been thought fit to provide the fort with them, and we had our
muskets alone to depend on, with some pikes and swords.

Night now came on, and hid the enemy from view, and a short time
afterwards their camp-fires blazed up, and we could see dark figures
moving about in considerable numbers. Still, Alick suspected that they
might have dispatched a party to come round and try to surprise us on
the opposite side. When Robin heard this he offered to go out and watch
the camp, so that he might track any body of men who might have set out
with this purpose in view.

"I cannot let you do that," answered Alick. "You may know the Indian
ways very well, but were you to be caught they would to a certainty kill
you, and we can spare no one from the fort at present."

"But I will, if you'll allow me, try to find Sandy, and warn him that
the Sioux are in the neighbourhood," said Robin. "I want to prove to
you how grateful I am for all the kindness you have shown me. I might
be the means of saving Sandy from falling into the hands of the enemy."

Alick did not answer immediately.

"Your proposal to warn Sandy is an important one," he said at length;
"still I am very unwilling to accede to it. You would run a very great
risk of being tracked and discovered by the Sioux, and I should never
forgive myself if any harm were to happen to you."

"Let me go then," I said; "I would rather run the risk than expose Robin
to it. As I am older and stronger, and know the country better than he
does, there will be less danger of my being caught."

"I cannot agree that you know the country better than I do," said Robin.
"During the different excursions we have made I noted every leading
object we passed, in the mode I learned to do while I was with the
Indians; and though I do not wish to disparage your knowledge, I suspect
that I could with more certainty find my way on a dark night than you
could."

I could not help acknowledging that Robin was right, for I had often
remarked how perfectly he knew every spot he had but once passed, and
that often he could find his way when the rest of us were in doubts
about the matter.

Alick was so convinced of the importance of warning Sandy that an enemy
was near at hand, that he at last consented to allow Robin to set out on
his proposed hazardous expedition. No one in the fort was so likely to
succeed as he was. Martin did not know the country as well, and Pat
would probably have made some