"You are something to be watched and guarded. When my new wife is ugly to
me I will order you to the fire. Then she will be kind and you will be
kept alive. Some time you will go to the fire. When I get tired of her and
wish a new wife."

Patricia crawled to her father and laid her head on his breast. No one
gave her any heed except as the Cousin girl walked by her several times,
watching her with inscrutable eyes. The Shawnees were impatient to try
their new cannon.

At Ward's suggestion Black Hoof sent some of his warriors to make a feint
on the east side of the fort, so that the cannon could be hurried forward
and mounted across a log while the garrison's attention was distracted. It
was now dusk in the woods although the birds circling high above the glade
caught the sunlight on their wings. The clearing would now be in the first
twilight shadows, and Black Hoof gave his final orders.

Acting on Ward's command two warriors fell upon me and fastened cords to
my wrists and ankles and staked me out in spread-eagle style, and then sat
beside me, one on each side. Half a dozen of the older men remained in the
camp. Dale was mumbling something to the girl and she rose as if at his
bidding.

The Cousin girl glided forward and in English asked what she wanted. It
was Dale who told her, asking for water in Shawnee. She motioned for
Patricia to remain where she was and in a few minutes brought water in a
gourd, and some venison. Patricia drank but would eat nothing.

The Cousin woman tried to feed Dale, and succeeded but poorly. I asked for
food and water, and one of them brought a gourd and some meat. They lifted
my head so I might drink and fed me strips of smoked meat, but they would
not release my hands.

After a time we heard much shouting and the firing of many guns. This
would be the mock attack, I judged. It increased in volume, this firing,
until I feared that what had been started as a feint was being pushed
forward to a victory.

Suddenly the firing dropped away and only the yelling continued. This
would mean the savages had succeeded in rushing their wooden cannon close
enough to do damage.

Every Indian left in the camp, including my two guards, were now standing
listening eagerly for the voice of the cannon. It came, a loud explosion
that dwarfed all rifle-fire any of us had ever heard. With screams of joy
the guard began dancing about me and the older men danced around the
Dales. They went through