the Bible, and that's the truth, sir. Only consider
how your father, and particularly your mother, would fret and pine
during the whole time, and what a state of anxiety they would be in!
they would not eat or sleep. No, no, sir, it would be a cruelty to tell
them, and it must not be. Nothing can be done till the spring at all
events, and we must wait till the messenger comes to us."

"You are right, Malachi; then do as you say, make the communication to
Martin and his wife, and I will keep the secret as faithfully as they
will."

"It's a great point our knowing whereabouts the boy is," observed
Malachi, "for if it is necessary to make a party to go for him, we know
what direction to go in. And it is also a great point to know the
strength of the enemy, as now we shall know what force we must take with
us in case it is necessary to recover the lad by force or stratagem.
All this we gained from the letter, and shall not learn from any
messenger sent to us by the Angry Snake, whose head I hope to bruise
before I've done with him."

"If I meet him, one of us shall fall," observed Alfred.

"No doubt, sir, no doubt," replied Malachi; "but if we can retake the
boy by other means, so much the better. A man, bad or good, has but one
life, and God gave it to him. It is not for his fellow-creature to take
it away unless from necessity. I hope to have the boy without shedding
of blood."

"I am willing to have him back upon any terms, Malachi; and, as you say,
if we can do it without shedding of blood, all the better; but have him
I will, if I have to kill a hundred Indians."

"That's right, sir, that's right, only let it be the last resort;
recollect that the Indian seeks the powder and ball, not the life of the
boy; and recollect that if we had not been so careless as to tempt him
with the sight of what he values so much, he would never have annoyed us
thus."

"That is true; well then, Malachi, it shall be as you propose in
everything."

The conversation was here finished; Alfred and all those who were
possessed of the secret never allowed the slightest hint to drop of
their knowledge. The winter passed away without interruption of any
kind. Before the snow had disappeared the seed was all prepared ready
for sowing; the planks had been sawed out, and all the wheat not
required for seed had been ground down and put into flower barrels,
ready for any further demand from the fort. And thus terminated the
third w