the moment quailed. He knew that the great
White Lightning did not like him, and he knew why. Timmendiquas believed
that a man should be loyal to his own race, and in his heart he must
regard the renegade as what he was--a traitor. But Girty, with all his
crimes, was not a coward, and he was cunning, too, with the cunning of
both the white man and the red. He recovered his courage and continued:

"The taking of this fleet in particular would be the greatest triumph
that we could achieve, and it would be a triumph in a double way. It has
vast quantities of powder, lead, cannon, pistols, bayonets, medicines,
clothing, and other supplies for the people in the east, who are
fighting our friends, the British. If we should take it we'd not only
weaken the Americans, but also secure for ourselves the greatest prize
ever offered in the west."

The eyes of all the chiefs glistened, and Girty, shrewd and watchful,
noticed it. He sought continually to build up his influence among them,
and he never neglected any detail. Now he reached under his buckskin
hunting shirt and drew forth a soiled piece of paper.

"Braxton Wyatt here, a loyal and devoted friend of ours, has been in the
south," he said. "He was at New Orleans and he knows all about this
fleet. He knows how it was formed and he knows what it carries. Listen,
Timmendiquas, to what awaits us if we are shrewd enough and brave enough
to take it:

"One thousand rifles.

"Six hundred muskets.

"Six hundred best French bayonets.

"Four hundred cavalry sabers.

"Two hundred horse pistols, single-barreled.

"Two hundred horse pistols, double-barreled.

"Three hundred dirks.

"Six brass eighteen-pounder field pieces.

"Four brass twelve-pounder field pieces.

"Two brass six-pounder field pieces.

"Four bronze twelve-pounder field guns.

"Ten thousand rounds of ammunition for the cannon.

"Two hundred barrels of best rifle powder.

"Thirty thousand pounds of bar lead and more than two hundred thousand
dollars worth of clothing, provisions, and medicines.

"Wouldn't that make your mouth water? Did any of us ever before have a
chance to help at the taking of such a treasure?"

"It is not wonderful that the white men fight so well to keep what they
carry," said Timmendiquas.

Then the chief questioned Braxton Wyatt closely about the fleet and the
men who were with it. His questions were uncommonly shrewd, and the
young leader saw that he was trying to get at th