t he said. He clenched his
hands and glowered.

Oncle Jazon, who was still squatting by the little fire, tumbled over
backwards, as if Beverley had kicked him; and there he lay on the
ground with his slender legs quivering akimbo in the air, while he
laughed in a strained treble that sounded like the whining of a
screech-owl.

The old scamp did not know all the facts in Beverley's case, nor did he
even suspect what had happened; but he was aware of the young man's
tender feeling for Alice, and he did shrewdly conjecture that she was a
factor in the problem.

The rude jest at her expense did not seem to his withered and toughened
taste in the least out of the way. Indeed it was a delectable bit of
humor from Oncle Jazon's point of view.

"Don't get mad at the old man," said Kenton, plucking Beverley aside.
"He's yer friend from his heels to his old scalped crown. Let him have
his fun." Then lowering his voice almost to a whisper he continued:

"I was in Vincennes for two days and nights spyin' around. Madame
Godere hid me in her house when there was need of it. I know how it is
with ye; I got all the gossip about ye and the young lady, as well as
all the information about Hamilton and his forces that Colonel Clark
wants. I'm goin' to Kaskaskia; but I think it quite possible that Clark
will be on his march to Vincennes before we get there; for Vigo has
taken him full particulars as to the fort and its garrison, and I know
that he's determined to capture the whole thing or die tryin'."

Beverley felt his heart swell and his blood leap strong in his veins at
these words.

"I saw ye while I was in Vincennes," Kenton added, "but I never let ye
see me. Ye were a prisoner, and I had no business with ye while your
parole held. I felt that it was best not to tempt ye to give me aid, or
to let ye have knowledge of me while I was a spy. I left two days
before ye did, and should have been at Kaskaskia by this time if I
hadn't run across Jazon, who detained me. He wanted to go with me, and
I waited for him to repair the stock of his old gun. He tinkered at it
'tween meals and showers for half a week at the Indian village back
yonder before he got it just to suit him. But I tell ye he's wo'th
waiting for any length of time, and I was glad to let him have his way."

Kenton, who was still a young man in his early thirties, respected
Beverley's reticence on the subject uppermost in his mind. Madame
Godere had told the whole sto