t keep him waiting long," was the confident
declaration of the Shawanoe.

"And when he returns?"

"Then my brother, the missionary, shall go free."

"And the little one asleep there?"

"She dies."

"Wa-on-mon will not return until the white hunter has fallen before his
knife."

"No; but that will not be long."

"Suppose Wa-on-mon does not come back?" remarked Finley, in a
matter-of-fact, off-hand manner, but it was the crucial point of the
whole matter.

"He will come back," was the response of the chieftain.

"Does he think the white hunter will spare him? No," added the
missionary, answering his own question. "But suppose my brother, the
mighty Wa-on-mon, does not come back?"

"Then my brother, the missionary, shall go back to his people."

"But that is the promise my brother gave before; will he not say that if
Wa-on-mon does not come back, the missionary shall return to his people
and take the little captive with him?"

"Wa-on-mon gives his brother that pledge; he has spoken."

It was settled! The scheme that had been in the mind of the good man
from the moment he paddled away from the flatboat was fully assented to
by The Panther. If the latter overcame Simon Kenton in the hand-to-hand
encounter, he would return to camp and put innocent Mabel Ashbridge to
death.

If, on the other hand, the ranger overcame The Panther, or the latter
was seen no more among his warriors, then the missionary was at liberty
to take the tiny hand within his own, and make his way back to her
friends without let or hindrance from the Shawanoes.

In other words, the life of the child was the stake at issue.

"Let my brother make known his wishes to his braves," said the
missionary, losing no time in following up the advantage he had gained.

As if aware for the first time of the presence of his people around him,
The Panther now beckoned to several to approach. They did so with a
prompt readiness which suggested a camp of highly-disciplined soldiers.
The chief explained what had been agreed upon, and made his orders so
explicit that there could be no misconception on the part of any one.
Finley watched closely while he listened, and saw that in this matter at
least all was above board. The chieftain's self-confidence was so
ingrained and deeply set that he could not doubt his own triumph.

But he astounded Rev. Mr. Finley by an unprecedented proof of faith in
his honor.

The combat was to take place as near sunrise