with his back against a
rock. He watched the water, as it overflowed the pool, trickle away
toward the river, and then, closing his eyes, he thought of his
comrades, the faithful four. Where were they now? He felt a powerful
temptation, now that he had warned Fort Prescott, to slip away in the
darkness of the night that was to come and seek them. Three of them were
wounded and Paul, who alone was unhurt, did not have the skill of the
others in the forest. But powerful as the temptation was, it was a
temptation only and he put it away. They must wait, as he himself would
have been glad to wait, had it been Shif'less Sol or any other who had
arrived instead of himself.

He kept his eyes shut a long while. It seemed to him at this time that
he could think more strongly and clearly with all external objects shut
out. He saw now without any flattery to self that his presence in the
fort was invaluable. Major Braithwaite did not understand forest
strategy, but nature and circumstance combined had compelled the boy to
learn them. He knew, too, of the fleet of Adam Colfax and its elements,
and the plans of the allied tribes and their elements. He seemed to hold
the very threads of fate in his hands, whether for good or ill.

Henry Ware opened his eyes, and chance directed that he should open them
when his gaze would rest up the stream. There was a black beam in the
very center of the circle of vision, and he stared at it. It was moving,
and he rose to his feet. He knew that the object was a boat, but it was
much larger than an Indian canoe, much larger even than the great war
canoes that they sometimes built, capable of carrying thirty or forty
men. It was not long, slim, and graceful, but broad of beam, and came
slowly and heavily like one of the large square flatboats in which the
pioneers sometimes came down the Ohio.

Henry believed this boat an object to be dreaded, and he walked swiftly
toward the blockhouse, where Major Braithwaite was standing. The Major
noticed his manner and asked:

"Is it anything alarming?"

"I am afraid so. It's the big boat that you see out there in the river.
Suppose we go to the top of the blockhouse and look at it through your
glasses."

The Major went without a word. He was unconsciously relying more and
more upon the boy whom he variously addressed as "Young sir" and "My
young friend." Nor did he take the first look. He handed the glasses to
Henry, who made a long examination of the b