“My young brothers have been in war paint,” said the Ottawa chief. Yes, his eyes were quick eyes. “Do they wear war paint for the French or for the English?”
Ho! This was a poser.
“The Ottawa chief does not know the Mingo war paint,” the Buck retorted. “When Oneida and Seneca put on the war paint the Ottawa stay home.”
“Ho!” the chief exclaimed. “You speak to Pontiac. Those are the foolish words of a boy.”
Pontiac! He was a great war chief of the Ottawa and he was angered. But the dark man in Ottawa dress interrupted.
“They are brave boys; we can see they are warriors. There is no war between the Mingo and the Ottawa. All are brothers under the flag of Onontio.”
“Langlade knows that the Mingo helped the English kill the brother of Villiers,” said Pontiac. “They have French scalps. The Mingo are dogs that bite the hand that feeds. The red-coat fat man says these boys come from the English. The Mingo send in their boys as spies.”
And another Ottawa who had been eying the Hunter cried:
“This boy was at Venango with the Englishman Washington. He is the son of Tanacharison. He will take word of us to Tanacharison and Washington. He is a spy.”
Then Ottawas and Hurons began to jeer and threaten, and their words were not pleasant.