Henry could
imagine the rage of the colonel at his helplessness, and he could
imagine too that he must feel a thrill of awe at the wild scene passing
before him. The time and the circumstances must work upon the feelings
of a white man, no matter how stout his heart.

"If we could strike another good strong blow now," said the shiftless
one, "I think they would break into a panic."

"True," said Henry, "but we must not depart from our original purpose to
get at the cannon. I don't think we can do it tonight and so we'd better
withdraw. Maybe we'll have another chance tomorrow night."

"I'm agreein' with you, Henry, an' I'm beginnin' to think mighty like
the warriors do, that Manitou, which is jest their name for our God,
turns his face upon you or turns his face away from you."

"It looks so, Sol. I suppose the Indians in most ways don't differ much
from us. Only they're a lot more superstitious."

Slowly they crept away, but when they finally rose to their feet in the
depths of the forest they could still see the glow of the great fires
behind them. Henry and the shiftless one knew that the Indians had been
heaping logs upon coals until the flames sprang up fifteen or twenty
feet, and that around them nearly the whole army was now dancing and
singing. The wailing note of so many voices still reached them, shrill,
piercing and so full of lament that the nerves of the forest runners
themselves were upset.

"I want to git away from here," said the shiftless one, and then he
added wistfully: "I wish we could strike our big blow, whatever it is,
tonight, Henry. Their state o' mind is terrible. They're right on edge,
an' ef we could do somethin' they'd break, shore."

"I know it," said Henry, "but we're not able to get at what we want to
reach."

Nevertheless they stood there, and listened some time to the wailing
note of all the hundreds who were oppressed and afraid, because the face
of Manitou was so obviously turned from them.

Henry and the shiftless one, as they returned toward their comrades whom
they had left behind, did not relax their caution, knowing that hunting
parties were still abroad, and that veteran chiefs like Yellow Panther
and Red Eagle had sent scouts ahead. Twice they struck trails, and
fragments of feathers left on the bushes by warriors returning with
turkeys.

They were at least two miles from the camp when they heard noises that
indicated the passage of a small body of the Indians, and