He gave the permission in their native tongue and she cuddled down
beside her friend without further waiting.

"Mother," said Ben, "you had better lie down with them."

"Not yet," she replied, with a significant look at he Delaware,
whose back was toward them.

"What about him?" asked the surprised lad in a low voice.

"He is meditating something evil: he wants to leave us.

"What evil is there in that, if he thinks we have gone far enough
to be safe?"

"You have forgotten that he fought with the Iroquois today; he
wants to go back to Wyoming and join them in their work."

"If that is so, how can we hinder him?"

"I don't know that we can; but I shall try it."

Ben busied himself gathering more wood, so that the fire cast a
glow several yards from where it burned against the boulder.

When he had collected enough to last a long while, he came back
and sat down by his mother. All this time the Delaware remained
motionless, with his face away from them. He was debating some
troublous question in his mind. They watched him closely.