Cayuse sin-
cerity, he broke the long slender stem twice, thrice, crushed the bowl in his fingers, and dashed the pieces at Snoqualmie s feet. It was a defiance, a contempt uous rejection of peace, a declaration of war more disdainful than any words could have made it.
Then, before they could recover from their astonish ment, the Bannock turned and leaped through the crowd at the door, for an instant s stay was death. Even as he leaped, Snoqualmie s tomahawk whizzed after him, and a dozen warriors were on their feet, weapon in hand. But the swift, wild drama had been played like lightning, and he was gone. Only, a brave who had tried to intercept his passage lay on the ground outside the lodge, stabbed to the heart. They rushed to the door in time to see him throw himself on his horse and dash off, looking back to give a yell of triumph and defiance.
In less time than it takes to describe it, the horses tethered near the lodges were mounted and twenty riders were in pursuit. But the Bannock was con siderably in advance now, and the fine black horse he rode held its own nobly. Out over the prairie flew the pursuing Cayuses, yelling like demons, the fugitive turning now and then to utter a shout of derision.
Back at the lodges, the crowd of spectators looked on with excited comments.
"His horse is tired, ours are fresh!" " They gain on him!" " No, he is getting farther from them!" "See, he throws away his blanket!" "They are closer, closer!" " No, no, his horse goes like a deer."
Out over the prairies, fleeting like the shadow of a hurrying cloud, passed the race, the
