Let's go back to the village, Conrad. We've got enough for one
day."

"Yah! You back go vith basket full an' show Louis an' ol' chief vat a
smart brave you be."

Rodney made no reply, but turned and carefully picked his way over the
slippery trunk toward the shore. While doing this a thought of the
look of hatred in his companion's face prompted him to turn his head.

Close behind him, with his hatchet uplifted in the act of striking,
was Conrad!

Rodney thrust his pole backward as one would thrust a spear and the
butt hit the other boy full in the chest, knocking him off the
slippery log into the water.

Squirming and spluttering, he tried to regain his feet but, instead,
sank deeper and deeper.

He had fallen into a quagmire!

By the time Rodney had recovered his self-possession Conrad had sunk
to his chin. The delay of another minute and he would have disappeared
from this story.

Rodney ran back and reached out his pole. The other seized it and was
pulled to safety, covered with mud.

The boys stood looking at each other. Conrad said nothing, but looked
more sullen than ever, though his blazing wrath was well extinguished.
Finally Rodney spoke.

"Why did you try to kill me?"

"Och! me, I hate you."

"What for?"

"You, you a paleface."

"That's not the reason. So are you."

"_Nein_, me, I a Wyandotte brave; ain't so."

"I never wronged you."

"Louis my brother vas und you come. You tell him Conrad not goot
brother, alretty."

"That's false. I never said a word against you. Some one has been
lying to you."

"Maman heard you, yet."

"She heard nothing of the kind. She wants me killed for some reason,
and is trying to have you murder me, kill me from behind like a
coward."

"Red man's vay for me goot enough."

"Well, it's not good enough for me. 'Twould have been an Indian's way,
I suppose, to have let you go down out of sight in the mud. If I'd had
the slightest enmity to you that would have been my chance after you
tried to murder me, you blockhead! I've a good mind to give you a
thrashing. Maman and Caughnega have been making a catspaw of you to do
their dirty work. If you had a spoonful of sense you'd know, now
anyway, that I have nothing against you. If you are jealous of me,
help me to go back to Virginia out of the way. Don't try to strike me
down from behind."

Conrad hung his head. He had not lost his sense of shame altogether,
and, noticing his embarrassment, Rodney, prompted