d discourteous
treatment. Moreover, each move thus far made has proved to be a
mistake, and we must suffer from them in silence and without remedy."

"He does indeed seem strangely headstrong," I admitted reluctantly,
recalling to mind the words uttered in the room beyond my bed; "but
surely his conference with the chiefs has resulted well, and is proof
of his good judgment."

The young officer turned quickly and faced me, his eyes full of
emotion. "That remains to be decided," he exclaimed. "Such old
frontiersmen as Captain Wells and John Kinzie say that pledge only
hides black treachery. They urged him most earnestly, for an hour
to-night, to reconsider his decision, and give up the immediate
evacuation of the post. But he fully believes he can put faith in
those lying, murderous hounds out yonder. So certain is Kinzie of
trouble, that he has sworn to march forth with us, sending his family
away by boat, in hope that his influence may hold back the savages from
open attack; while Wells declares that he will ride forth with
blackened face, as becomes a Miami who goes to certain death in battle.
These men are no fools, no strangers to savage warfare and Indian
deceit,--yet in spite of their warning, Captain Heald persists in
driving us forth into the very fangs of the wolves. Brave! ay, he is
indeed brave to the point of rashness; but this bids fair to be a fatal
bravery to all of us who must obey his orders."

The intense bitterness of these words shocked me and held me dumb,--the
more so, as I could not be insensible to their truth. As I lifted my
eyes, I beheld, crossing the parade through the mass of equipment
scattered here and there, De Croix and Mademoiselle. With a
half-muttered excuse, I drew hastily back into the protecting shadow of
the stockade; and as they slowly passed, I heard him jesting lightly,
and saw her laughing, with a side-glance up at his face.

With these words of warning from Ronan's lips yet ringing in my ears,
such reckless thoughtlessness of the danger encircling us astounded me;
and I drew farther back, less willing than ever to make one of them.
Deep in my heart, I knew this was no time for careless laughter or
happy jest.

CHAPTER XXIII

THE DEATH-SHADOW OF THE MIAMIS

It was after midnight when I finally ceased my labors, feeling I had
performed my fair share of the hard work of preparation. By this time
everything was comparatively quiet within the stockade encl