“I know it,” agreed Robert. “He holds all Indians in contempt and thinks they’re all bad. Why, he hardly treats even Deerfoot like a human being.”

“Deerfoot knows it, too. I don’t think he likes father, and if it wasn’t for the rest of us he wouldn’t be half so friendly.”

“He likes us all right, and he’s been awfully good to you and me.”

“He certainly has,” exclaimed Joseph eagerly. “Personally, I think he’d warn us if he knew that Black Hawk and his band were coming this way.”

“But he might not know it.”

“I know,” protested Robert, “but you must remember that in this case it is Indian against Indian. The Sac tribe is just as clever as the Pottowattomie, and old Black Hawk is no fool. You don’t suppose he’d go around telling everybody just where he intended to strike first, do you?”

“Perhaps not.”

“Perhaps not,” exclaimed Robert. “You mean certainly not, I guess. If I intended to 9attack you, you don’t think for an instant that I’d go around telling everybody, do you? If I did, some one would be sure to tell you, and what chance then would I have of being successful?”

9

“You’d make a great chief, Bob,” said Joseph laughingly.

“Not at all,” protested Robert. “I’m just stating what seems to me to be common-sense.”

“You’re right, of course,” agreed Joseph quickly, becoming serious once more. “I think we’re in a dangerous position and I wish we were out of it.”

“Does mother know?”

“Father wouldn’t let me tell her. He said it would only worry her and the girls, and there was no use in it.”

“We’ll talk to him tonight, both of us.”

“It won’t do any good, I’m afraid. You know how stubborn he is. He thinks there’s no danger, and no one can change his mind by talking to him.”

“Well,” said Robert, “I hope he’s right. But if he’s wrong I hope he’ll find it out and change his mind before it is too late.”

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