could prevent the Ohio Indians from slaying at every
opportunity. No matter how much they might decry the acts of Hughes and
his mates in time of peace, there was no denying the fighting-value of the
quartet when it came to war.

No word was spoken until the last of the four killers had filed away to
secure their horses and be gone. Then Davis said:

"Time to eat, Ericus. Let's go back and see how the women-folks is gettin'
along."

"Keep that white scum from this creek until I can carry a bag of talk to
Cornstalk and Logan and you won't need any armed bullies to protect you,"
said Dale.

"We ain't askin' of 'em to look after us, nor you with your white belts,
neither," shrilly proclaimed Uncle Dick.

Some of the younger men laughed.

Dale reddened, but turned to walk with his cousin without making any
answer. He all but bumped into me.

"Why, Morris!" he greeted, staring at me in surprise. "You bob up
everywhere. Will you go with me to the Scioto villages?"

"Go as what?" I cautiously asked. The men gathered closer about us.

"Go as a trader, carrying white wampum. Go to make peace with the
Shawnees," slowly replied Dale, his eyes burning with the fire of
fanaticism.

"Not hankering for slow fires, nor to have squaws heap coals on my head, I
must refuse," I retorted. "But I'll go with you or any man, as a scout."

"In your blood, too," he jeered. "I didn't suppose you'd been out here
long enough to lose your head."

"I'd certainly lose it if the Shawnees got me," I good-naturedly retorted.
My poor jest brought a rumble of laughter from the men and added to Dale's
resentment, which I greatly regretted.

John Ward glided to my side and said:

"You talk like a child. I have been long among the Indians. They did not
take my head."

I didn't like the fellow. There was something of the snake in his way of
stealthily approaching. I could not get it out of my head that he must be
half-red. Had he been all Indian, I might have found something in him to
fancy; for there were red men whom I had liked and had respected
immensely. But Ward impressed me as being neither white nor red. He
stirred my bile. Without thinking much, I shot back at him:

"Perhaps they did something worse to you than to take your head. Are you
sure they didn't take your heart?"

He turned on his heel and stalked away. Dale snarled:

"You're worse than Hughes and those other fools. You even hate a poor
white man who has been held pris