“I heard this afternoon that we were to join General Whiteside’s men in a few days,” replied Robert. “He went out to the battlefield yesterday, you know, and is to push on after Black Hawk.”
“What is General Atkinson to do?”
“He is the one that is going to join General Whiteside. I supposed, of course, we would go with him.”
“We stay here,” said Deerfoot.
“What for? How do you know?” queried Robert.
“Stillman’s men stay here, guard supplies.”
“How did you find that out?” asked Joseph curiously.
“Me know, that’s all,” replied the Indian, and both boys were aware that further questioning was useless. They also were convinced, too, that Deerfoot was probably right. Seldom it was that he made any statement of which he was not absolutely sure.
“They’ll leave us here because we disgraced ourselves, I suppose,” exclaimed Robert bitterly. “I don’t blame them either, but I tell you it makes me mad. I wish I could get just one more chance.”
“Don’t worry, Bob,” urged Joseph. “You’ll probably get another chance, all right. We’ll all have to make up for the way we acted.”