they attacked. I did see them chase one woman and run
a spear through her. It was over very quickly. They set fire to
Victoire."

White Bear swallowed hard.

He saw the chateau with its magnificent hall and its great sweeping
roof. There he had lived and learned so much from Grandpapa and Father.
Their hopes, their lives, had gone into that great house. And the men
and women of Victoire, kindly, cheerful hard-working people--Marchette
Perrault, Registre and Bernadette Bosquet. They may not have tried to
stop Raoul from seizing the estate, but they had, most of them, loved
Elysee and Pierre and Auguste de Marion.

The pain in his chest spread till it seemed to fill his whole world,
hammering at him inside and out.

Nancy said, "Then they rode on to Victor, taking me with them."

He choked as he asked, "Did they burn Victor down too?"

"Yes, as they left."

A voice seemed to echo inside him like a scream in a huge, empty hall.

_Nicole! Frank! Grandpapa!_

"Can you tell me--my family--were any of them hurt?"

Nancy said, "I think the people at Victor got into the trading post
before the Indians got there. There were men on the palisade shooting at
the Indians. The leader, the one with the red crest on his head, tied me
to a tree. I had to watch it all."

"He is called Wolf Paw. He is Black Hawk's son."

"I hope the Army gets him and hangs him from the highest gallows in
Illinois. He left me tied to that tree all day while they tried to take
the trading post."

The words tumbled out faster and faster. When she had first regained
consciousness she could hardly speak at all. Now her eyes glittered and
she moved her hands violently. Hysteria had broken through her former
numbness.

"I could see them using ropes to climb the palisade and charging in
through the front gate. Every so often they would pull out some dead or
wounded. Just before sunset the one you call Wolf Paw made a speech to
them. Then they set fire to arrows and shot them at the blockhouse, and
they all rushed in through the front gate. I thought that would be the
end, but then I heard a tremendous explosion. I thought maybe somebody
blew up the blockhouse. A big puff of smoke rose up over the palisade.
Wolf Paw came out wounded. That very big man helped him put me on his
horse and tie me there. And then we rode for four days till we got
here."

Auguste began to breathe easier. He felt some relief, some hope, despite
his pain for the loss o