"Take this to Davidson," he ordered. "I am glad that I have met you, young man, and I hope to hear from you again."
Dane took the letter, placed it carefully in an inside pocket of his jacket, bade the two men good morning, and at once left the room.
"What do you think of him?" the Major asked turning toward the trader.
"A remarkable young man," was the emphatic reply. "But I am surprised that I have not heard of him before."
"It is strange. But look here, Mr. Simonds," and the Major brought his fist down heavily upon the table, "if I had a regiment of men like that courier to send to Davidson, we would have no more trouble with the slashers and other rebels."
"You're about right, Major. But I'm wondering why he refused to tell us the name of that ringleader. I must get White to work at this. He may be able to find out, for he can do more with the Indians than anybody else."
"I wish you would look carefully into this matter," the Major replied. "If we can round up that ringleader, it may put a sudden stop to the whole trouble. I shall send half of my men to capture him if he can be found."
CHAPTER VI
WHEN THE BOW-STRING TWANGED
The little schooner Polly, of twenty tons burden, had come on the flood tide up through the Reversible Falls. She had then slipped out of the Narrows where the grey, weather-beaten limestone rocks frown high on both sides, and was clipping merrily across the big basin of Grand Bay straight for Beaubear's River. She was well loaded, for over a dozen families were on board, with their household effects, together with a large supply of boards and shingles. In addition, there were the guns which Major Studholme was sending up river to William Davidson, the King's purveyor.