encounter with any chance of success. We accordingly retreated,
watching for an opportunity to attack any parties of the enemy who might
become separated from the larger body. They also sent out their scouts,
and one of these we captured. My braves were about to put him to death,
but I promised him his liberty if he would tell me the object of the
expedition. Being a man who was afraid to die, he told us that the party
consisted of his own tribe and the Apaches, who had been joined by some
Spanish Palefaces; and that their object was not to make war on either
the Kaskayas or the Pawnees, but to rob a wealthy settler living on the
side of the mountains, as well as any other white men they might find
located in the neighbourhood. Feeling sure that their evil designs were
against my friends, I directed my people to follow me, while I hastened
forward to give you due warning of what is likely to happen. As they are
very numerous, and have among them firearms and ammunition, it may be a
hard task, should they attack the house, to beat them off."

Such in substance was the information Winnemak brought us.

"To my mind, the fellows will never dare to come so far north as this;
or, if they do, they will think twice about it before they venture to
attack our farm," answered Uncle Jeff.

"A wise man is prepared for anything which can possibly happen," said
the Indian. "What is there to stop them? They are too numerous to be
successfully opposed by any force of white men in these parts; and my
braves are not willing to throw away their lives to no purpose."

Uncle Jeff thought the matter over. "I will send out a trusty scout to
ascertain who these people are, and what they are about," he said at
length. "If they are coming this way, we shall get ready to receive
them; and if not, we need not further trouble ourselves."

Lieutenant Broadstreet, who held the Indians cheap, was very much
inclined to doubt the truth of the account brought by Winnemak, but he
agreed that Uncle Jeff's plan was a prudent one.

Bartle Won immediately volunteered to start off to try and find the
whereabouts of the supposed marauding party. His offer was at once
accepted; and before many minutes were over he had left the farm, armed
with his trusty rifle, and his axe and hunting-knife in his belt.

"Take care they do not catch you," observed the lieutenant.

"If you knew Bartle, you would not give him such advice," said Uncle
Jeff. "He is not the boy