case of attack, and
we kept watch in succession like soldiers in war. Ringan, who had
fought in many places up and down the world, was our general in these
matters, and a rigid martinet we found him. Shalah was our scout, and
we leaned on him for all woodland work; but inside the palisade
Ringan's word was law.

Our plan was to make this stockade the centre for exploring the hills
and ascertaining the strength and purposes of the Indian army. We
hoped, and so did Shalah, that our enemies would have no leisure to
follow us to the high ridges; that what risk there was would be run by
the men on their spying journeys; but that the stockade would be
reasonably safe. It was my intention, as soon as I had sufficient news,
to send word to Lawrence, and we thought that presently the
Rappahannock forces would have driven the Cherokees southward, and the
way would be open to get Elspeth back to the Tidewater.

The worst trouble, as I soon saw, was to be the matter of food. The
supplies we had carried were all but finished by what we ate after the
stockade was completed. After that there remained only a single bag of
flour, another bag of Indian meal, and a pound or two of boucanned
beef, besides three flasks of eau-de-vie, which Ringan had brought in a
leather casket. The forest berries were not yet ripe, and the only food
to be procured was the flesh of the wild game. Happily in Donaldson and
Bertrand we had two practised trappers; but they were doubtful about
success, for they had no knowledge of what beasts lived in the hills. I
have said that we had plenty of powder and ball, but I did not relish
the idea of shooting in the woods, for the noise would be a signal to
our foes. Still, food we must have, and I thought I might find a
secluded place where the echoes of a shot would be muffled.

The next morning I parcelled up the company according to their duties,
for while Ringan was captain of the stockade, I was the leader of the
venture. I sent out Bertrand and Donaldson to trap in the woods;
Ringan, with Grey and Shalah, stayed at home to strengthen still
further the stockade and protect Elspeth; while I took my musket and
some pack-thongs and went up the hill-side to look for game. We were
trysted to be back an hour before sundown, and if some one of us did
not find food we should go supperless.

That day is a memory which will never pass from me. The weather was
grey and lowering, and though the rain had ceased, the air