Next morning the Indian encampment was so nearly deserted that Ira advised that the fact be signaled the fort. Climbing the great pine, Late took from the lining of his coat the strips of cloth which had been given him, and in a few moments the red and white colors were waving gently in the light breeze.
Joe Fisher, who was now able to walk about, although his arm was still in a sling, chanced to be on the bastion. Gazing carelessly toward the big tree, as he had done many times before without discovering anything, and without really expecting to see anything unusual this time, he was astonished at beholding the bits of cloth waving in the air. Then he ran down the wall, and across the parade to the captain’s quarters. Bursting unceremoniously into the officer’s presence, he exclaimed:
“Captain, Late is alive, and has escaped from the red-coats!”
“How do you know?” the commander asked eagerly.
“Because there are signals on the tree. It is the red and the white, which means that the Indians are deserting.”
“So it does,” admitted the captain. “I’ll go and see for myself.”
Man and boy soon stood on the bastion looking across the river, and while they gazed the red cloth was drawn in, and the white left alone to toss in the gentle wind.
“Reinforcements are comin’!” shouted Joe in his excitement. “Reinforcements are comin’!”
His words rang through the garrison, and in an instant came back in answer a mighty cheer.
“The signals are changing again, captain,” the lad cried. “See! Late has put the black beside the white. It means that the red-coats are makin’ ready to run away!”