four o'clock
The offer appeared so large for a mere puny girl , that the chief assented at once ; and the Fox was content to take a gun , which proved part of the spoil , for his interest in his captive . The Indians of the Stag 's tribe murmured to themselves at this costly bargain upon the part of their chief . However , they expressed nothing of this before him , and continued the work of counting and separating the animals in proportion to the number of each tribe present , -- the tribes from the plains being considerably the more numerous . Not until four o'clock were they again in motion , when each tribe started direct for home . In three hours ' riding they reached the spring , and then the Stag ordered a small tent of skins to be erected for Ethel 's accommodation . From this she came out an hour later to gaze upon the great wave of fire which , kindled at a point far away by their scouts , now swept along northward , passing at a distance of three or four miles from the spring . It was when sitting gravely round the fire later on , that the Stag deigned to enlighten his followers as to his reasons for giving what seemed to them so great a price for a pale-faced child .