pite the load
that must rest on her heart. I saw her simple joy at our return. But
should we return? My chest tightened, and I sped along the ranks to
Harrod's company and caught Tom by the wrist.

"Davy," he murmured, and, seizing my hand in his strong grip, pulled me
along with him. For it was not given to him to say what he felt; but
as I hurried to keep pace with his stride, Polly Ann's words rang in my
ears, "Davy, take care of my Tom," and I knew that he, too, was thinking
of her. A hail aroused me, the sound of a loud rapping, and I saw in
black relief a cabin ahead. The door opened, a man came out with a horde
of children cowering at his heels, a volley of frightened words pouring
from his mouth in a strange tongue. John Duff was plying him with
questions in French, and presently the man became calmer and lapsed into
broken English.

"Kaskaskia--yes, she is prepare. Many spy is gone out--cross la riviere.
But now they all sleep."

Even as he spoke a shout came faintly from the distant town.

"What is that?" demanded Clark, sharply.

The man shrugged his shoulders. "Une fete des negres, peut-etre,--the
negro, he dance maybe."

"Are you the ferryman?" said Clark.

"Oui--I have some boat."

We crossed the hundred and fifty yards of sluggish water, squad by
squad, and in the silence of the night stood gathered, expectant, on the
farther bank. Midnight was at hand. Commands were passed about, and men
ran this way and that, jostling one another to find their places in a
new order. But at length our little force stood in three detachments
on the river's bank, their captains repeating again and again the part
which each was to play, that none might mistake his duty. The two larger
ones were to surround the town, while the picked force under Simon
Kenton himself was to storm the fort. Should he gain it by surprise and
without battle, three shots were to be fired in quick succession, the
other detachments were to start the war-whoop, while Duff and some with
a smattering of French were to run up and down the streets proclaiming
that every habitan who left his house would be shot. No provision being
made for the drummer boy (I had left my drum on the heights above), I
chose the favored column, at the head of which Tom and Cowan and Ray
and McCann were striding behind Kenton and Colonel Clark. Not a word
was spoken. There was a kind of cow-path that rose and fell and twisted
along the river-bank. This we followed,