off and stood
still.

'"I have missed something, then," he says. "But I spent this last
hour playing--only for buttons, Marquise--against a noble savage, the
veritable Huron himself."

'"You had your usual luck, I hope?" she says.

'"Certainly," he says. "I cannot afford to lose even buttons in these
days."

'"Then I suppose the child of nature does not know that your dice are
usually loaded, Father Tout-a-tous," she continues. I don't know
whether she meant to accuse him of cheating. He only bows. '"Not yet,
Mademoiselle Cunegonde," he says, and goes on to make himself agreeable
to the rest of the company. And that was how I found out our Monsieur
Peringuey was Count Charles Maurice Talleyrand de Perigord.'

Pharaoh stopped, but the children said nothing.

'You've heard of him?' said Pharaoh.

Una shook her head. 'Was Red Jacket the Indian he played dice with?' Dan
asked.

'He was. Red Jacket told me the next time we met. I asked if the lame
man had cheated. Red Jacket said no--he had played quite fair and was
a master player. I allow Red Jacket knew. I've seen him, on the
Reservation, play himself out of everything he had and in again. Then I
told Red Jacket all I'd heard at the party concerning Talleyrand.

'"I was right," he says. "I saw the man's war-face when he thought he
was alone. That's why I played him. I played him face to face. He's a
great chief. Do they say why he comes here?"

'"They say he comes to find out if Big Hand makes war against the
English," I said.

'Red Jacket grunted. "Yes," he says. "He asked me that too. If he had
been a small chief I should have lied. But he is a great chief. He knew
I was a chief, so I told him the truth. I told him what Big Hand said to
Cornplanter and me in the clearing--'There will be no war.' I could not
see what he thought. I could not see behind his face. But he is a great
chief. He will believe."

'"Will he believe that Big Hand can keep his people back from war?" I
said, thinking of the crowds that hooted Big Hand whenever he rode out.

'"He is as bad as Big Hand is good, but he is not as strong as Big
Hand," says Red Jacket. "When he talks with Big Hand he will feel this
in his heart. The French have sent away a great chief. Presently he will
go back and make them afraid."

'Now wasn't that comical? The French woman that knew him and owed all
her losses to him; the Indian that picked him up, cut and muddy on
the street, and played dice with hi