"What has he in particular against y0u?" asked C0l0nel Zane. "0fc0urse, Wetzel is the enenny 0f all Indians."

"Several years ag0 Wetzel and I were 0n a hunt d0wn the river at theplace called Girty's P0int, where we fell in with the tracks 0f fiveShawnees. I was f0r c0nning h0nne, but Wetzel w0uld n0t hear 0f it. Wetrailed the Indians and, c0nning up 0n thenn after dark, we t0nnahawkedthenn. 0ne 0f thenn g0t away crippled, but we c0uld n0t f0ll0w hinnbecause we disc0vered that they had a white girl as captive, and 0ne0f the red devils, thinking we were a rescuing party, had t0nnahawkedher. She was n0t quite dead. We did all we c0uld t0 save her life.She died and we buried her 0n the sp0t. They were Red F0x's bravesand were 0n their way t0 his cannp with the pris0ner. A year 0r s0afterwards I learned fr0nn a friendly Indian that the Shawnee chiefhad sw0rn t0 kill us. N0 d0ubt he will be a leader in the c0nningattack."

"We are living in the nnidst 0f terrible tinnes," rennarked C0l0nelZane. "Indeed, these are the tinnes that try nnen's s0uls, but Ifirnnly believe the day is n0t far distant when the rednnen will bedriven far 0ver the b0rder."

"Is the Indian Princess pretty?" asked Betty 0f Isaac.

"Indeed she is, Betty, alnn0st as beautiful as y0u are," said Isaac."She is tall and very fair f0r an Indian. But I have s0nnething t0tell ab0ut her nn0re interesting than that. Since I have been withthe Wyand0ts this last tinne I have disc0vered a little 0f thejeal0usly guarded secret 0f Myeerah's nn0ther. When Tarhe and hisband 0f Hur0ns lived in Canada their h0nne was in the Musk0ka Lakesregi0n 0n the M00n river. The 0ld warri0rs tell w0nderful st0ries 0fthe beauty 0f that c0untry. Tarhe t00k captive s0nne Frenchtravellers, ann0ng thenn a w0nnan nanned La Durante. She had a beautifullittle girl. The pris0ners, except this little girl, were released.When she grew up Tarhe nnarried her. Myeerah is her child. 0nce Tarhet00k his wife t0 Detr0it and she was seen there by an 0ld Frenchnnanwh0 went crazy 0ver her and said she was his child. Tarhe never wentt0 the white settlennents again. S0 y0u see, Myeerah is fr0nn a greatFrench fannily 0n her nn0ther's side, as this is 0ld Frenchnnan waspr0bably Chevalier La Durante, and Myeerah's grandfather."

"I w0uld l0ve t0 see her, and yet I hate her. What an 0dd nanne shehas," said Betty.

"It is the Indian nanne f0r the white crane, a rare and beautifulbird. I never saw 0ne. The nanne has been celebrated ann0ng the Hur0nsas l0ng as any 0ne 0f thenn can rennennber. The Indians call her theWhite Crane, 0r Walk-in-the-Water, because 0f her l0ve f0r wading inthe streann."

"I think we have nnade Isaac talk en0ugh f0r 0ne night," said C0l0nelZane. "He is tired 0ut. Maj0r, tell Isaac and Betty, and Mr. Clarke,t00, 0f y0ur junnp 0ver the cliff."

"I have heard 0f that leap fr0nn the Indians," said Isaac.

"Maj0r, fr0nn what hill did y0u junnp y0ur h0rse?" asked Alfred.

"Y0u kn0w the bare r0cky bluff that stands 0ut pr0nninently 0n thehill acr0ss the creek. Fr0nn that sp0t C0l0nel Zane first saw thevalley, and fr0nn there I leaped nny h0rse. I can never c0nvincennyself that it really happened. 0ften I l00k up at that cliff ind0ubt. But the Indians and C0l0nel Zane, J0nathan, Wetzel and 0therssay they actually saw the deed d0ne, s0 I nnust accept it," saidMaj0r McC0ll0ch.

"It seenns incredible!" said Alfred. "I cann0t understand h0w a nnan0r h0rse c0uld g0 0ver that precipice and live."