“All right; go ahead, Mr. Hansderbumvan; I’m behind you,” said Cato, taking his favorite position in the rear.

Several hundred yards further and Hans recognized the wished-for spot.  He had hardly reached it, when a light step was heard, and the next moment Lieutenant Canfield and the Huron stood in his presence.

“Brudder comes in good time,” said the latter, extending his hand.

“Yaw; Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock showed me de way to do dat,” replied Hans, shaking hands with the young Lieutenant also.  The latter expressed some surprise at seeing Cato present, saying that he had congratulated himself upon being well rid of him.  The negro explained his departure upon the grounds of his extreme solicitude for the safety of his friends.  The conversation between Hans and the Huron was now carried on in the Shawnee tongue.

“How does matters progress with my brother?”

“Very good; the gal is in my wigwam.”

“What does she there?”

“Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock has charge of her.”

“That is good.”

“I don’t know about that, Oonomoo; I think it couldn’t be much worse; for Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock has got a bad temper, if she is the same shape all the way down.”

“It is good, my brother.  We will have the captive when the sun comes up again in the sky.”

“How are you going to get her?”

“Give Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock this drug,” said the Huron, handing him a dark, waxy substance.

“Dunder! ish it pizen?” asked Hans, in English. 
“Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock will kill me deat if I pizen her.”

“It will not kill her; it will only put her in a sleep from which she will awake after a few hours.”

“Quanonshet and Madokawandock will have to take it too, for they don’t sleep any more than she does.”

“There is enough for all.  To-day mix this with that which the squaw and Quanonshet and Madokawandock shall eat, and when it grows dark they will sleep and not awaken till the morrow’s sun.”

“And what of the gal?”

“When the moon rises above that tree-top yonder, cut the bonds that bind her, and lead her through the woods to this place.  Here Oonomoo will take her and conduct her to her friends in the settlement.”

From this point the Indian dialect was dropped for intelligible English.

“And vot will become of me?” asked Hans Vanderbum, in considerable alarm.  “When Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock wakes up and finds te gal gone, she will t’inks I done it, and den—­den—­den—­” The awful expression of his countenance spoke more eloquently than any words, of the consequences of such a discovery and suspicion upon the part of his spouse.

“Take some self when git back—­go to sleep—­squaw wake up first.”