sight of the two dead bodies. It
afflicted him with a dull at the pit of the stomach--these were the
first deaths by violence he had witnessed.

They still lay where they had fallen--the Indian sprawling in the
middle of a black stain on the platform; Tole huddled on the bare earth
of the quadrangle. Ambrose's heart sank at the thought of returning to
Simon Grampierre with the gift of a dead son.

The Indians gave no regard to the bodies--apparently they meant to
leave them behind. Ambrose with no uncertain gestures commanded
Myengeen to have them taken up and carried to the boat. It was done.

When they got down the bank out of sight of the house Myengeen and the
others gave over their hollow pretense of enthusiasm at Ambrose's
release.

Thereafter none paid the least attention to him.

He saw that they had not only loaded the boat they came in, but on the
principle of in for a penny, in for a pound, had also taken possession
of one of the company york boats, and had loaded it to the gunwale.

They immediately embarked and pushed off. Ambrose secured a place
below Myengeen's steering platform. In the bottom of the boat, at his
feet, lay the wizened Indian in his rags, and the straight, slim body
of Tole--side by side like brothers in a bed.

Tole's face was not disfigured; serene, boyish, and comely, it gave
Ambrose's heart-strings a fresh wrench. He covered them both with a
piece of sail-cloth.

Across the river, as the Indians started to unload, Watusk came down to
the beach, followed by several of his councilors. It was impossible to
tell from his inscrutable, self-important air what he thought of all
this.

His flabby, yellow face changed neither at the sight of all the wealth
they brought nor at the two dead men. Ambrose demanded four men of him
to carry Tole's body to his father's house.

Watusk kept him waiting while he listened to a communication from
Myengeen. Ambrose guessed that it had to do with himself, for both men
glanced furtively at him. Watusk finally turned away without having
answered the white man.

Ambrose, growing red, imperiously repeated his demand. Watusk, still
without looking at him directly, spoke a word to some Indians within
call, and Ambrose was immediately seized by a dozen hands.

He was finally bound hand and foot with thongs of hide. This was no
more than he expected, still he did not submit without a fierce but
ineffectual struggle.

When it was done hi