et to be completed, and, above
all, the stake must be fixed, or, no matter what the issue, everything
would come to naught.

"The white hunter and my brother, the great and mighty Wa-on-mon, cannot
meet in the darkness of the wood, for when they meet they must see each
others' faces."

It was the first time the missionary had ventured to speak of the
chieftain as his brother since he was angrily forbidden to do so. He
made no objection in the present instance, though possibly it was due to
his mental excitement that he did not notice it.

"They shall meet when the sun rises over the tree-tops; Wa-on-mon will
be there and await the white hunter, if he does not run away."

"The white hunter will not run away," quietly remarked the missionary,
refraining from making the stinging retort that rose to his lips; "but
my brother, the mighty Wa-on-mon, is wise, let him say how he and the
white hunter shall meet, and the missionary will see that it is done."

Before the chieftain could formulate a scheme, the shrewd Finley was
ready with that which he had formed while crossing the river in the
canoe.

"Let Wa-on-mon go to the rock that lies yonder," he said, pointing up
the stream, "it is but a small way beyond this camp; the rock is only
the size of a canoe, and it is hardly above the surface of the water;
does my brother know it?"

"Wa-on-mon knows where his brother, the missionary, means," replied the
chieftain, thrilling the good man by the term used.

"Will he be there when the sun appears above the tree-tops?"

"Wa-on-mon will be there, armed only with his knife."

"It shall be the same with the white hunter."

But the sagacious Panther saw the difficulties that still confronted
them. His "brother" had clinched the confidence the chieftain held in
him by his selection of the battle-ground for the Kentucky side of the
Ohio, not far from the Shawanoe camp. This reduced, as far as possible,
the chances of treachery by the white men, and conceded a most important
point to those with whom treachery has always been a cardinal virtue.

"The missionary will see that the white hunter is by the rocks when it
begins to grow light in the east."

"Then what will the missionary do?"

"He will come back to the camp of Wa-on-mon and await his return."

Had he expressed his wishes he would have added the words, "hoping he
will never come back again," but he was too wise to say anything of that
nature.

"Wa-on-mon will no