erful influence. More, perhaps, than any other thing, the
great fields of waving corn, the hills covered with horses and
cattle, those evidences of abundance, impressed the visitors with
the well-being of the Christians. Bands of traveling Indians,
whether friendly or otherwise, were treated with hospitality, and
never sent away empty-handed. They were asked to partake of the
abundance and solicited to come again.

A feature by no means insignificant in the popularity of the village
was the church bell. The Indians loved music, and this bell charmed
them. On still nights the savages in distant towns could hear at
dusk the deep-toned, mellow notes of the bell summoning the
worshipers to the evening service. Its ringing clang, so strange, so
sweet, so solemn, breaking the vast dead wilderness quiet, haunted
the savage ear as though it were a call from a woodland god.

"You have arrived most opportunely," continued Mr. Zeisberger. "Mr.
Edwards and Mr. Young are working to establish other missionary
posts. Heckewelder is here now in the interest of this branching
out."

"How long will it take me to learn the Delaware language?" inquired
Jim.

"Not long. You do not, however, need to speak the Indian tongue, for
we have excellent interpreters."

"We heard much at Fort Pitt and Fort Henry about the danger, as well
as uselessness, of our venture," Jim continued. "The frontiersmen
declared that every rod of the way was beset with savage foes, and
that, even in the unlikely event of our arriving safely at the
Village of Peace, we would then be hemmed in by fierce, vengeful
tribes."

"Hostile savages abound here, of course; but we do not fear them. We
invite them. Our work is to convert the wicked, to teach them to
lead good, useful lives. We will succeed."

Jim could not help warming to the minister for his unswervable
faith, his earnest belief that the work of God could not fail;
nevertheless, while he felt no fear and intended to put all his
heart in the work, he remembered with disquietude Colonel Zane's
warnings. He thought of the wonderful precaution and eternal
vigilance of Jonathan and Wetzel--men of all men who most understood
Indian craft and cunning. It might well be possible that these good
missionaries, wrapped up in saving the souls of these children of
the forest, so full of God's teachings as to have little mind for
aught else, had no knowledge of the Indian nature beyond what the
narrow scope of their w