not expecting it.
Wareville, owing to her victory of last year, thinks she's safe, and it is
not the custom of Indians to raid much in winter. See, cold weather is not
far away."

Henry looked up, and the eyes of the others followed. The trees were still
clothed in leaves, but the blazing reds and yellows and the dim mist on
the horizon showed that Indian summer was at hand.

"Any day," continued Henry, "a cold wind may strip off all these leaves,
and winter, which can be very cold up here, will come roaring down. Now,
the Shawnees are more than willing to cross the Ohio again to attack us,
but the Miamis, while ready enough to take white scalps up here, have not
yet made up their minds to go south on the war trail. The Shawnees are
sending war belts to them, because the Miamis are a powerful tribe and
have many warriors. The first thing for us to do is to take the messengers
with the war belts."

"An' to do that," said Shif'less Sol, "we've got to git off this islan' ez
soon ez we kin, an' shake off the band o' Miamis. Thar is always work fur
a tired man to do."

Paul laughed at his tone of disgust. The boy's spirits were high now; in
fact, he was exuberant over the safe return of his comrades, and the
entire enterprise appealed with steadily increasing force to him. To
hinder and prevent the Indian alliance until the white settlements were
strong enough to defy all the tribes! This was in truth a deed worth
while! It was foresight, statesmanship, a long step in the founding of a
great state, and he should have a part in it! Already his vivid mind
painted the picture of his comrades and himself triumphant.

"We must go to-night, if it is dark," said Henry.

"That's so," said Tom Ross emphatically.

The three had captured fresh supplies of ammunition while they were gone,
and they replenished the powder-horns and bullet pouches of Paul and Jim
Hart. Moreover, they had taken blankets, of a fine, soft, light but warm
make, probably bought by the Indians from European traders, and they gave
one each to Paul and Jim Hart.

"It's getting too cold now," said Henry, "to sleep in our clothes only on
the ground in the forest."

They made up the blankets in tight little rolls, which they fastened on
their backs, and Paul and Jim Hart put in a tanned deerskin with each of
theirs.

"They're pow'ful light, an' they may come in mighty handy," said Long Jim.

The night fortunately was dark, as they had hoped, and about e