"The soldiers are bound for Fort Pitt," answered Dave.
Moon Eye asked no more questions. He stalked off, and for an hour the Indians talked earnestly among themselves. Then the squaws began the labor of taking down the wigwams of the village. All were stowed away on drags, and by nightfall everybody was on the march, the course being westward. As was the Indian custom, the squaws carried everything, the warriors stalking along with nothing but their guns and bows and arrows.
The march was kept up until late in the evening, and was resumed at sunrise. Coming to another stream, more canoes were brought from their place of concealment, and they journeyed up the stream for several miles. At a side stream they branched off, coming finally to a small lake known by the rather musical name of Cush-momo.
On the upper border of the lake was located the Indian village of Sha-lumack, a great spot for fishermen, for the lake was filled with specimens of the finny tribe. The village boasted of fifty wigwams and a council-house, built of bark and saplings. This was Moon Eye's headquarters, where in former years many French trappers had come to do their bartering with the Indians.
Loud cries of joy went up from the village when the warriors came in, but these were quickly changed to wails of woe when the truth was learned. Dave was led to a small and dirty wigwam and thrust inside, and there he remained until the next morning. He was now given his bodily liberty, and had the first opportunity to wash himself and attend to his wounds. An Indian maiden gave him some well cooked food, for which he was very grateful.
"Do you speak English?" he asked, but the maiden only smiled, and hurried away.
Towards the middle of the afternoon Moon Eye came to the youth with a large bundle of documents, written on parchment, in a very fine hand.
"Can the English youth read these for Moon Eye?" he asked, as he passed the papers over.
"Yes, but it will take a little time," was Dave's reply. "There is a great deal written here."
"Moon Eye will leave the papers until morning, and then the white young man shall read them all. Be careful that the papers are not destroyed or lost," he added, sternly.