ack again, and a rush of blood in his throat almost
choked him.

"Wish I'd stayed at d' plantation, Mas' Tom," he whispered. "Nothin'
could n' been no wo'se 'n what I went frough. Kep' 'long d' ribbah, laike
yo' said, but could n' git nothin' t' eat only berries growin' in d'
woods. Got mighty weak, 'n' den las' night met d' Injuns."

"Last night!" I cried. "Where, Polete?"

"Obah dah 'long d' ribbah," he answered faintly. "Dee gib me some'n' t'
eat, an' I frought maybe dee'd take me 'long, but dis mornin' dee had a
big powwow, an' dee shot me an' knock me in d' haid. Seems laike dee 's
gwine t' buhn a big plantation t'-night."

"A big plantation, Polete?" I asked. "Where? Tell me--oh, you must tell
me!"

But his head had fallen back, and his eyes were closed. There was another
burst of blood from his nose and mouth. I threw water over his face,
slapped his hands, and shouted into his ears, but to no avail. Sam
brought me another hatful of water, but his hands trembled so that when
he set it down, he spilled half of it. I dashed what was left over the
dying man, but his breathing grew slow and slower, and still his eyes
were closed. I trembled to think what would happen should I never learn
where the Indians were going, if Polete should never open his eyes again
to tell me. But he did, at last,--oh, how long it seemed!--he did, and
gazed up at me with a little smile.

"Reckon it's all obah wid ole Polete, Mas' Tom," he whispered.

"Where is this plantation, Polete?" I asked. "The plantation the Indians
are going to attack. Quick, tell me."

He looked at me a moment longer before answering.

"D' plantation? Obah dah, eight, ten mile, neah d' ribbah," and he made a
faint little motion northward with his hand. The motion, slight as it
was, brought on another hemorrhage. His eyes looked up into mine for a
moment longer, and then, even as I gazed at them, grew fixed and glazed.
Old Polete was dead.

We laid him by the side of the road and rolled two or three logs over
him. More we could not do, for every moment was precious.

"Sam," I said quickly, as we finished our task, "you must ride to the
fort as fast as your horse will carry you. Tell Colonel Washington that I
sent you, and that the Indians are going to attack some big plantation on
the river eight or ten miles north of here. Tell him that I have gone on
to warn them. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sah," he gasped.

"Well, don't you forget a word of it," I