The young officer turned quickly and faced me, his eyes full of emotion.  “That remains to be decided,” he exclaimed.  “Such old frontiersmen as Captain Wells and John Kinzie say that pledge only hides black treachery.  They urged him most earnestly, for an hour to-night, to reconsider his decision, and give up the immediate evacuation of the post.  But he fully believes he can put faith in those lying, murderous hounds out yonder.  So certain is Kinzie of trouble, that he has sworn to march forth with us, sending his family away by boat, in hope that his influence may hold back the savages from open attack; while Wells declares that he will ride forth with blackened face, as becomes a Miami who goes to certain death in battle.  These men are no fools, no strangers to savage warfare and Indian deceit,—­yet in spite of their warning, Captain Heald persists in driving us forth into the very fangs of the wolves.  Brave! ay, he is indeed brave to the point of rashness; but this bids fair to be a fatal bravery to all of us who must obey his orders.”

The intense bitterness of these words shocked me and held me dumb,—­the more so, as I could not be insensible to their truth.  As I lifted my eyes, I beheld, crossing the parade through the mass of equipment scattered here and there, De Croix and Mademoiselle.  With a half-muttered excuse, I drew hastily back into the protecting shadow of the stockade; and as they slowly passed, I heard him jesting lightly, and saw her laughing, with a side-glance up at his face.

With these words of warning from Ronan’s lips yet ringing in my ears, such reckless thoughtlessness of the danger encircling us astounded me; and I drew farther back, less willing than ever to make one of them.  Deep in my heart, I knew this was no time for careless laughter or happy jest.

CHAPTER XXIII

THE DEATH-SHADOW OF THE MIAMIS

It was after midnight when I finally ceased my labors, feeling I had performed my fair share of the hard work of preparation.  By this time everything was comparatively quiet within the stockade enclosure; the wagons were piled with all that could be loaded before morning, and many of the wearied soldiers had flung themselves upon the ground to snatch what rest they might before the early call to march.  The women and children had disappeared, to seek such comfort as was possible amid the ruins of their former quarters; and only the sentries remained alert, pacing their solemn rounds on the narrow walk overlooking the palisades and the silent plain without.