agery without even a maid
or a mirror. I can fully sympathize with her. But what do you propose
to do? Have you thought out any plan?"

"I have thought of a great many; but only one of them appears at all
feasible. It is that we advance boldly into the camp and demand that
the ladies be at once taken to Detroit, or Fort Niagara if the Indians
prefer, where we will promise that a goodly ransom shall be paid for
them."

"As we have no means for enforcing such a demand, they will only laugh
at us and add us to their list of captives."

"But we have the means of at least frightening them into compliance
with our wishes. Are not you a great medicine man in their estimation,
and capable of commanding the fire-demon? Am I not of the Totem of the
Bear and wearer of the mystic emblem of the Metai? To be sure, I am
very ignorant of these things, but we have had ample proof of their
importance, and in the present case I propose to make the most of them."

"But, Hester, I can't appear before the ladies in this hideous costume.
Do you realize that I am barefooted and literally bareheaded, while my
only garment is a wretched old blanket, dirty and ragged, held in place
by a rope of bark? I declare I don't think I have ever been so sorry
for any one as I am for myself, when I reflect what an object for mirth
I must appear. You should remember, too, that I have already gone
through with a similar experience, which I have no desire to repeat."

"And came out of it with flying colors and waving plumes. Why, my dear
fellow, those chaps on the island will delight in decorating, and
befeathering, and fixing you up again in great shape, as they did
before. You need not present yourself to the ladies until all your
former gorgeousness is restored. Then imagine your triumph. You have
no idea how becoming the costume of a forest warrior is to you. Don't
you remember how highly Madam Rothsay complimented your impersonation
of that character? But seriously, Bullen, I doubt if there is any
other plan so good as the one I have suggested; and unless you can
think of a better, it is the one we must adopt. Now, as we must be at
least within sight of the island, and have no desire to pass it, or
land on it in the dark, I propose that we get a little sleep while
waiting for daylight to show us its position. My! won't I be glad of a
breakfast, though? Plenty to eat was at least one alleviating feature
of our recent captivity, and i