his temporary annoyance was banished, and he experienced
only the generous triumph of one who is conscious of
having won his way, through calumny and slander, to the
well merited approbation of all right minded men.

"Come, come," interposed the General, more touched than
he was willing to appear by the expressive manner in
which the only hand of the Commodore now grasped that of
his Lieutenant, and perceiving that the latter was about
to reply; "We will defer all further explanation until
a later period. But, before we depart, this person must
be disposed of--Major Montgomerie, excuse my asking if
you will be personally responsible for your fellow
prisoner?"

"Certainly not," returned the Major quickly, and with
something like alarm at the required responsibility;
"that is to say, he does not belong to the United States
regular service, and I know nothing of him. Indeed, I
never saw him before last night, when he joined me with
a verbal message from Detroit."

Hitherto the individual spoken of had preserved an unbroken
silence, keeping, as we have already shown, his gaze
rivetted on the ground, except at intervals when he seemed
to look around,--with an eye of suspicion, as if to
measure the distance that separated him from the groups
of Indians in the background. The disclaimer of the Major
had, however, the effect of restoring to him the use of
his tongue. Casting his uncertain eye on the gentlemanly