“Who is to lead this expedition?” he asked bluntly.

“Why, Lieutenant Boyd, sir,” said I, wondering.

“Oh!  You have no ambitions then?”

“Mr. Boyd ranks me,” I said, smiling.  “Who else should lead?”

“I see.  Well, sir, you understand that a new commission lies all neatly folded for you in Catharines-town.  Even such a modest man as you, Mr. Loskiel, could scarce doubt that,” he added laughingly.

“No, sir, I do not doubt it.”

“That is well, then.  Orders will be sent you in due time—­ not until General Clinton’s army arrives, however.”

He looked at me pleasantly:  “I have robbed you of the sleep most justly due you.  But I think perhaps you may not regret this conference.  Good-night, sir.”

I saluted and went out.  An orderly with a torch lighted me to my quarters.  Inside the bush-hut assigned to the Mohican and myself, the red torch-light flickered over the recumbent Sagamore, swathed in his blanket, motionless.  But even as I looked one of his eyes opened a little way, glimmering like a jewel in the ruddy darkness, then closed again.

So I stretched myself out in my blanket beside the Sagamore, and, thinking of Lois, fell presently into a sweet and dreamless sleep.

At six o’clock the morning gun awoke me with its startling and annoying thunder.  The Sagamore sat up in his blanket, wearing that half-irritated, half-shamed expression always to be seen on an Indian’s countenance when cannon are fired.  An Indian has no stomach for artillery, and hates sight and sound of the metal monsters.

For a few moments I bantered him sleepily, then dropped back into my blanket.  What cared I for their insolent morning gun!  I snapped my fingers at it.

And so I lolled on my back, half asleep, yet not wholly, and soon tired of this, and, wrapping me in my blanket and drawing on ankle moccasins, went down to the Chemung where its crystal current clattered over the stones, and found me a clear, deep pool to flounder in.

Before I plunged, noticing several fine trout lying there, I played a scurvy trick on them, tickling three big ones; and had a fourth out of water, but was careless, and he slipped back.

Some Continental soldiers who had been watching me, mouths agape, went to another pool to try their skill; but while I would not boast, it is not everybody who can tickle a speckled trout; and after my bath the soldiers were still at it, and damning their eyes, their luck, and the pretty fish which so saucily flouted them.

So I flung ’em a big trout and went back to camp whistling, and there found that my Indians had fed and were now gravely renewing their paint.

Tahoontowhee dressed and cooked my fish for me, each in a bass-wood leaf, and when they were done and smelling most fragrant, we all made a delicious feast, with corn bread from the ovens and salt pork and a great jug of milk from the army’s herd.