once more the place where he had been a boy with other boys of his own
white race, and where he might yet have been with his own kind, if a
soul naturally turning to malice had not sent him off to the savages.
Because he was now an outcast, although of his own making, he hated his
earlier associates all the more. He sought somehow to blame them for it.
They had never appreciated him enough. Had they put him forward and
given him his due, he would not now be making war upon them. Foolish and
blind, they must suffer the consequences of their own stupidity. When
Wareville was taken, he might induce the Indians to spare a few, but
there were certainly some who should not be spared. His brow was black
and his thoughts were blacker. It may be that Henry read them, because
his hand slid gently forward to the hammer of his rifle. But his will
checked the hand before it could cock the weapon, and he shook his head
impatiently.

"Not now," he said in the softest of whispers, "but we must follow that
boat. It is going toward Wareville and that is our way. Since we have
seen him it is for us to deal with Wyatt before he can do more
mischief."

Paul nodded, and even the soul of the good schoolmaster stirred with
warlike ardor. He was not a child of the forest. He knew little of
ambush and the trail, but he was ready to spend his strength and blood
for the good of his own people. So he too nodded, and then waited for
their young leader to act.

Braxton Wyatt passed on southward and up the stream of the river. There
was no song among the leaves for him, but his heart was still full of
cruel passions. He did not dream that a boat containing the one whom he
hated most had lain in the cane within twenty yards of him. He was
thinking instead of Wareville and of the way in which he would spy out
every weak place there. He and Early had become great friends, and now
he told his second much about the village.

"Wareville is strong," he said, "and they have many excellent riflemen.
We were repulsed there once, when we made an attack in force, and we
must take it by surprise. Once we are inside the palisade everything
will soon be over. I hope that we will catch Ware and his comrades there
when we catch the others."

"He seems hard to hold," said Early. "That escape of his from Detroit
was a daring and skillful thing. I could hardly believe it when we heard
of it at the Ohio. You're bound to admit that, Braxton."

"I admit it readily e