"How did he hear?" Dave repeated with a laugh. "How did he hear about
that meeting on the Wed-nee-bak, an' round up that bunch at the lake?
I guess you know as well as anybody."

"Never mind about that now, Dave. All I want you to do is to stop
those men from coming here to-night. Tell them to leave me out this
time, and to march straight overland until they meet the men coming
eastward. I can't talk any more now, as my side hurts me very much.
Daughter, give this man some more rum."

Jean started at this order, and quickly left the room. She was greatly
excited, for she realised that serious trouble of some kind was on
foot. She believed that the rebels were about to attack that helpless
band of Loyalists on the A-jem-sek as others had planned to do to the
ones at Loyal. What she had gathered from Dave's words led her to
believe that the latter attempt had failed. This was the first news
she had received, and it greatly relieved her mind. But what about the
others, those suffering men, women and children but a short distance
away?

She was thankful when Dave at last left the house, and she was once
more alone with the invalid. The latter was very still, staring
straight before him. Jean crossed the room and stood by his side.

"I want to know the truth," she began. "Is an attack to be made upon
those Loyalists?"

"What do you mean?" the man asked in surprise.

"Just what I said. The rebels planned to wipe out the Loyalists down