attempting to kill another.

"Why did you wish to kill us?" asked Roughgrove.

The Indian said it was because they thought Glenn had a great deal of
money, many fire weapons, and powder and bullets, which they (the
savages) wanted.

"Was it _right_ to rob the white man of these things, and then to
murder him?" continued Roughgrove.

The savage replied that the prophet (Raven) had told the war-party it
was right. Besides, they came a long and painful journey to get
(Glenn's) goods, and had suffered much with cold in digging under the
snow; several of their party had been killed and wounded, and he
thought they had a good right to every thing they could get.

"Did the whites ever go to your village to rob and murder?" inquired
the old ferryman.

The Indian assumed a proud look, and replied that they _had_. He said
that the buffalo, the bear, the deer, and the beaver--the eternal
prairies and forests--the rivers, the air and the sky, all belonged to
the red men. That the whites had not been _invited_ to come among
them, but they had intruded upon their lands, stolen their game, and
killed their warriors. Yet, he said, the Indians did not hate Boone,
and would not have attacked the premises that night, if they had known
he was there.

"Why do they not hate Boone? He has killed more of them than any one
else in this region," continued Roughgrove.

The Indian said that Boone was a great prophet, and was loved by the
Great Spirit.

"Will the war-party return hither to-night?" asked Roughgrove.

The Indian answered in the negative; and added that they would never
attack that place again, because the Great Spirit had fought against
them.

Boone requested Roughgrove to ask what would be done with the false
prophet who had advised them to make the attack.

The savage frowned fiercely, and replied that he would be tied to a
tree, and shot through the heart a hundred times.

"What do you think we intend to do to _you_?" asked Roughgrove.

The savage said he would be skinned alive and put under the ice in the
river, or burned to death by a slow fire. He said he was ready to die.

"I'll be shot if he isn't a spunky fellow!" said Sneak.

"Do you desire such a fate?" continued the old ferry man.

"The Indian looked at him with surprise, and answered without
hesitation that he _did_--and then insisted upon being killed
immediately.

"Would you attempt to injure the white man again if we were not to
kill you?"

T