brave passed,
paused a moment to survey them gravely, grunted an answer to something
they would fling at him, and went on. At length arrived three chiefs
whom I knew to be high in the councils. The North Wind came out to them,
and the four blanketed forms stood silhouetted between me and the fire
for a quarter of an hour. By this time I was sure of a plot, and fled
away to another tree for fear of detection. At length stalked through
the street the Hungry Wolf, the interpreter. I knew this man to be
friendly to Clark, and I acted on impulse. He gave a grunt of surprise
when I halted before him. I made up my mind.

"The son of the Great Chief knows that the Puans have wickedness in
their hearts to-night," I said; "the tongue of the Hungry Wolf does not
lie."

The big Indian drew back with another grunt, and the distant firelight
flashed on his eyes as on polished black flints.

"Umrrhh! Is the Pale Face Chief's son a prophet?"

"The anger of the Pale Face Chief and of his countrymen is as the
hurricane," I said, scarce believing my own ears. For a lad is imitative
by nature, and I had not listened to the interpreters for three days
without profit.

The Hungry Wolf grunted again, after which he was silent for a long
time. Then he said:--

"Let the Chief of the Long Knives have guard tonight." And suddenly he
was gone into the darkness.

I waded the creek and sped to Clark. He was alone now, the shutters of
the room closed. And as I came in I could scarce believe that he was
the same masterful man I had seen at the council that day, and at the
conference an hour gone. He was once more the friend at whose feet I sat
in private, who talked to me as a companion and a father.

"Where have you been, Davy?" he asked. And then, "What is it, my lad?"

I crept close to him and told him in a breathless undertone, and I
knew that I was shaking the while. He listened gravely, and when I had
finished laid a firm hand on my head.

"There," he said, "you are a brave lad, and a canny."

He thought a minute, his hand still resting on my head, and then rose
and led me to the back door of the house. It was near midnight, and the
sounds of the place were stilling, the crickets chirping in the grass.

"Run to Captain Bowman and tell him to send ten men to this door. But
they must come man by man, to escape detection. Do you understand?" I
nodded and was starting, but he still held me. "God bless you, Davy, you
are a brave boy."