“But you boys have not told me your names. I know yours is William, and you are James. Why, yes; I should not have forgotten James Redfield and William Rudel.”
“But we are only Will and Jim, you know,” and the Professor smiled at the earnestness of Will to be sure and give them the right designations.
Early that morning there was more or less commotion in the village and as Jim went out to investigate, several warriors appeared, but he was not able to get much information. They could be heard in the chief’s house, and soon enough was learned to assure them that the warriors in the field were having a bitter fight.
This was on the sixth day after the Professor had been brought to the village. “Can you learn with whom they are fighting?” asked the Professor.
Will went out and mingled with the crowd that now gathered about the chief’s quarters. On his return, he said: “It is a tribe to the east, called the Osagas.”
This news stirred the Professor into activity. “The Osagas! We must take a hand in this,” and he rushed out of the hut, and made his way to the chief. Calling him aside he stated that if he was at war with the Osagas, he might be able to effect a reconciliation, as he had befriended one of their chiefs, and then inquired if he knew Uraso, the chief.
At the mention of that name the chief started, and looked at the Professor keenly, before replying. This is what he replied, in substance:
“Uraso was the chief of the Osagas, but he was captured by some white people like yourselves, and offered up as a sacrifice by them. A new chief, his brother, called Krami, was now at the head of the tribe. If Uraso were still chief we would not have this trouble. They took the two white men away from us, and when we took the boys they determined to be revenged, and we have now been fighting for six weeks.”
“Did you take the boys from the Osagas?”
“No.”