“What!” exclaimed the two young soldiers in one breath.
“We start after Black Hawk the first thing tomorrow,” said Walt, smiling at the effect of his announcement.
Deerfoot made no sign and the expression of his face remained the same, but into his eyes crept a light that showed he, too, was glad to be on the trail of Black Hawk. Unconsciously his hand fingered the knife in his belt.
“Tell us about it,” urged Joseph. “Who is going and how does it happen that we start before General Atkinson arrives?”
“Only the ones who were here before General Whiteside arrived are to go,” Walt explained. “That means us, of course. Major Stillman is to be in command and we are to act as a scouting party.”
“Someone must have overheard what we said this afternoon,” laughed Joseph.
“Seems so, doesn’t it?” Walt agreed. “Anyhow we’re going and I must say nothing has pleased me so much in a long while. We’re off at last and we won’t have all those others bother us and interfere with our plans. I feel just as if I was starting on a big lark.”
“Tomorrow’s the thirteenth, isn’t it?” inquired Robert solemnly.
“So it is,” laughed Walt. “Don’t worry about that though. I’m not superstitious and you needn’t be, either. No harm will come to us on this trip and the only results of it will be a lot of fun for us and a few less braves for Black Hawk.”
“I hope you’re right,” said Robert. “I’ve always had a queer feeling about the thirteenth though. I wish we weren’t going until the day after tomorrow or were going to start tonight.”