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Kateegoose drew himself up with a look of dignity, and pouted his greasy lips as he replied "The Crees have always been a brave and true and upright people. They never attack friends until, by their conduct, these friends have become enemies. But the Crees are human. They are not perfect neither are the Palefaces. There are bad men among them a few; not many as well as young men and foolish.
"Some one over there," answered the Indian languidly, as he pointed in the right direction. "It does not need a medicine-man to tell me that," said Dechamp, sternly. "I heard the shot, and saw the smoke. Have you any idea who fired it, La Certe?" "I have not," replied the half-breed. "I was lying in my tent when I heard it. Kateegoose was smoking beside the fire.
"There is no Indian in the camp but Kateegoose," rejoined the other, quickly; "surely you don't think that a man of your own tribe would try to kill you?" "I know not. Kateegoose hates me. No other man in the camp hates me." "It is strange unaccountable," returned Dechamp. "If the Indian did it, he shall forfeit his horse and leave the camp.
"I've noticed, since we set sail on this trip, that Kateegoose always turns out at daybreak, lights the galley fire, an' begins the dooties o' the day by stuffin' 'imself." "Ay, and I've noticed," observed one of the young hunters, "that it takes a deal o' stuffin' to fill him out properly, for he keeps on at it most part o' the day."
There a small summer-house had been erected by Dan and Peter Davidson for the benefit of their mother and their sister Jessie. Kateegoose, while dogging his foe, recognised this as a spot very suitable for his fell purpose, as the contiguous wood afforded a ready means of escape after the deed should be done.
With a flushed face the bold seaman sprang up and darted out, as if to attack one of those pirates of the Java seas who had made so powerful an impression on Little Bill's mind. But his object was escape not attack. Lightly vaulting the garden fence, he disappeared into the same thicket which, on another occasion, had afforded opportune refuge to Kateegoose.
"Yes," responded her lord; "it is necessary to get rid of a bad man somehow but but it is sad very sad to kill and scalp him." La Certe passed his fingers softly among the locks of his sleeping child as if the fate of Kateegoose were suggestive! Then, turning, as from a painful subject, he asked "Does our little one never smoke now?" "No never." "Does she never wish for it?"
They, in their comparative ignorance of savage life, set him down as one of the visitors, while the visitors, if they noticed him at all, esteemed him one of the cross-breeds of the Settlement. The only man who saw through the disguise of Kateegoose was Okematan, who could not understand why he had adopted it, and who resolved to keep a sharp eye on him.
Then he laid the weapon down by his side, and resumed the pipe which he had apparently laid down to enable him to perform these operations more conveniently, and, at the same time, with more safety. At that moment Dechamp walked smartly towards the fire in front of La Certe's tent. "Does Kateegoose know who fired that shot?" he asked with a keen glance, for his suspicions had been aroused.
"Am I sure that our little child loves tobacco?" "Well, I suppose you are. At any rate, the child often asks you for a pipe, and gets it too. Hm! if Kateegoose fired that shot he must be a bad man. But our chief is sure to find it out and it is no business of mine. Fetch me the tobacco, Slowfoot."
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