tiger
about to spring, but the priest drew him down.

"Listen," commanded the churchman, in the slow, tense way of one who
intended to be obeyed. "I'll go back and come up by the beach. I'll
brow-beat them and tongue-whack them for having slaves. They'll offer
fight; so'll I. They'll all run down; that's your chance. Wait till they
all go. I'll make them, every one. That's your chance. You rush! Try
that! If it fail, in the name of the Lord, have y'r weapons ready--and
the Lord be with us!"

"They'll kill you," I protested. "Let me go!"

"You? What about Frances?"

"Pah!" said Louis. "I go myself--I trick--I trap--I snare 'em----"

"Hush to ye, ye braggart," interrupted the priest. "Gillespie is as
flabby as dough from an illness. 'Tis here you sit quiet, and help with
Miriam as ye'd save y'r soul! Howld down with y'r bouncing nonsense,
lad, and the saints be with ye; for it's a fight there'll be, and there
is the fightin' stuff of a soldier in ye! Never turn to me--mind ye
never turn to help me, or the curse of the fool be on y'r head--and the
Lord be with us!"

"Amen." But I spoke to vacancy. While a rising wind set the branches
overhead grating noisily, he had risen and darted away. Louis Laplante,
contrary to the priest's orders, also rose and disappeared in the woods.
Little Fellow still lay by me, but I could not rely on him for
intelligent action, and there came over me that sense of aloneness in
danger, which I knew so well in the Mandane country. The child's
slightest cry might alarm the camp, and I shivered when he breathed
heavily, or turned in his sleep. The Indians might miss the boy and
search the woods. Instinctively my hand was on my pistol. It was well to
be as near Miriam's tent as possible; and I, too, took advantage of the
wind to change my place. I moved back, signalling the Indian to follow,
and skirted round the open till I was directly opposite Miriam's wigwam.
Why had Louis gone off, and why did he not come back? Had he gone to
keep secret guard over the priest, or to decoy the vigilant Sioux woman?
In his intentions I had confidence enough, but not in his judgment. At
that moment my speculations were interrupted by a loud shout from the
beach. Every Indian in camp started up as if hostiles had uttered their
war-cry.

"Hallo, there! Hallo! Hallo!" called the priest. Indians dashed to the
river, while bedraggled squaws and naked children rushed from wigwams
and stood in clamorous groups