be
taken, if the steel ring about them was recast promptly. Henry had no
doubt that an attempt to forge it anew would speedily be made by the
increased force, but his heart leaped at the thought that his comrades
and he would be able to break it again.

As he crept a little nearer he saw to his surprise a fire blazing on the
opposite shore, and he was able to discover the forms of warriors
between him and the blaze. With the Indians bestride the stream the task
of the five was complicated somewhat, but Henry was of the kind that
meet fresh obstacles with fresh energy.

He returned to his comrades and reported what he had seen, but all
agreed with him that they should cross the river, despite the encampment
on the far shore, and make the attack from the north.

"We'll do like that old Roman, Hannybul," said Long Jim, "hit the enemy
at his weakest part, an' jest when he ain't expectin' us."

"Hannibal was not a Roman, Jim," said Paul.

"Well, then, he was a Rooshian or a Prooshian."

"Nor was he either of those."

"Well, it don't make no diff'unce, nohow. He wuz a furriner, that's
shore, an' he's dead, both uv which things is ag'inst him. It looks
strange to me, Paul, that a furriner with the outlandish ways that
furriners always hev should hev been sech a good gen'ral."

"He was probably the best the world has produced, Jim. He was able with
small forces to defeat larger ones, and we must imitate his example."

"And to do that," said Henry, "we shall cross the Ohio tonight. I think
we'd better drop down a mile or two, beyond their fires and their
sentinels, and then make for the northern shore."

"The river must be 'bout a mile wide here," objected Shif'less Sol.
"That's a big swim with all our weepuns, an' ef some o' the warriors in
canoes should ketch us in the water then we'd be goners, shore."

"You're right, there, Sol," said Henry. "It would be foolish in us to
attempt to swim the river, when the warriors are looking for us, as they
probably are by now, since Blackstaffe and Wyatt have got them back to
realities."

"Then ef we don't swim how do you expect us to git across, Henry? Ez fur
me, I can't wade across a river a mile wide an' twenty feet deep."

"That's true, Sol. Even Long Jim isn't long enough for that. I'm
planning for us to cross in state, untouched by water and entirely
comfortable; in fact, in a large, strong canoe."

"Nice good plan, Henry, 'cept in one thing; we ain't got no canoe."