e Big Throat?"

"He must help, though to tell the truth I fear that he will be of
little service. He may come in time to give us a stay; but, chief
though he is, he will hardly dare overrule the Long Arrow on a matter
so personal as this."

"What is the Long Arrow's family--the Beaver?"

"Yes."

"But, M'sieu, that is the least of the eight families. If it were the
Tortoise or the Bear against us, we should have greater cause for
fear."

"True, Father, but to each family belongs its own quarrels, its own
revenge. If the Big Throat should interfere too deeply, it would anger
the other small families, who might fear the same treatment at some
other time. And with Beaver, Snipe, Deer, and Potato united against
us,--well, it is a simple enough problem."

They were walking by the door, and Menard, as he spoke, sat on the
stone which he had rolled there in the afternoon. The priest stood
before him.

"I hope we may succeed, my son. I have seen this anger before, and it
has always ended in the one way."

"Of course," the Captain replied, "it does depend on the Big Throat.
He must reach here in time."

"God grant that he may!"

"In that case, Father, I look for a delay. Unless his heart has
hardened rapidly, he still thinks of me. Together we will go to him,
and ask a hearing in the war council."

"Oratory will not release us, I fear, M'sieu."

"We shall not ask to be released, Father. Don't you understand? It is
more than that we shall demand,--it is peace with New France, the
safety of the column--"

The priest's eyes lighted. "Do you think, M'sieu--"

"We can do it. They have not heard all the truth. They do not want a
long war which will kill their braves and destroy their homes and
their corn. It is this attack on the Senecas that has drawn them
out."

"You will tell them that the Governor fights only the Senecas?"

"More than that. The La Grange affair has stirred them up. It has
weakened their faith in the Governor,--it has as good as undone all
the work of twenty years past. Our only hope is to reestablish that
faith."

"I hope that we may," said the priest, slowly. "But they have reached
a state now where words alone will hardly suffice. I have tried it,
M'sieu. Since we came, I have talked and reasoned with them."

"Well, Father, I am going to try it. The question is, will the
Governor make good what I shall have to promise? It may be that he
will. If not,--then my life will not be worth a box