"Do you believe this Vascal?" asked Rodney.
"I do in part. But I kind o' reckon he had as much to do with stealin' the twins ez thet Paul Camont."
After that Barringford and James Morris talked the matter over with Colonel Bouquet and Captain Ecuyer, and as a result it was decided to detain the Frenchman at Fort Pitt, at least for a few weeks.
All was now bustle and excitement at the fort, and it was not long before it was decided to send out a body of rangers, to see if any Indians were still in that vicinity. With the rangers went Mr. Morris, Barringford, Rodney, and Henry, all anxious to see if they could learn anything concerning Dave.
Two days were spent roaming the vicinity of the fort, and only two Indians were discovered, both badly wounded. Then the rangers separated into two parties, one going northward and the other westward.
"That other party will come close to our trading-post," said Mr. Morris, to Henry. "I hope they make the Indians and the French run away and leave our goods behind them."
The night that followed brought on the storm already described in the previous chapter. As the rangers had no shelter they soon got wet through, and had to build a camp-fire by which to dry themselves.
"I don't know if it's quite safe to build a fire," said James Morris. "But if the men want to dry themselves we'll have to risk it."
A guard had been put out, while the others slept, and about two o'clock in the morning came an alarm that brought everybody in the camp to his feet.
"What's the trouble?" came from several.