er from imparting to those most
interested what she had learned.

Feeling the necessity of communicating instantly with Elmsley on
the subject, yet scarcely knowing how, without exposing Maria, to
account to him for the manner in which he had received the singular
warning, he sought his friend, who had now finally disposed of his
men at their several posts, and told him that, without feeling
himself at liberty to reveal to him the medium through which the
suspicion had been awakened in his breast, he had every reason to
believe that some treachery was intended at the council called by
Headley, and that he had come to consult with him accordingly.

With infinite good taste and tact, Elmsley utterly abstained from
making the slightest allusion to Mrs. Ronayne, not only because he
had perceived that her husband did not seem to encourage any approach
to a subject which gave him pain, but because he felt that the
consolation of those words, on an occasion of such bereavement,
was rather a mockery than a sympathy. Without, therefore, making
the slightest allusion to the past, he answered gravely--

"If you have reason to apprehend this, Ronayne, we can take our
precautions accordingly. As the whole object and intent of the
council is to _seem_ to hold a consultation as to the course we
ought to pursue in this emergency, whereas it is simply in fact to
enable Headley, who is becoming stubborn and pompous as of old, to
tell the chiefs that he intends at once to distribute the public
stores among themselves and warriors, and then march with little
more than the men can carry on their backs; as this only, I repeat,
is his object in holding a council at all, I see no great reason
why either you or I, who have already given our opinions on the
matter, should attend it. We may do the 'state some service' by
remaining within."

"Would it not be well," returned the Virginian thoughtfully, "to
give Headley some hint of false dealing on the part of the
Pottowatomies? not such as to lead him to believe that any
direct intelligence has been received of that fact, but simply that
some loose hints have been thrown out."

"My dear fellow," returned the lieutenant, with a faint smile, "do
you think there is anything under the sun--scarcely even the tomahawk
in his own brain--that could persuade Headley to mistrust his pet
Pottowatomies? No, not even his long experience of the treachery
of the race--not all his knowledge of the ficklene