btained with the French. He is an old man now,
and a very bitter one. Many's the Englishman that he has tied to the
stake, and tortured during the war; He hates us, and is always stirring
up the Injuns to make war with us; but his day is gone by, and they do
not heed him at the council now."

"Then, why are you uncomfortable about him?" said Mr. Campbell.

"Because he has taken up his quarters for the winter hunting not far
from us, with six or seven of the young warriors, who look up to him,
and he is mischievous. If the Injun nation won't make war, he will do
something on his own account, if he possibly can. He's not badly named,
I can tell you."

"Will he attack you?"

"Me! no, no; he knows better. He knows my rifle well; he has the mark on
his body; not but that he would if he dared, but I am Injun myself, and
know Injun craft. Then you see, these people have strange ideas. During
the whole war they never could even hit me with their rifles, and they
think I am not to be hurt--that's their superstition--and my rifle, they
think, never misses (they're almost right there, for it does not once in
a hundred times), so what with this and that, they fear me as a
supernatural, as we call it. But that's not the case with you all here;
and if the Snake could creep within these palisades, he might be
mischievous."

"But the tribes know very well that any attack of this kind would be
considered as a declaration of hostilities," said Captain Sinclair, "and
that we should retaliate."

"Yes; but you see the Snake don't belong to these tribes about us; his
nation is much further off,--too far to go for redress; and the tribes
here, although they allow him to join the 'talk' as an old warrior who
had served against the English and from respect to his age, do not
acknowledge him or his doings. They would disavow them immediately and
with truth, but they can not prevent his doing mischief."

"What, then, is the redress in case of his doing any mischief?" said
Henry.

"Why, upon him and his band, whenever you can find them. You may
destroy them all, and the Injuns here won't say a word, or make any
complaint. That's all that can be done; and that's what I will do; I
mean to tell him so, when I meet him. He fears me, and so do his men;
they think me medicine."

"Medicine! What is that?" said Henry.

"It means that he has a charmed life," replied Captain Sinclair. "The
Indians are very superstitious."

"Yes, they be; well