Winona, who had moved over to the window, announced in Shoshone, "The snow is stopping, husband.  I will go feed the horses more grass."  Nate didn't like the idea of her going out alone, but he decided against making an issue of it in front of Kennedy.  "All right.   But be on your guard."  "Always," Winona said, smiling, and stepped to the door.
  "Where is she going?"  Kennedy inquired.
  Nate faced him.  "To feed the horses."
  "You have horses?  Is there any chance I could borrow one to go find Newton and Lambert?"
  "Well go together in a while,"  Nate proposed, unwilling to lend a precious horse to someone who had lost their own.  He heard the latch as Winona prepared to depart, then tensed when she gasped.
  Kennedy, who had his eyes on the entrance, blurted, "Oh my!"
  Rising, Nate spun to see a tall man in a brown coat standing just outside the cabin with a rifle trained on his wife.

DEADLY PURSUIT

  Nate concentrated on the task at hand, threading among the trees with the same skill as his Indian companions.  he saw Buffalo Horn look back at him two or three times.
  As the chase continued, the Flatheads were goaded on by the distant whoops of their fierce mortal enemies.  when the forest gave way to a series of hills, Running elk took the lead in winding among them.
  Looking over his shoulder, Nate was startled to find four of the Utes had pulled out well ahead of the rest and were closing the gap rapidly.
  Running Elk skirted a hill and, hemmed in on both sides by high rock walls, entered a ravine.  The rest promptly followed.
  Nate didn't like being boxed in.  should the Utes gain the rim, the Flatheads would be easy to pick off.  So, for that matter, would Shakespeare and he.   Nate avoided a boulder in his path and saw Running elk bear to the right as the ravine curved.  Seconds later he galloped around the turn and was stunned to discover the Flatheads bunched together at the base of another stone wall.
  The ravine was a dead end.