“Well, now, what’re you a going to do?  I’m not afraid of you!” said Sneak, grinding his teeth.

“Me rub your head,” said the savage, seizing a tuft of hair and tearing it out.

“Take some more,” said Sneak, bowing down his head.

“A little more,” iterated the savage, grasping a handful, which, with much exertion, he severed from the head, and left the white skin exposed to view.

“Won’t you have some more?” continued Sneak, without evincing the least pain.  “Jest take as much as you please; if you tear it off till my head’s as bald as an egg, I won’t beg you to let me alone.”

“You brave fellow—­won’t pull your hair any more,” said the chief.

“You be dod rot!” said Sneak, contemptuously.

“You mighty brave, shake hands!” continued the laughing savage, holding his hand out in mockery.

“If you’ll untie my foot a minit, I’ll bet I kick some of the ribs out of your body.  Why don’t you knock our brains out, and be done at once, you black wolves you!” said Sneak.

“Oh, Sneak! for my sake—­your poor friend’s sake, don’t put such an idea as that into their heads!” said Joe, imploringly.

“You’re a purty friend, ain’t you?  You’d give so much to ransom me!  They aint a going to quit us without killin’ us, and I want it all over jest as soon as it kin be done.”

“Oh, no, Sneak!  Maybe they’ll take pity on us and spare our lives,” said Joe, assuming a most entreating look as the savage once more approached him.

“You make good big Osage; you come with us, if we let you live?” demanded the old Indian.

“I pledge you my most sacred word and honour I will!”

“You run away, you rascal,” said the savage, plucking another tuft of hair from Joe’s head.

“I’ll be hanged if I stand this any longer!” said Joe, striving to break the cord that confined him.

“Don’t notice the black cowards,” said Sneak.

“How can I help noticing them, when they’re pulling out my hair by the roots!” said Joe.

“Look where they pulled mine out,” said Sneak, turning that part of his head in view which had been made literally bald.

“Didn’t it hurt you?” asked Joe.

“Sartinly it did,” said Sneak, “but I grinned and bore it.  And now I wish they’d pull it all off, and then my scalp wouldn’t do ’em any good.”

“That’s a fact,” said Joe.  “Here, Mr. Osage,” he continued, “pull as much hair off the top of my head as you want.”  The savages, instead of paying any attention to him, seemed to be attracted by some distant sound.  They stooped down and placed their ears near the earth, and listened intently for some time.  At length they sprang up, and then ensued another dispute among them about the manner in which the prisoners should be disposed of.  The old savage was yet in favour of tomahawking the captives and retreating without delay.  But the others would not consent to it.  They were not satisfied with the small amount of suffering yet endured by the prisoners.  They were resolved to glut their savage vengeance.  And the prisoners now observed that all traces of mirth had vanished from their faces.  Their eyes gleamed with fiendish fury, and drawing forth their glittering tomahawks, they vanished in the thicket, and were soon heard chopping off the small boughs of the trees.