could live here a year in comfort. Long Jim is
cooking deer steaks now, and the smoke is going out through a hole,
which leads clear through the hill. If you'll go around to the other
side, about a mile from here, you'll see the smoke."

Paul merely followed the Indian fashion of taunting one's enemies. He
believed that in the forest it was best to follow its ways.

"Aren't you going, Braxton?" he called. "Long Jim is letting the fire
die down and if you don't hurry around there you won't see the smoke."

"You think you're smart, Paul Cotter," Braxton Wyatt called back in
anger. "You've read too many books. Drop your high and mighty ways and
come down to facts."

"Well, what do you want? You're in our front yard and we have the right
to shoot you, but we won't do it until you tell what you're doing
there."

"As I said, we've got you shut up. We're sure that you haven't food for
more than two or three days. Surrender and we'll spare your lives and
take you as prisoners to the British at Detroit--that is, all except
Henry Ware."

"And why except Henry?"

"He has done so much against the warriors that I don't think we could
induce them to spare him."

"But what makes you think he's here?"

Wyatt hesitated and he and Blackstaffe spoke together a few moments in a
low voice. Then he replied:

"One of our largest and strongest warriors was strangled nearly to death
last night. Nobody could have done it but Ware."

Paul laughed loud.

"And so that's your evidence!" he cried. "Well, you're mistaken. I did
that myself. I was needing a little exercise and so I went out, found
this warrior in the grass and manhandled him. Then I came back feeling a
lot better."

Wyatt's face blazed.

"You lie, Paul Cotter," he exclaimed. "You couldn't do such a thing!"

"Oh, yes, I could," said Paul merrily, "but you're losing your temper
again, Braxton. You should never call anybody a liar when you're within
range of his gun. No, we're not going to shoot. We always respect a flag
of truce, though we doubt whether you would. Now, I want to ask you what
have we ever done to make you think we'd betray a comrade like Henry?
Are you judging us by yourself? You might have a thousand warriors out
there and our answer would be the same. Try to take us and see what will
happen. We give you just two minutes to get out of range."

Wyatt, Blackstaffe and the two Indians retired hurriedly. Long Jim
uttered an indignant exclamation.

"Wh