Who can blame Return Kingdom if, when he told Gen. Wayne of the Seneca’s secret, he went just a little beyond actual facts in his representation of the certainty of the mine’s existence! That he had never seen the mine, he was forced, as the commander questioned him, to admit. Yes, it was true, he acknowledged, that he had never heard of the lead mine before Lone-Elk came among the Delawares. Neither had he seen any lead from the mine, nor could he tell positively of any Indian who had seen any. The story Fishing Bird had told was the whole basis of his assertion that there was a lead mine somewhere along the Cuyahoga, and presumably it was not far from the mysterious camp in the ravine.
“Now have I all the information you can give me on this subject?” asked Gen. Wayne, with something of a twinkle in his eye.
“Yes, sir,” Kingdom answered, the twinkle somehow making him feel more comfortable than he did before.
“All right, then,” and the general stepped to the door. “Have that Indian, Fishing Bird, brought to headquarters,” he said to the man outside.
“Mad Anthony” paced thoughtfully up and down the earthen floor of the single room of the cabin while he waited. Wondering, and more hopeful now, Kingdom tried to determine what the commander meant to do by glancing often at his knitted brow.
In five minutes the Delaware, with a sullen air of pride, stepped into the cabin. In an instant, however, his manner changed. A look of pleasure came to his eyes and he held out his hand to Kingdom.
The greeting between the young woodsman and the Indian was pleasant to see. As soon as they had silently shaken hands, however, Gen. Wayne said:
“Now, Fishing Bird, what can you tell me of a lead mine near your Cuyahoga river!”
“The lead mine is the secret of Lone-Elk—Lone-Elk, the Seneca,” the Delaware made answer.
“Well, if I give you your liberty, will you go with this young man, your friend here, and some men I shall send with you, and see if you can find this mine? And will you help my young friend, whom you seem to know rather better than I do, find the boy who is accused of witchcraft?”