--< TO CARIBOO AND BACK }®-

Then he marched out towards the prancing,
yelling Indians; no weapon of any kind in his
hand but just the old white flag, with the
emblem in the middle of it which had puzzled
Betty. He waved it about in a careless, casual
fashion as he approached the most highly
decorated Indian, evidently the chief.

Jim knew no more of the flag than did Betty,
having never seen it before, but the professor
who had made a study of the history of the
great Northwest and was collecting data for a
book, recognized instantly the standard of the
Hudson’s Bay Company. He watched intently
the result of Bill’s maneuver. They were not
inside the domain of the Hudson’s Bay Com-
pany yet, but surely these Sioux Indians knew
that flag and knew the unwritten rule of their
tribes: that the Big Company’s flag must be
respected and that all who travelled under it
were safe from attack.

The chief watched Bill as he slowly came
nearer, still waving the flag. Not a word was
spoken. But the warrior suddenly swung his
horse around and with a beckoning gesture
summoned some of his comrades to a con-
ference. At last the chief held his hand aloft

[62]