"Surely," replied he. "My comrade and I wish to cross the mountains to the west with all possible speed, descend the rivers on the other side and go on to the post at Vincennes."
"It is well," said Telca, "for we too are going almost as far and will travel with the white men."
"Fine!" ejaculated Dick. "Let us pledge our friendship by shaking hands."
This formality was gravely observed and after making the round of the circle Fritz and Dick resumed their places by the fire.
"And now may we know how it happens that the red-men are so far from their own lands?"
"We left to give time for the Good Spirit to free our home of one who had gone, and yet stayed in our tribe," the chief began.
"A spirit?" asked Dick, guessing that was what Telca meant.
"Yes," replied Telca, "the spirit of my daughter, who was unable to gain entrance to our happy hunting grounds, because she died away from us, and we could not send her on as all should go. On a night thirteen moons passed, in an attack by the Redcoat soldiers, she was captured. The white men lost many braves and were greatly angry over their loss. They sought revenge and to teach a lesson to the great Indian, they outdid him in cruelty. We are not as cruel as the white man when he is angry. They bound our little daughter to the horns of a great bull-moose and drove him out into the lake. Our young men were far away and we were scattered after our defeat. But, with a few of the older men, I was following their march, waiting to rescue my girl. And after they had done this awful thing we caught up to them and could hear the great animal thrashing about near the shore of the lake and could make out the burden on its head. We shot the moose, but my daughter was dead when we reached her. Every night from then on for many nights we could hear the spirit of the moose crashing about in the forests and we could hear the screams of our lost sister bound to its head. Then came a message from the Good Spirit, and Red Wing, the son of a chief and a man of wisdom, our own prophet, delivered to us the message. We were to go away from our lands for twelve moons and when we returned our sister would be in peace in the Happy Hunting Grounds beyond, and the red-man would have his chance to revenge her death. And so we return, after twelve moons of wandering, and we are to have our revenge."
"It seems terrible that any British officer could permit such a deed," said Dick, hotly, "and although the white man's God does not wish his children to seek revenge from their enemies, I can't blame you for feeling that you are entitled to it."
A chorus of grunts went around the circle of braves, and Dick felt that some day the Redcoated soldiers would pay heavily for the deed that some of their number had done.