afty Cherokee king boded good. The "Great Warrior" declared that
Willinawaugh's deeds spoke for themselves--not in French, not in
English, but in the Cherokee tongue--in flame and in blood, in courage
and in victory. The prisoner's scalp was no great matter in the face of
the fact of Fort Loudon. The long fair hair of the English Captain to
hang at his belt if he liked, but here was Fort Loudon to swing forever
at the silver belt of the Tennessee River! He thought the great
Willinawaugh had a right to choose his reward--the goods or the scalp.
The scalp Atta-Kulla-Kulla could not wear, not having taken it. And the
great Willinawaugh could be present and rejoice when Atta-Kulla-Kulla
should choose to burn the captive; for whom he, himself, and
Atta-Kulla-Kulla had devised a certain opportunity of usefulness to the
Cherokee nation before Stuart should be called upon to expiate his
crimes at the stake to satisfy the vengeance of his conqueror.

And who so glad as Willinawaugh to lose naught of his
satisfaction--neither his material nor immaterial reward? who now so
glad to protest that he would waive any personal gratification that
stood in the way of utility to the Cherokee nation? He had the watch in
his hand, dangling by the gold chain and seals; the ticking caught his
ear. He held it up close, with an expression of childish delight that
metamorphosed his fierce face and seemed actually to freshen the
expression of "him top-feathers."

In obedience to a motion of Atta-Kulla-Kulla's hand, Stuart followed him
out to the parade in the red rays of the sinking sun,--how often thence
had he watched it go down behind the level ramparts of the Cumberland
Mountains! They passed through the staring motley throng to Captain
Demere's house which the half-king had chosen for his own quarters. It
was a log-cabin, floored, and of two rooms with a roofed but open
passage between, not unlike the cabins of the region of the present
day. Here the Cherokee paused, and with a pass or two of the
scalping-knife cut the ropes that pinioned Stuart, opened the door of
Demere's bedroom and with an impassive face sternly motioned him to
enter.

The door was closed and Stuart was alone in the quarters reserved for
the chief. It had not yet been invaded by the filthy plundering gangs
without, and its order and military neatness and decorum affected his
quivering nerves as a sort of solace--as of a recurrence of the sane
atmosphere of right reason