“Here’s the name he went by before he was great an’ famous, an’ this is the last of it.”  The Chief put the stick in the fire, saying, “Now let us see if you’re too green to burn.”  Little Beaver then handed Woodpecker a fine Eagle feather, red-tufted, and bearing in outline a man with a Hawk’s head and an arrow from his eye.  “This here’s a swagger Eagle feather for the brave deed he done, and tells about him being Hawkeye, too” (the feather was stuck in Guy’s hair and the claw necklace put about his neck amid loud cries of “How—­How—­” and thumps of the drum), “and after this, any feller that calls him Sapwood has to double up and give Hawkeye a free kick.”

There was a great chorus of “How—­How.”  Guy tried hard to look dignified and not grin, but it got beyond him.  He was smiling right across and half way round.  His mother beamed with pride till her eyes got moist and overflowed.

Every one thought the ceremony was over, but Yan stood up and began:  “There is something that has been forgotten, Chiefs, Squaws and Pappooses of the Sanger Nation:  When we went out after this Grizzly I was witness to a bargain between two of the War Chiefs.  According to a custom of our Tribe, they bet their scalps, each that he would be the one to kill the Grizzly.  The Head Chief Woodpecker was one and Hawkeye was the other.  Hawkeye, you can help yourself to Woodpecker’s scalp.”

Sam had forgotten about this, but he bowed his head.  Guy cut the string, and holding up the scalp, he uttered a loud, horrible war-whoop which every one helped with some sort of noise.  It was the crowning event.  Mrs. Burns actually wept for joy to see her heroic boy properly recognized at last.

Then she went over to Sam and said, “Did you bring your folks here to see my boy get praised?”

Sam nodded and twinkled an eye.

“Well, I don’t care who ye are, Raften or no Raften, you got a good heart, an’ it’s in the right place.  I never did hold with them as says ‘There ain’t no good in a Raften.’  I always hold there’s some good in every human.  I know your Paw did buy the mortgage on our place, but I never did believe your Maw stole our Geese, an’ I never will, an’ next time I hear them runnin’ on the Raftens I’ll jest open out an’ tell what I know.”

[Illustration:  The picture on the Teepee Lining, to record Guy’s Exploit.]

XXII

The Coon Hunt

Yan did not forget the proposed Coon hunt—­in fact, he was most impatient for it, and within two days the boys came to Caleb about sundown and reminded him of his promise.  It was a sultry night, but Yan was sure it was just right for a Coon hunt, and his enthusiasm carried all before it.  Caleb was quietly amused at the “cool night” selected, but reckoned it would be “better later.”

“Set down—­set down, boys,” he said, seeing them standing ready for an immediate start.  “There’s no hurry.  Coons won’t be running for three or four hours after sundown.”