elf."

"Myself!" exclaimed Henry in astonishment.

"No one but you," replied the merchant. "I have been able, by the use of
great influence, to secure from Bernardo Galvez your temporary release. It
is to his interest to have this plot exposed if it really exists, and
accordingly he has allowed me to borrow you. You can go forth with me if
you give your word of honor that you will not leave New Orleans or its
vicinity and will report again here."

"Why, of course I'll go! I'll"--exclaimed Henry joyfully, and then he
stopped suddenly, looking around at his comrades. Then he added: "I don't
feel right, Mr. Pollock, to go away and leave the boys in this place."

Up rose Tom Ross.

"Don't you fret about us, Henry," he said. "You're goin' on a good work
an' you'll do it, too. We need to hev one uv our gang outside. Remember up
at Boo-ly, when Alvarez had us, how much better we felt 'cause he didn't
hev Sol. 'Twas a comfort to think that Sol wuz out thar in the woods."

It was a long speech for Tom Ross, but it expressed the sentiments of them
all. Henry left with Mr. Pollock and they went to a handsome brick house
in the city. This house was store, office, and residence combined, and
several clerks were about. But these clerks did not have pale faces and
bent backs. They were mostly strong-limbed, broad-shouldered men with
tanned faces.

"They work out of doors," said Mr. Pollock briefly. "Some are to go with
the fleet up the rivers, others have been as far as the West Indies
accumulating supplies. It is necessary for them all to be able to write
and shoot."

Henry liked their looks, but he did not have a chance to speak to any of
them as Mr. Pollock quickly led the way Into a small inner office, where
he motioned Henry to a chair and took one himself. Henry was now within
narrower walls than those that confined him in the prison, but he felt a
huge sense of relief. He was free. If he wanted to open the door and walk
out he could do so. He expanded his great chest and took a mighty breath.
Mr. Pollock heard the suspiration, looked up, and laughed. He understood
perfectly.

"I'd feel that way, too, if I had been in your place," he said. "Now what
we want to do is to devise some plan of trapping your friend and enemy.
Mr. Wyatt. What do you think?"

"Once," replied Henry, "when, he was carrying war belts between the
Shawnees and Miamis we simply seized him and took them away from him. We
must do something of this k