“They will go,” he replied, “after they have broken our bread, and smoked with us the pipe of peace.” He then motioned his hand, and with its wave the warriors disappeared, and a few moments after, an Indian girl approached with a rude breakfast, though composed of the choicest game of the prairie; and the hunters having partaken of it, since to have refused would have been regarded as an insult, smoked with the Prophet, and bidding him adieu, received many kind wishes. They were then conducted without his tent, and left to shape their course as inclination might suggest.
Having gotten clear of his camp, Rolfe said, “well, Earth, come, tell us what is best to be done.”
“Why, make tracks for the settlements as fast as we can.”
“And leave the poor girl to her fate?”
“Yes; what else can we do? If what the Prophet says be true, they have carried her up the Wabash, and I don't know that we could find her. Moreover, the Ingens are constantly skirmishing in that quarter, and they might jirk it into us.” “I think there's a storm brewing, and have my doubts if this Prophet don't know more of this thing than he has told us. So I think we had better return, and tell all we know, and the governor can then do about it as he chooses.”
“We will of course tell,” said Rolfe, “and unless these Indians are given up, I have no doubt it will lead to war, but I do not believe that the Prophet knows any thing about them or the captive, other than what he has told us. If he had, he would not have made us smoke and eat with him.”
“Come along, Rolfe,” said Earth, “when you live in these woods as long as I have, you wont believe every thing an Ingen tells you. You'll find out, as I said before, that they are mighty like 'possums;” and bending their way they began to tramp back in the direction they had come.
The sun was fast sinking below the horizon when leaving the path they were travelling, they turned off into the tall grass of the prairie, and using the same precautions as though they were followed by a warlike party, passed the night. With the light of morn they again resumed their journey.
The day had now several hours advanced, when in passing through the forest and amusing themselves with idle dialogue, their attention was arrested by an unusual number of carrion birds.
“Ah!” said Earth, “I wish every red devil was in the same fix. I suppose you know, Rolfe, why those birds are collected?”