an Benjamin, who was
twelve. They were, therefore, far too well-trained in Quaker stillness
to move, for any Indians, until the Friends at the head of the Meeting
should have shaken hands and given the signal to disperse.
Nevertheless, the hearts of even the elder girls were beating very
fast. Benjamin's lips were tightly shut, and with eyes that were
unusually bright he followed every movement of the Indian Chief, who,
as it seemed in one bound and without making the slightest noise, had
moved round to the open doorway.

There he stood, the naked brown figure, in full war-paint and
feathers, looking with piercing eyes at each man Friend in turn, as if
one of them must have the weapons that he sought. But the Friends were
entirely unarmed. There was not a gun, or a rifle, or a sword to be
found in any of their dwelling-houses, so there could not be any in
their peaceful Meeting.

A minute later, a dozen other Redskins, equally terrible, stood beside
the Chief, and the bushes in the distance were quite still. The bushes
trembled no longer. It was Benjamin who found it hard not to
tremble now, as he saw thirteen sharp arrows taken from their quivers
by thirteen skinny brown hands, and their notches held taut to
thirteen bow-strings, all ready to shoot. Yet still the Friends sat
on, without stirring, in complete silence.

[Illustration: FIERCE FEATHERS]

Only Benjamin, turning his head to look at his grandfather, saw
Zebulon Hoxie, the patriarch of the Meeting, gazing full at the Chief,
who had first approached. The Indian's flashing eyes, under the matted
black eyebrows, gazed back fiercely beneath his narrow red forehead
into the Quaker's calm blue eyes beneath the high white brow and snowy
hair. No word was spoken, but in silence two powers were measured
against one another--the power of hate, and the power of love. For
steady friendliness to his strange visitors was written in every line
of Zebulon Hoxie's face.

The children never knew how long that steadfast gaze lasted. But at
length, to Benjamin's utter astonishment, for some unknown reason the
Indian's eyes fell. His head, that he had carried high and haughtily,
sank towards his breast. He glanced round the Meeting-house three
times with a scrutiny that nothing could escape. Then, signing to his
followers, the thirteen arrows were noiselessly replaced in thirteen
quivers, the thirteen bows were laid down and rested against the wall;
many footsteps, lighter