ering out of the great
gate, the commandant receiving their compliments upon the good behavior
of his "young men" and their fine appearance, an elaborate and flowery
speech of farewell. Then Oconostota took his presents, by far the
largest and most elaborate of the collection, and, leaning on Stuart's
arm, left the fort, the officer attending him in this fashion down to
the river-bank, where his pettiaugre awaited him. Stuart evolved,
apparently without effort, a felicitous phrase of farewell and esteem,
graded carefully to suit the rank of the other head-men who followed
with Captain Demere and several lieutenants. These words,
Atta-Kulla-Kulla, a Cherokee of an intelligent, spirited countenance,
either had the good feeling or the art to seem to especially value.

"Such smoke as goes up from this pipe between my face and your face, my
friend," he said through the interpreter, "shall never come between you
and me. I shall always see you very clear, for I know your heart. Your
ways are strange; you come from a far place; but I know you well, for I
know your heart."

He laid his hand for a moment on the broad chest of the red coat of the
tall, blond officer, then stepped into the canoe, and the little craft
shoved off to join a very fleet of canoes, so full was the shining
surface of the river of Indians who had come from the towns above to the
celebration of the "big Sunday"[D] at the fort.

Captain Stuart felt relieved that all had gone off so well and that they
were rid of the Cherokees for the day.

But now the unforeseen was upon him, the fatally uncovenanted event for
which none can prepare. An express had come after nightfall from over
the mountains, bringing, besides the mail, rumors of another Indian
outbreak on the South Carolina frontier. A number of settlers had been
massacred, and the perpetrators of the deed had escaped unpunished.
Stuart, charging the man to say nothing of his news to blight the
Christmas festivities--since the reports might not be true--sent him to
make merry among the soldiers. Anxiety had taken possession of that
stout heart of Stuart's. When the settlers had begun to gather to the
ball, the earliest arrivals brought no suggestion of difficulty. The
next comers, however, had seen straggling bands of Indians across the
river, but they were mentioned casually and with no sense of
premonition. The guests to enter last had been somewhat surprised to
notice numbers of canoes at the landin