While he was thus engaged, Mrs. Ripley spread the blankets on the
ground and Alice stretched her tired little body upon one of them.
"Mamma, I guess God will excuse me for not saying my prayers," she
murmured, as she closed her eyes and sank into slumber.
Linna was tired, too, but she kept her feet and looked at her father
for his permission, before presuming to lie down.
"Come, Linna, here is your place beside Alice," said the mother
kindly.
Again she turned to her father, who was standing by the fire,
looking off in the gloom, as if he suspected something wrong.
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.
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