att, no mean draughtsman, had drawn, with the most
elaborate care and attention to detail, maps on a large scale of every one
of the infant settlements. There was nothing about Wareville in particular
that he did not show, and he also designated all the rivers, hills, and
valleys as far as they were known. With such aid a Spanish force, backed
by cannon and the warriors, must triumph over every post in Kentucky.

"I never thought of this," whispered Paul. Henry merely pressed his
shoulder again to indicate that they were ready to deal with it, if man
could.

The three watchers remained there more than an hour, and Alvarez, Wyatt,
and the chiefs still discussed the maps with every appearance of
agreement, bending their heads over them, and now and then disclosing
eager faces, as they lifted them in the firelight.

"Alvarez wants to help them," whispered Paul. "He hates us, and, if he
can, he will commit the Governor of Louisiana to the Indian alliance."

"Beyond a doubt," replied Henry, "and so it's not worth while for us to
wait here any longer."

They slid away in the dark and returned to their own camp. There Long Jim
and Tom Ross were placidly awaiting them, and they were not at all
surprised at the news. Then the five held another of their conferences.

"I think it likely," said Paul, "that Alvarez will go back at once to New
Orleans. He will tell the Governor there that armed bands of Americans are
trespassing upon Spanish territory and that they must be driven off. He
will come back with cannon and a powerful force to do the driving. That
means war, of course, and an attack upon us in Kentucky. How will the
Governor of New Orleans know whether the fighting is on Spanish territory
or not? And even if Alvarez overstepped the limits he could say that he
was attacked first."

"Of course," said Henry, "and it means that we must follow Alvarez all the
way to New Orleans if necessary, and it may be that we shall have to carry
the message of the Kentuckians to Bernardo Galvez, the Spanish Governor
General himself."

"We're ready," said Shif'less Sol lazily. "I wouldn't mind seein' that
furrin town. I saw a town once when I wuz a little boy. It wuz Baltimore,
an' a pow'ful big place it wuz, most nigh set my head to swimmin'. I
heard tell that ez many ez eight or ten thousand people lived thar. Sounds
impossible but some o' 'em swore it wuz true."

"We'll prepare at once for the journey," said Henry.

All set to