gades had made good their escape. They did not find
the body of a single one of them, and it was certain that they were
living to do more mischief.

Henry sought his friends at once, and his joy was very great when he
discovered them to be without wounds save those of the slightest nature.
The leaders, too, had escaped with their lives, and they were exultant
because they had captured a thousand rounds of ammunition for the two
cannon and four hundred good muskets from the Canadian posts, which
would be taken with the other supplies to Pittsburgh.

"It was worth stopping and fighting for these," said Adam Colfax.

* * * * *

A week later the five sat in a little glade about a mile south of the
Ohio, but far beyond the mouth of the Licking. They had left the fleet
that morning as it was moving peacefully up the "Beautiful River," and
they meant to pass the present night in the woods.

Twilight was already coming. A beautiful golden sun had just set, and
there were bars of red in the west to mark where it had gone.

Jim Hart was cooking by a small fire. Paul lay at ease on the grass,
dreaming with eyes wide open. Tom Ross was cleaning his rifle, and he
was wholly immersed in his task. Henry and Shif'less Sol sat together
near the edge of the glade.

"Henry," said the shiftless one, "when that battle wuz about over I
thought I saw you runnin' into the woods after a big warrior who looked
like a chief."

"You really saw me," said Henry, "and the Indian was a chief, a great
one. It was Timmendiquas, although I did not know it then."

"Did you overtake him?"

"I did, and we had a fight in the dark. Luck was with me, and at the end
of the struggle I held him at the muzzle of my rifle."

"Did you shoot?"

"No, I could not. He had saved my life, and I had to pay the debt."

The shiftless one reached out his hand and touched Henry's lightly.

"I'm glad you didn't shoot," he said. "I'd have done the same that you
did."

An hour later they were all asleep but Tom Ross, who watched at the edge
of the glade, and Henry, who lay on his back in the grass, gazing at the
stars that flashed and danced in the blue sky.

Sleep came to the boy slowly, but his eyelids drooped at last, and a
wonderful peace came over him. The wind rose, and out of the forest
floated a song, soothing and peaceful. It told him that success, the
reward of the brave, had come, and, as his eyelids drooped lower, he