friend Christison. I have a long yarn to spin into thine ear, but
it is as well that our red friends shall not hear it. They might not
hold the white skins in quite as much respect as they now do."

"Thou art right, friend Rullock. Hold thy peace about it now," said
Wenlock. "I am glad to see thee, and thou wilt receive a hearty welcome
from our red brothers in this encampment. There are two white men also
here;" and Wenlock told him the way in which Jonas Ford and his
companion had been brought into the camp.

"Ah, verily! the scoundrels would only have got their deserts if they
had been left in the woods," answered the old sailor, who did his best
to speak in Quaker fashion, but did not always succeed. "Hark thee,
friend Christison. Those two villains had formed a plot to follow thee;
and if they had found thee alone and unprepared, to have put thee to
death."

"Impossible!" answered Wenlock. "Ford is a weak, cowardly young man;
but I do not think that he would be willingly guilty of such a crime."

"I tell thee, I overheard them plotting to murder thee!" persisted the
old man. "I had thoughts of getting some one as my companion to go
after them, but as you had gone, and they were just setting out, I
thought I might be too late; so taking my well-tried musket, and
trusting that my old legs would carry me as well as their young ones, I
set out in their track, hoping to come up with them before they could
overtake you."

"I thank thee heartily, friend Rullock; but they are fellow-creatures,
and I will try to soften Ford's heart by heaping `coals of fire upon his
head.' They will see you, and guess what your coming means; but we will
say nothing about it, and only for prudence sake keep an eye on their
proceedings. When you see them both almost on the point of death, you
will feel inclined to have compassion on them."

"I shall be inclined to think that a certain person, who is nameless,
has been baulked of his prey," answered the old sailor. "However, it's
not for me to lay hands on them, villains though they are; but I hope
that thou wilt bring them up before. Colonel Markham, or Master Penn
when he comes out."

"That would not be the best way of heaping coals of fire on their
heads," answered Wenlock. "No, no; if they had evil intentions against
me, they have been frustrated; and God will look after me in future, as
He has done heretofore."

The chief, who was among those risen, received the old