enemy. So night fell without news or stir. This night he dared make
no fire, and they had nothing at all to eat, for the supplies were
behind with Lieutenant Howland. The scouts began to fear that
Nathaniel had deserted--perhaps had given Lightfoot the slip or tolled
him into ambush, for there had been several gunshots in the distance.

In that case, old Annawan himself was likely to turn up and make
serious trouble. Therefore the night passed gloomily and hungrily, on
this lonely, swampy Poppasquash Neck, with water at two sides.

As soon as day dawned, Captain Church took his party to a better
position, on a brushy little hill just outside the neck. Scarcely had
he done so, when they saw an Indian come running. It was Lightfoot.

"What news?" Captain Church hailed anxiously.

"Good news, great captain," Lightfoot panted. "We are all safe and
sound and we have 'catched' ten of the Annawan people!"

Nathaniel had done this. First there had been sighted two strange
Indians skinning a horse in an old Indian burying-ground. Nathaniel
had decoyed them on by howling the Wampanoag wolf signal. After they
had been taken they had told of eight others near by. Nathaniel had
howled those in, also. The ten had been carried to the rude fort built
last year on the main point, of Mount Hope. Lieutenant Howland was
waiting there, with them.

This August 28 was to be Captain Church's busy day. He and his men had
had nothing to eat for twenty-four hours; but without pausing to eat of
the horse-flesh brought by Lightfoot they hastened across eastward, to
talk with the prisoners, and see what they knew about Chief Annawan.

They found the prisoners happy. Nathaniel had assured his friends that
it was better serving Captain Church than hiding in swamps, and they
now agreed with him. Indeed, they wished the captain to send out for
their families, who were not far away. First the captain ordered that
enough horse beef be roasted to last a whole day. Then he easily
bagged the prisoners' families, until his captives numbered thirty.

These Wampanoags had been with Annawan only yesterday, but one and all
declared that they did not know where Annawan might be to-day, for he
never stayed long in one place. Then a Wampanoag young man asked leave
to go out and get his old father, four miles distant in a swamp.
Captain Church decided to go with him and explore. So taking a
soldier, Caleb Cook, whom he especially liked, a