“Come ’long up to camp,” he invited, quite as though Eli were a most welcome guest.

“Give me that silver fox!” Eli’s anger had mastered his surprise.

“I won’t give un to you, but don’t be mad, Eli,” Indian Jake grinned in vast enjoyment.

“You stole un!” Eli burst out.  “And you were thinkin’ to do murder!”

“Did I now?”

“You did!”

Indian Jake did not deign to deny or confess.  Eli, at his command, returned to camp.  Indian Jake handed him the tea-kettle.

“Fill un at the river,” he directed.

While Eli obeyed silently and sullenly, Indian Jake lighted a fire, and when Eli returned put the kettle on.  Then he brought forth his frying-pan, filled it with sliced venison, and as he placed it over the fire, remarked: 

“Knocked a buck down this mornin’.”

Eli said nothing.  The odour of frying venison was pleasant.  Eli was hungry, and when the venison was fried and tea made, he swallowed his pride and silently accepted Indian Jake’s invitation to eat.

When they had finished, Indian Jake cut a large joint of venison, and presented it to Eli with his empty rifle, remarking as he did so: 

“The deer’s meat’s a surprise.  I like to surprise folks.  Taste good goin’ home.  I’ll keep the ca’tridges.  You might hurt somebody if you had un.  You’ll get quite a piece down before you camp to-night.”

“Were you takin’ that silver?” asked Eli, changing his accusation to a question.

“Maybe I were and maybe I weren’t,” Indian Jake grinned. “’Twouldn’t do me any good to tell you if I had un, and if I told you I didn’t have un you wouldn’t believe me.  Maybe I’ve got un.  You better be goin’.  I’d ask you to stay, Eli, and I’d like to have you, but you don’t like me and you’d better go on.”

“I don’t want the deer’s meat,” said Eli in sullen resentment.

“You ain’t got any ca’tridges, and you can’t shoot any fresh meat,” insisted Indian Jake, adding with a grin:  “She’ll go good.  Take un along, I got plenty.  It’s just a little surprise present for you bein’ so kind as not to shoot me.”

Eli, doubtless deciding that he had better take what he could get, though a bit of venison was small compensation for a silver fox, accepted the meat.  Indian Jake accompanied him to the boat, and as he dropped down the river he could see Indian Jake still on the bank watching him until he turned a bend.

Without cartridges for his rifle, Eli felt himself as helpless as a wolf without teeth or a cat without claws.  He was subdued and humbled.  He had had Indian Jake completely in his power, and through delay in taking prompt advantage of his position, had permitted the half-breed to capture and disarm him.

The thought increased his anger toward Indian Jake.  He had no doubt the man had the silver fox in his possession.  If there had been any doubt in the first instance that Indian Jake was guilty, and Eli had never admitted that there was doubt, he was now entirely satisfied of the half-breed’s guilt.  Indian Jake, indeed, had quite boldly stated that he “might” have it, and Eli accepted this as an admission that he did have it.