lief.

"I don't care ef I never see that woman ag'in," said Shif'less Sol. "She
gives me the creeps. She must be a witch huntin' for blood. She is shore
to stir up the Iroquois in this town."

"That's true," said Henry, "but I mean to go nearer."

"Wa'al," said Tom Ross, "I reckon that if you mean it we mean it, too."

"There are certainly Tories in the town," said Henry, "and if we are seen
we can probably pass for them. I'm bound to find out what's here."

"Still huntin' fur Braxton Wyatt," said Shif'less Sol.

"I mean to know if he's here," said Henry.

"Lead on," said the shiftless one.

They followed in the path of the procession, which was now out of sight,
and entered the orchard. From that point they saw the houses and great
numbers of Indians, including squaws and children, gathered in the open
spaces, where the funeral train was passing. Queen Esther still stalked
at its head, but her chant was now taken up by many scores of voices,
and the volume of sound penetrated far in the night. Henry yet relied
upon the absorption of the Iroquois in this ceremonial to give him
a chance for a good look through the town, and he and his comrades
advanced with boldness.

They passed by many of the houses, all empty, as their occupants had
gone to join in the funeral lament, but they soon saw white men-a few
of the Royal Greens, and some of the Rangers, and other Tories, who were
dressed much like Henry and his comrades. One of them spoke to Shif'less
Sol, who nodded carelessly and passed by. The Tory seemed satisfied and
went his way.

"Takes us fur some o' the crowd that's come runnin' in here ahead o' the
army," said the shiftless one.

Henry was noting with a careful eye the condition of the town. He
saw that no preparations for defense had been made, and there was no
evidence that any would be made. All was confusion and despair. Already
some of the squaws were fleeing, carrying heavy burdens. The three
coupled caution with boldness. If they met a Tory they merely exchanged
a word or two, and passed swiftly on. Henry, although he had seen enough
to know that the army could advance without hesitation, still pursued
the quest. Shif'less Sol was right. At the bottom of Henry's heart was
a desire to know whether Braxton Wyatt was in Little Beard's Town, a
desire soon satisfied, as they reached the great Council House, turned a
corner of it, and met the renegade face to face.

Wyatt was with his lieutenant, the