

"Pretty soon we will see if her words come true," said Turning Eagle.

They again took turns at watching, but the night passed without incident. They became convinced that the Shawnees were ignorant of their presence on the ridge. It seemed certain, therefore, that the mysterious stranger had failed to betray them to their foes.

"Well, my brothers, if that mysterious person did not tell the Shawnees about us she must be trying to help us," said Painted Hawk. "I do not know what to make of it. I believe she must be a Medicine Person. Perhaps Getanittowit sent her here to do this thing."

As the sun rose above the eastern hills, the Delawares suddenly realized that the fate of Spotted Deer might be settled before it finally crossed the sky and disappeared into the west. The thought made them serious. If the words of their unknown ally proved true, they believed that the life of their friend depended upon their vigilance. If the Shawnee chief eluded them, they feared that Spotted Deer would die before the dawn of another day. Having learned that the chief and his companions were expected to approach from the east, they turned their attention to that side of the ridge.

Then, as they waited for the appearance of their foes, Running Fox began to study the possibilities for saving Spotted Deer. A number of disquieting questions rose in his mind. Suppose they should kill Big Dog and his companions, would the mysterious Medicine Person be able to delay the execution of Spotted Deer? He had strong doubts of it. She had warned him that the Shawnees were growing impatient. She believed that if Big Dog failed to arrive at the camp before another sun rose, the Shawnees would kill spotted Deer. The possibility filled Running Fox with alarm. He suddenly determined that it would be a blunder to kill the Shawnee chief.

"See, my friends, the sun is high overhead," said Running Fox. "The day is passing. Pretty soon Big Dog and his friends will come. Yes, I believe we will see them before the sun goes away. Now I will give you some words. I feel different about this thing. I believe it would be foolish to kill Big Dog and his friends. We must catch them and keep them alive. It will be a hard thing to do but I believe it is the only way to save Spotted Deer. I am the leader. You must do as I tell you."

His companions turned to him in amazement. They wondered if their ears had deceived them. It seemed impossible that Running Fox could have arrived at such an astounding decision. They waited for an explanation.

"My brothers, I see that my words sound bad in your ears," he said. "It is because you do not know what I propose to do. I cannot tell you that, until we catch the Shawnee chief. Now I will tell you what you must do. I will ask Yellow Wolf and Dancing Owl to stay over here with me. The rest of you must hide along the other side of the trail. Put away your bows. Keep your war clubs in your hands. If Big Dog and his friends walk between us, rush out and strike them down. Strike hard enough to make them sleep, but do not try to kill them. Then I will tell you what to do."

At that moment Dancing Owl placed his finger across his lips and pointed warningly down the eastern side of the ridge. The Delawares listened in great suspense. Then they heard voices. Some one was climbing up the slope.

"Hide yourselves!" whispered Running Fox.

They separated, and concealed themselves on each side of the trail. They held their war clubs in their hands and watched anxiously for the appearance of the three Shawnee hunters. It was not long before they heard them close at hand.

"Get ready," Running Fox cautioned his companions.

A moment later the Shawnees appeared. The Delawares were overjoyed to see each of their foes bowed beneath a heavy load of game. It was a severe handicap, and placed the Shawnees at a great disadvantage. They were panting heavily from their exertions in climbing the ridge. Having reached the top, they stopped and looked upon the camp. The Delawares waited in breathless suspense. They feared that at any moment the Shawnees might raise a shout to announce their return. As the possibility filled him with fear, Running Fox was tempted to drive his arrows through them. At that instant, however, the Shawnees turned and approached the trail.

The Delawares were well hidden, and they had little fear of being seen. The Shawnees showed no signs of suspicion. They came to the head of the trail and turned to follow it down the hillside. At that instant Running Fox gave the signal and the Delawares rushed from cover. The astounded Shawnees had little chance to defend themselves. Hampered by their heavy packs, they were attacked with a grim, silent ferocity that threw them into confusion. Before they could rally they were struck down.

"Come, pull off these packs!" cried Running Fox, as he dropped to his knees beside his unconscious foe and began untying the pack thongs.

When the Shawnees regained consciousness some time later, they found themselves powerless. Their feet and hands were tightly bound with the rawhide thongs from the packs, and they were gagged with heavy pieces of buckskin which had been cut from their shirts. Unable to move or speak, they glared defiantly into the faces of the triumphant Delawares who stooped over them and laughed gleefully. Then they seized their helpless captives and carried them some distance along the ridge.

"It is good," laughed Turning Eagle. "The mysterious—"

"Sh," Running Fox cautioned, "the Shawnees have ears."

"Yes, yes, be cautious," warned Yellow Wolf.