u, and come to my aid. You were wrong."

I moved the candles out of danger. "I had to follow madame," I said
mechanically. "She might have needed me."

Cadillac's teeth clicked. "Madame"--he began, but he swallowed the
sentence, and rose and walked the floor. "Do you realize what you have
done? Do you realize what you have done?" he boiled out at me. "This
desertion may have cost you your hold with the western tribes."

"I realize that."

And then he cursed till the candles flared again. "It was the chance
of a lifetime," he concluded.

Why does the audience always feel that they understand the situation
better than the actor? I was willing enough to let Cadillac rage, but
resentful of the time he was using.

"What happened when the Senecas came?" I demanded.

He looked at me with puffing lips. "You know nothing?"

"Nothing."

"But Madame de Montlivet"----

"I asked her no questions."

He whistled under his breath. "Well--nothing happened. The flotilla
reached here at sundown three days ago. The Baron and his followers
met them at the beach and rushed the Senecas into the Huron camp. They
are there now."

"But madame and Starling?"

"I demanded them of Pemaou, and he made no objection."

"He made no conditions?"

"No."

I frowned at that and thought it over.

"What do you make of it?" Cadillac questioned.

But I could only say I did not know. "Pemaou is skillful about using
us as his jailers," I went on. "That may be his object now. He
evidently finds some opposition in the Huron camp, or you would have
had massacre before this."

"You think the Senecas are here for conquest?"

"From all I could overhear, they are here to look over the situation
and exchange peace belts with the Hurons. If they can command a
sufficient force, they will fall on us now; if not, they will rejoin
the main camp and come to us later."

Cadillac fingered his sword. "It is rather desperate," he said
quietly, and he smiled. "But we are not conquered yet. We shall have
some scalps first."

I shook my head. "Your sword is ever too uneasy. We may hold off an
outbreak. They have been here three days, and they have not dared act.
You wish to call a council?"

"If you will interpret."

"Give me a day first to see what I can learn. I shall be out at
daybreak. What does Starling say?"

"He talks of nothing but safe conduct home. He sticks to his tale
well. He is a simple-hearted, suffering m