eered of the spread of Christianity."

"Then you think our Christians will be made prisoners?"

"'Pears likely."

"And you, also, think we'd do well to leave here."

"I do, sartin. We're startin' for Fort Henry soon. You'd better come
along with us."

"Captain Williamson, we're going to stick it out, Girty or no
Girty."

"You can't do no good stayin' here. Pipe and Half King won't stand
for the singin', prayin' redskins, especially when they've got all
these cattle and fields of grain."

"Wetzel said the same."

"Hev you seen Wetzel?"

"Yes; he rescued a girl from Jim Girty, and returned her to us."

"That so? I met Wetzel and Jack Zane back a few miles in the woods.
They're layin' for somebody, because when I asked them to come along
they refused, sayin' they had work as must be done. They looked like
it, too. I never hern tell of Wetzel advisin' any one before; but
I'll say if he told me to do a thing, by Gosh! I'd do it."

"As men, we might very well take the advice given us, but as
preachers we must stay here to do all we can for these Christian
Indians. One thing more: will you help us?"

"I reckon I'll stay here to see the thing out," answered Williamson.
Edwards made a mental note of the frontiersman's evasive answer.

Jim had, meanwhile, made the acquaintance of a young minister, John
Christy by name, who had lost his sweetheart in one of the Chippewa
raids, and had accompanied the Williamson expedition in the hope he
might rescue her.

"How long have you been out?" asked Jim.

"About four weeks now," answered Christy. "My betrothed was captured
five weeks ago yesterday. I joined Williamson's band, which made up
at Short Creek to take the trail of the flying Chippewas, in the
hope I might find her. But not a trace! The expedition fell upon a
band of redskins over on the Walhonding, and killed nearly all of
them. I learned from a wounded Indian that a renegade had made off
with a white girl about a week previous. Perhaps it was poor Lucy."

Jim related the circumstances of his own capture by Jim Girty, the
rescue of Nell, and Kate's sad fate.

"Could Jim Girty have gotten your girl?" inquired Jim, in
conclusion.

"It's fairly probable. The description doesn't tally with Girty's.
This renegade was short and heavy, and noted especially for his
strength. Of course, an Indian would first speak of some such
distinguishing feature. There are, however, ten or twelve renegades
on the border, and,