the West."

"Why, is he here?" exclaimed Henry in surprise. "I thought he was
farther East."

"You'll see him inside of half an hour. He was at the other blockhouse
on the southern shore, and we sent up a signal that strangers were here.
There he comes now."

A boat had put out from the southern bank. It contained three men, two
of whom were rowing, while the third sat upright in a military fashion.
All his body beneath his shoulders was hidden by the boat's sides, but
his coat was of the Continental buff and blue, while a border cap of
raccoon skin crowned his round head. Such incongruous attire detracted
nothing from the man's dignity and presence. Henry saw that his face was
open, his gaze direct, and that he was quite young. He was looking
straight toward the five who had come with their new friends down to the
river's edge, and, when he sprang lightly upon the sand, he gave them a
military salute. They returned it in like manner, while they looked with
intense curiosity at the famous leader of the border forces. Clark
turned to Henry, whose figure and bearing indicated the chief.

"You come from the North, from the depths of the Indian country, I take
it," he said.

"From the very heart of it," replied the youth. "I was a prisoner at
Detroit, and my comrades were near by outside the walls. We have also
seen Bird returning from his raid with his prisoners and we know that
Timmendiquas, de Peyster, Girty, Caldwell, and the others are going to
make a supreme effort to destroy every settlement west of the
Alleghanies. A great force under Timmendiquas, Caldwell and Girty came
part of the way but turned back, partly, I think, because of divisions
among themselves and partly because they heard of your projected
advance. But it will come again."

The shoulders in the military coat seemed to stiffen and the eyes under
the raccoon skin cap flashed.

"I did want to go back to Virginia," said Clark, "but I'm glad that I'm
here. Mr. Ware, young as you are, you've seen a lot of forest work, I
take it, and so I ask you what is the best way to meet an attack?"

"To attack first."

"Good! good! That was my plan! Report spoke true! We'll strike first.
We'll show these officers and chiefs that we're not the men to sit idly
and wait for our foe. We'll go to meet him. Nay more, we'll find him in
his home and destroy him. Doesn't that appeal to you, my lads?"

"It does," said five voices, emphatic and all together, and then