It will be remembered that the place where the Indians had found
their strongest scent was on the hill-side, or the spot where the
half-filled barrel had let out most of its contents. Near this spot
their new fire was still brightly blazing, and there Wolfseye
remained, regaling one of his senses, at least, with an odor that he
found so agreeable. But the bee-hunter knew that he should greatly
increase the wonder of the savages by leading them to a NEW scent-
spot, one to which there was no visible clew, and where the odor was
probably much stronger than on the hill-side. Accordingly he did not
approach the fire, but kept around the base of the hill, just enough
within the influence of the light to pick his way readily, and yet
so distant from it as to render his countenance indistinct and
mysterious. No sooner, however, had he got abreast of the scent-spot
known to the savages, than the crowd endeavored to lead him toward
it, by gestures and hints, and, finally, by direct intimations that
he was going astray. All this our "medicine-man" disregarded; he
held his way steadily and solemnly toward that place at the foot of
the hill where he knew that the filled barrel had let out its
contents, and where he, reasonably enough, expected to find
sufficient traces of the whiskey to answer his purposes.
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