by the increasing facility with which the white
Shawnee, as the young brave preferred to call himself, was using the
language of the whites.

It may have been that the words he now heard recalled to his mind
expressions which had almost faded from his memory. At all events he
talked more freely and with an increasing ability to express himself.

"Me fader hear owl cry. He know from strange cry that some die or be
pris'ner. He old man. He 'fraid. He say go back up river. Me broder he
say no. Me say no. Me fader still 'fraid, but he keep him promise."

"What was his promise?" inquired Peleg.

"He say he take us on warpath to help keep palefaces from going into
Kantuckee. He no wan' go, but he say he go. We all lie down sleep.
Pretty quick me fader wake up. Me fader wake me broder. Wake me, too."

"What was the trouble?" asked Peleg.

"Me fader have sleep and see----"

"What do you mean, he had a dream?"

"That so," replied the visitor, nodding his head. "Me fader have dream."

"What did he dream?"

"He say we go to Kantuckee, we die. Me fader cry. He no wan' go on
warpath."

"But you came," suggested Peleg.

His visitor nodded and continued: "Me fader say he keep him promise. But
he say more. He say we go back to wigwam. Go quick. He good man. Heap
good man. He keep him promise. Me broder say me fader mus' keep him
promise now."

"So you came?"

"We go on warpath. Me fader say he go quick. No stay any more where we
sleep."

"So you started right away, did you?"

"We go on warpath all night. When light come we turn to place where
white man build fort."

"Are there many Shawnees here?"

The young visitor, nodding, said: "Pretty quick, heap Shawnee come."

He held up three and then four fingers to express the idea that the
Indian bands were advancing in parties of three or more, and at some
prearranged place or by some well-known signals the scattered little
parties would be brought together and one large band formed.

The information was startling to the young scout and seemed to him to be
altogether probable. It was in accordance with the well-known methods of
Indian fighting, and agreed with experiences which the young hunter
already had had.

He deeply regretted the absence of the great leader. The gentleness and
firmness, the courage and resource of Daniel Boone would be greatly
needed if the Shawnees attacked the little fort. Boone, however, was not
near and his help could not be relied upo