ay, and I judge they're in
no hurry. I fancy the warriors suppose the cannon can easily secure
them the victory, no matter how much we may prepare against them, and
the Englishmen are probably weary from hard traveling through the
forest."

"I guess all that's true, but they'll shorely start in an hour or two
anyway, an' then what are we to do to stop 'em?"

The eyes of the great youth filled with sudden fire.

"We're five against a thousand," he said. "We've rifles against cannon,
but we can do something. We're coming to the edge of a country that I
know. Three miles to the south of us is a river or deep creek that can't
be waded, except at a place between two hills. The Indians know that
ford, and so they'll make for it. We'll be on the other side, and we'll
hold the ford."

The others stared at him.

"Henry," exclaimed Paul, "you just said that we were five against a
thousand, and rifles against cannon, now how could we possibly hold the
ford against such an army? Besides, the Indian warriors, by scores,
could swim the river elsewhere, and flank us on either side."

"I don't mean that we shall hold it a long time. We'll make 'em give
battle, stop 'em for a while, and then, when the flankers swim the
stream we'll be gone. We will not let ourselves be seen, and they may
think it a large force, retiring merely because their own army is
larger."

"That is, we've got to give 'em a skeer," said Long Jim.

"Exactly. We want to make those Indians think that Manitou is against
'em. We want to sow in their minds the seeds of fear and superstition.
You know how they're influenced by omens and things they can't
understand. If we give 'em a brisk little fight at the ford, and then
get away, unseen, it will set them to doubting, and plant in their minds
the fear of ambush by large forces."

The face of the shiftless one shone.

"That suits me clean down to the ground," he said. "It's wile an'
stratagem which I like. Lead on to this ford, Henry, an' we'll lay down
an' rest beside it till they come up."

The others showed as much enthusiasm, and, carefully hiding their trail,
they reached the ford, which they found highly favorable to their
purpose. Save here the banks of the river were high on both sides, and
the gorge, through which the red army with its cannon and wagons must
approach the ford, was not more than twenty feet wide. On both banks the
forest was unbroken and there were many dense thickets.

"This plac