.

"I see," said the chief in a tone of chagrin.

"And he comes without any prisoners."

"But perhaps he brings scalps."

"I see no sign of them."

"It is yet too far."

"If they came bearing scalps they would raise the shout of victory."

Red Eagle, great chief of the Shawnees, shook his head sadly.

"It is sure that those whom we pursued in vain tonight were those whom
we left besieged in the cave."

"I fear that you speak the truth. They bring no scalps, nor any
prisoners to walk on red hot coals."

He spoke sadly and Henry noted a certain grim pathos in his words, which
were the words of a savage. Yet the attitude of Red Eagle was dignified
and majestic as he waited.

The file came on fast, Braxton Wyatt at its head. When the younger
renegade reached the fire, he flung himself down beside it, seized a
piece of deer meat, just cooked, and began to eat.

"I'm famished and worn out," he said.

"What did you do with the scalps, Braxton?" asked Blackstaffe, in silky
tones--it may be that he thought the younger renegade assumed too much
at times.

"They're on the heads of their owners," growled Wyatt.

"And how did that happen? You had them securely blockaded in a hole in a
stone wall. I thought you had nothing to do but wait and take them."

"See here, Blackstaffe, I don't care for your taunting. They slipped
out, although we kept the closest watch possible, and as they passed
they slew one of our best warriors. I don't know how it was managed,
but I think it was some infernal trick of that fellow Ware. Anyway, we
were left with an empty cave, and then we came on as fast as we could.
We did our best, and I've no excuses to make."

"I do not mock you," said Red Eagle gravely. "I have been tricked by the
fox, Ware, myself, and so has Yellow Panther, the head chief of the
Miamis. But we will catch him yet."

"It seems that we have not yet made any net that will hold him," said
Blackstaffe with grim irony. Since it was not he directly, but Red Eagle
and Wyatt who had failed, he found a malicious humor in taunting them.
"It is the general belief that it was this same youth, Ware, who blew up
the scows on which we were to carry our cannon, and then sank the lashed
canoes. He seems to be uncommonly efficient."

Among the broken men and criminals who fled into the woods joining the
Indians and making war upon their own kind, Moses Blackstaffe was an
outstanding character. He was a man of education and sub