them have fallen?"

"There is mourning among my people; one of them fell dead at my side,
and others are grievously hurt."

"There shall be more mourning, for not one of them shall be spared to
reach the block-house! They shall all be cut off."

"The will of the Great Spirit shall be done."

"And why does the missionary come to the camp of Wa-on-mon? He has been
asked the question before."

"And has answered," Finley was quick to say, hesitating to avow the
whole truth, even though it was evident it was known from the first to
the chieftain.

"Cannot the missionary speak with a single tongue? Does he come to seek
Wa-on-mon alone?"

"No," was the prompt response.

"Who comes he to see?"

"The little captive in the hands of Wa-on-mon."

"She is there," said the chief, pointing to the fallen tree upon which
little Mabel sat; "he can see her; he may speak to her."

"The missionary thanks Wa-on-mon--may he call him his brother?"

"No," was the sharp response, "the missionary and Wa-on-mon were once
brothers, but they are so no longer."

"The missionary thanks Wa-on-mon, but he is not, as yet, ready to talk
to the suffering little one."

"Little time remains to do so; she dies at sunrise."

"That is several hours distant; in the meanwhile, the missionary would
speak to Wa-on-mon of the child."

"What does he wish to say?"

"He has a prayer to make."

"What is the prayer?" asked the chief, well aware what it was.

"Wa-on-mon has two little ones, a warrior and a sweet girl. The
missionary has played and talked with them and held them on his knee;
does Wa-on-mon believe that the missionary would not risk his life to
save them from harm?"

Finley paused, but there was no response. The way had been opened at
last, and it was too late now to turn back. He must press forward to the
final solution, no matter what that should prove to be, but all the
signs were ominous of the worst.

The question was anything but pleasing to the chieftain. He was silent a
minute, and replied by means of a pointed question himself:

"Is the child on the tree the child of the missionary?"

"No, but she is the daughter of a friend; she is not a warrior who fires
a gun at the Shawanoes of Wa-on-mon; she has harmed none of them."

"But her parents did; to harm her will hurt them more than will a bullet
fired from the gun of the chieftain; therefore, Wa-on-mon will kill
her."

"Let Wa-on-mon listen to the good spirit that w