n this state at the
meridian, saw him there at its setting.

He was the guide. Every foot of the Maumee wood was known to him, and
with his eye turned to the west, he slowly but surely led the fugitives
in the direction of Wayne's camp.

The sun was creeping zenithward one warm morning, when a boat left the
northern shore of the Maumee and pushed out into the stream. Its single
occupant was a girlish person whose face was very lovely, and whose
browned hands seemed accustomed to the use of paddles.

She steered for the opposite bank, and despite the rapids, which
threatened at times to capsize the frail craft, she reached her
destination. With an agile bound she sprang upon shore, and made the
canoe fast to a clump of bushes. Then she took a rifle from the bottom
of the boat, and looked into the forest that trended to the bank which
she had gained.

It was Little Moccasin.

After satisfying herself that no person had observed her movements, she
moved from the shore; but a minute later the clicking of gun locks
brought her to a halt, and she heard a voice that startled her.

"Don't lift your gun, or we'll drop you in your tracks."

Then the girl saw the speaker, for he had slipped from behind a tree,
and beside him stood a companion.

With a cry of recognition which made Little Moccasin's eyes sparkle with
delight, she started toward the twain, whose faces were darkened by
scowls.

"Areotha is glad to meet her brothers," she said. "Fair Face has sent
her----"

"No fixed up story!" interrupted one of the whites, who was Carl
Merriweather; his companion was George Darling.

"We won't listen to you," said the latter. "We've seen enough of your
sleek-tongued treachery, and by Jove, we're going to put an end to it."

The girl's face grew pale.

"Will the white men listen to Areotha?"

"No; and beside, we wouldn't believe you if we did!" said Carl. "Of
course you were in league with that rascally guide, and he stole my
sister. Do you know what we ought to do with you? Why, we would be
serving you right if we whipped you to death right here. God knows how
many boats of our people you have decoyed into the hands of the Indians.
A female renegade is the meanest thing on earth."

"Areotha will talk," said the girl, who had waited with impatience for
the young Hotspur to finish. "The hot-headed young men may shut their
ears; but the Manitou will listen. He never turns away from the sound of
his people's voice."