“God!” I whispered. “Don’t wait for that!”

But the Siwanois warrior was not to be denied; and in a second or two the wet scalp flapped at his belt.

Rolling over and over with the current, the limp body slipped down stream and disappeared into deeper shadows. We waded swiftly toward our own shore, crawled across the gravel, drew on our clothing, and stole up into the woods above.

“They’ll know it by sunrise,” I said. “How many did you count?”

“Thirteen in that war-party, Loskiel. And if Butler and McDonald be with them, that makes fifteen — and doubtless other renegades besides.”

“Then we had best pull foot,”