”Ah，yes，”saidtheInspector。”Iunderstand。””No，youdon’t，”saidCameronalmostrudely。”Youwouldhavetoseeherfirst。ByJove！”Hebrokeintoalaugh。”Itisajokewithavengeance，”andrelapsedintosilencethatlastedforsomemiles。Thatnighttheysleptintheoldlumbercamp，andtheafternoonoftheseconddayfoundthemskirtingtheCrow’sNest。”We’vehadnoluckthistrip，”growledtheInspector，fornowtheywerefacingtowardhome。”Listen！”saidCameron，pullinguphishorsesharply。Downthepassthefarawaybeatofadrumwasheard。Itwasthesteadythrobofthetom-tomrisingandfallingwithrhythmicregularity。”Sun-dance，”saidtheInspector，asneartoexcitementashegenerallyallowedhimself。”Piegans。””Where？”saidCameron。”Inthesun-dancecanyon，”answeredtheInspector。”Ibelieveinmysoulweshallseesomethingnow。Mustbetwomilesoff。Comeon。”
ThoughlateinDecemberthegroundwasstillunfrozenandthenew-
madegovernmenttrailgavesoftfootingtotheirhorses。Andsowithoutfearofdetectiontheylopedbrisklyalongtilltheybegantohearrisingabovethethrobofthetom-tomtheweirdchantoftheIndiansun-dancers。”Theyarerightdowninthecanyon，”saidtheInspector。”Iknowthespotwell。Wecanseethemfromthetop。Thisistheirmostsacredplaceandthereisdoubtlesssomethingbiggoingon。”
Theyleftthemaintrailand，dismounting，ledtheirhorsesthroughthescrubbywoods，whichwerethickenoughtogivethemcoverwithoutimpedingverymateriallytheirprogress。Withinahundredyardsofthetoptheytiedtheirhorsesinthethicketandclimbedtheslightascent。Crawlingonhandsandkneestothelipofthecanyon，theylookeddownuponasceneseldomwitnessedbytheeyesofwhitemen。Thecanyonwasalongnarrowvalley，whoserockysides，coveredwithunderbrush，rosesomesixtyfeetfromalittleplainaboutfiftyyardswide。ThelittleplainwasfilledwiththeIndianencampment。Atoneendahugefireblazed。Attheother，andsomefiftyyardsaway，thelodgesweresetinasemicircle，reachingfromsidetosideofthecanyon，andinfrontofthelodgeswereamassofIndianwarriors，squattingontheirhunkers，beatingtime，somewithtom-toms，otherswiththeirhands，totheweirdlymonotonouschant，thatroseandfellinresponsetothegesticulationsofonewhoappearedtobetheirleader。Inthecentreoftheplainstoodapostandroundthistwocirclesofdancersleapedandswayed。Intheoutercirclethemen，withclubsandriflesintheirhands，recitedwithpantomimicgesturestheirgloriousdeedsinthewarorinthechase。Theinnercirclepresentedaghastlyandhorridspectacle。Itwascomposedofyoungermen，nakedandpainted，someofwhomwereheldtothetopofthepostbylongthongsofbuffalohideattachedtoskewersthrustthroughthemusclesofthebreastorback。Uponthesethongstheyswayedandthrewthemselvesinfranticattemptstobreakfree。Withotherstheskewerswereattachedbythongstobuffaloskulls，stonesorheavyblocksofwood，which，astheydancedandleaped，toreatthebleedingflesh。RoundandroundthepostthenakedpaintedIndiansleaped，lurchingandswayingfromsidetosideintheirdesperateeffortstodragthemselvesfreefromthosetearingskewers，whileroundthemfromthedancingcircleandfromthemassofIndianssquattedonthegroundrosetheweird，maddening，savagechanttotheaccompanimentoftheirbeatinghandsandthrobbingdrums。”Thisisabigdance，”saidtheInspector，subduinghisvoicetoanundertone，thoughinthedintherewaslittlechanceofhisbeingheard。”See！manybraveshavebeenmadealready，”headded，pointingtoaplaceononesideofthefirewhereanumberofformscouldbeseen，somelyingflat，somerollingupontheearth，butallapparentlymoreorlessinastupor。
Madderandmaddergrewthedrums，higherandhigherrosethechant。