“He’s every inch a warrior,” Ross replied quietly.
“And every inch a man,” was the quick rejoinder.
“But a savage, still.”
“Yes. But a savage whose valor is equaled by his honor, whose thirst for fame and power is tempered by his sense of right and justice. He has the good of his people at heart; he believes their cause is just——”
“Can you say as much for the English, who are urging the Indians to take up the hatchet against the Americans?” Douglas interrupted. “Have they the good of the savages at heart?”
Bradford laughed a forced, uneasy laugh as he answered:
“Please don’t interrupt me with ill-timed questions. That’s a matter of national ethics—a problem that you and I cannot grasp or solve. It would be useless for us to discuss it. We look at it from different standpoints. You’re an American; I’m an——”
“American, also,” Ross interjected.
The older man sharply eyed his companion for a half minute. Then he said slowly: