“‘No; we will take his life because he will betray our part in the death of the white man whom he has tried to shelter.’
“‘There are others who might betray you.’
“‘And their lives, also,’ said Buffalo Horn, composedly.
“All that had been implied was now expressed. He was to massacre us all to shield his tribe from the punishment that might follow the discovery of his revenge.
“‘You will lay waste the fort,’ said the interpreter’s daughter, ‘but will the ruins not accuse you to the great company which this man serves?’ 128
“‘We will be far away.’
“‘And will you never care to return to the grounds you have hunted from childhood?’
“To this Buffalo Horn made no reply. He looked at the floor, his arms folded, and he was silent for a long time.
“‘This man,’ said the girl, touching McLeod on the shoulder, ‘has dealt fairly by you. He has kept his faith with you. He said that he would provide you with food through the hard seasons. Has he not done so?’
“‘He has kept faith with us,’ said the chief. ‘Therefore he is a good man.’