revelation of his words. My eyes saw nothing strange nor suspicious;
but I could not doubt his well-trained instinct.

"It makes my flesh creep," I admitted; "yet surely the others do not
know. Hear how the Frenchman chatters in our rear!"

"The young fool!" he muttered, as the sound of a light laugh reached
us; "it will prove no jest, ere we are out of this again. Yet,
Wayland," and his voice grew stronger, "the red devils must indeed mean
to pass us free,--for there is Fort Dearborn, and, unless my sight
deceive me, the flag is up."

I lifted my eyes eagerly, and gazed northward where his finger pointed.




CHAPTER X

A LANE OF PERIL

We passed a group of young cottonwoods, the only trees I had noted
along the shore; and a few hundred feet ahead of us, the ridge of sand,
which had obscured our westward view so long, gradually fell away,
permitting the eye to sweep across the wide expanse of level plain
until halted by a distant row of stunted trees that seemed to line a
stream of some importance. As Captain Wells spoke, my glance, which
had been fixed upon these natural objects, was instantly attracted by a
strange scene of human activity that unfolded to the north and west.