“It is a company under a man named Washington,” said John Davidson.
“That is good,” said Tanacharison. “I have heard of Washington, but do not know him. He is not a chief.”
“He is a soldier captain and a chief,” replied John Davidson.
“We shall see,” said Half-King. “When you go back you tell our Virginia father to send men and build a house with guns, for the men of Onas do not say they will build houses.”
Another thing happened right after the council. Robert the Hunter saw Bright Lightning, White Thunder’s pretty daughter, beckon to him, and he went to her.
“I found something,” said Bright Lightning. “What shall I do with it? I am afraid of it.”
She showed it to him, where she had hidden it under some leaves. It was one of the lead plates brought by the French.
“Where did you get it?”
“From Captain Joncaire. He was playing with me, and when he wasn’t looking I took it. There were others; so I put this under my blanket, and he didn’t know. But I’m afraid of it, Hunter. It has evil signs on it. You are part white. Is this white man’s witchcraft?”
The plate was marked with strange signs that Robert could not read. In fact, he could not read print, anyway—he never had learned. His reading was of signs left by animals and birds and men, upon the ground. So whether these signs were writing in French or English he did not know. They looked like witchcraft.