“Ugh! wah! good soger!” came from one of a small party of Indians in the rear, as the disconcerted captain turned, frowningly, from the men in front to those who had followed him from the orderly room, and now stood grouped on the inner flank.

“What is the meaning of all this?” he cried, in a loud and angry voice.

“Am I braved in my own command, and by my own men?  Mr. Elmsley, who are these Indians, and how came they in?”

“They are a part of the encampment without, sir.  There was no order given against their admission this morning, besides it is Winnebeg, and you have said that the gates of the Fort was to be open to him at all hours.”

“Ah!  Winnebeg, my friend, how do you do.  I did not know it was you or your people.  You know you are always welcome.”

“How do, gubbernor,” answered the chief, coming round from the rear of the line, and taking the proffered hand—­“’Spose not very angry now—­him good warrior—­him good soger,” and he pointed to the young subaltern.

“Ensign Ronayne is, no doubt, very sensible to your good opinion,” remarked the captain, with evident pique; “but, Winnebeg, as I am sure you never allow a white man to interfere with you, when you find fault with your young chiefs, you must let me do the same.”

“What find him fault for?” asked the chief, with some surprise; “brave like a devil!”

“Captain Headley,” interposed the ensign, with some impatience, “am I to surrender my sword, or resume my duty?”

But the captain either could not, or would not give a direct answer.  “Can you give me a good reason, Mr. Ronayne, why I should not receive your sword?  Do you deny that you have been guilty of neglect of duty?”

“In what?” was the brief demand.

“In being absent from the Fort, without leave, sir.”

“Indeed!  To substantiate that, you must bring proofs, Captain Headley.  Who,” and he looked around him, as if challenging his accuser, “pretends to have seen me beyond these defences?”

The commandant was for some moments at a loss, for he had not anticipated this difficulty.  At length he resumed.  “Was it not to be absent without leave, that, when the guard was all ready to be marched off, you were not to be found?”

“Had the guard been marched off, or the parade even formed, I should of course, have come justly under your censure, Captain Headley; but it was not so—­you ordered the parade and guard-mounting for a later hour.  I am here at that hour.”

“Hem!” returned the commandant, who was in some degree obliged to admit the justice of the remark; “you defend yourself more in the spirit of a lawyer, than of a soldier, Mr. Ronayne, but all this difficulty is soon set at rest.  I require but your simple denial that you have been absent from the Fort, within the last twenty-four hours.  That given, I shall be satisfied.”