“Here are the doctors, Father.”
A group of medicine men, wildly clad in skins of beasts and reptiles, with the heads of 216 animals on their shoulders, came running along beside the line, leaping high in the air, and howling.
Menard turned to the priest. “Father, which shall it be,––shall we fight?”
“I do not know, M’sieu. We have no weapons, and it may be, yet, that the Big Throat––”
“Yes, I know.”
“And there is the maid, M’sieu.”
For the first time since the sunrise the quiet expression left the Captain’s face. He was silent for a moment. Then he said:––
“I will go, Father. You must protect her. If anything––if they should dare to touch her, you will––?”
“I will fight them, M’sieu.”
“Thank you.” Menard held out his hand. They gripped in silence, and turned again toward the Indians, who were now but a hundred yards away.