uined
everything. He could imagine the chagrin of the choleric colonel. Unless
Wyatt and Blackstaffe restrained him he might break forth into
complaints and abuse and charge the Indians with negligence, a charge
that the haughty chiefs would repudiate at once and with anger. Then a
break might follow.

Whether the break came or not he had insured a delay, and since the
cannon could not yet be put upon the river he might find a way to get at
them. He rolled on one side, made himself comfortable on the dead leaves
and then heard the wind blowing a song of triumph through the cane. He
fell asleep to the musical note, but awoke at dawn.

His clothing was dry, and, unwrapping himself from the tight folds of
the blanket, he dressed. Then, stretching his muscles a little, to
remove all stiffness or soreness he emerged from the canebrake. After
examining a circle of the forest with both eye and ear to see that no
warrior was near, he climbed a tree and looked over a sea of forest.

To the north where the great camp lay he saw spires of smoke rising, and
to the east, where a detachment guarded the boats in the river, another
column of smoke floated off into the blue dawn. So he inferred that they
were yet uncertain about their campaign and that their forces would
remain stationary for a little while. But he was sure that warriors were
ranging the forest in search of him. Red Eagle and Yellow Panther would
not let such an insult and loss pass without many attempts at revenge.

He descended and ate the last of his venison. He would have returned at
once to his comrades, but he believed that many warriors were in between
and he did not wish to draw danger either upon them or himself. He began
another of his great curves and it took him away from the refuge in the
cliff, coming back in two or three hours to the stream that bore the
little Indian fleet. His triumph of the night before increased his
boldness, and he resolved to return the following night and annoy
further the detachment by the river. It would serve his cause, and it
would be a pleasure to vex the dogmatic European colonel.

Weather was a great factor in the operation he was carrying on, and the
coming night, fortunately for his purpose, promised to be dark. Spring
is fickle in the valley of the Ohio, and toward evening clouds gathered,
although there was not a sufficient closeness of the air to indicate
rain. But the moon was feeble and by and by went away altoget