y flaming up with
such strength in him, did not tell him that they were his full brethren.
But he did not hate them, instead they interested him.

After eating they rested an hour or more in the covert of a thicket and
Henry saw the beautiful day unfold. The sunshine was dazzling in its
glory, the crisp wind made one's blood sparkle like a tonic, and it was
good merely to live. A vast horizon inclosed only the peace of the
wilderness.

The chief said some words to Henry, but the boy could understand none of
them, and he shook his head. Then the chief took the rifle that had
belonged to the captive, tapped it on the barrel and pointed toward the
southeast. Henry nodded to indicate that he had come from that point,
and then smiling swept the circle of the northwestern horizon with his
hands. He meant to say that he would go with them without resistance,
for the present, at least, and the chief seemed to understand, as his
face relaxed into a look of comprehension and even of good nature.

Their march was resumed presently and as before it was straight into the
northwest. They passed out of the forest crossed the Ohio in hidden
canoes and entered a region of small but beautiful prairies, cut by
shallow streams, which they waded with undiminished speed. Henry began
to suspect that the band came from some very distant country, and was
hastening so much in order not to be caught on the hunting grounds of
rival tribes. The northwesterly direction that they were following
confirmed him in this belief.

All the day passed on the march but shortly after the night came on and
they had eaten a little more of the jerked meat, they lay down in a
thicket, and Henry, unmindful of his captivity, fell in a few minutes
into a sleep that was deep, sweet and dreamless. He did not know then
that before he was asleep long the chief took a robe of tanned deerskin
and threw it over him, shielding his body from the chill autumn night.
In the morning shortly before he awoke the chief took away the robe.

That day they came to a mighty river and Henry knew that the yellow
stream was that of the Mississippi. The Indians dragged from the
sheltering undergrowth two canoes, in which the whole party paddled up
stream until nightfall, when they hid the canoes again in the foliage on
the western shore, and then encamped on the crest. They seemed to feel
that they were out of danger now as they built a fine fire and the
captive basked in its warmth.