"Your Excellency mistakes me. I wish merely to point out the risk. In my opinion, the danger could be no greater if hostilities had already begun." "And if I admit the risk?" he demanded. "It is, in a sense, a military service. Supposing it successful, is it not Your Excellency's opinion that a recommendation to a commission might be in order?" He studied me for some moments. Then: "A commission as a subaltern--possibly." "Sir, I could obtain that by means of a little political begging. I had in mind a captaincy." "Captaincy!" he repeated, taken aback by my audacity. "Captaincy! That is beyond all reason." "Yet if I succeed beyond reason--?" "In such event--But let that wait until your return." "If ever I do return," I added. "True; but you can thank yourself that you are thrusting your head into the noose, with your eyes open." "Then Your Excellency gives me leave to join as a volunteer?" "We shall see--we shall see." "But, Your Excellency, a man likes time for preparations." "That is your own affair, sir,--though I may say that, at present, I feel disposed to grant you the favor. I shall let you know in good time." With this I was forced to be content. The General rose to enter his office, with a pompous gesture of dismissal. But upon my return to my friend's quarters, he and Mrs. Pike and Lieutenant Wilkinson joined in assuring me that, since the General had not refused me point blank, I had every reason to expect a favorable decision. CHAPTER XIV THE LURE It was well in line with the General's character that he kept me on tenterhooks until the very afternoon before the intended day of marching. Then, as it were at the eleventh hour, he included in his written orders to Lieutenant Pike, to march the following day, a brief paragraph to the effect that I was to accompany the expedition as a volunteer surgeon. Notwithstanding the orders of the General, we did not start in the morning, but were forced to wait over until the fifteenth of July, owing to the unreadiness of our savage charges, the Osage captives who had been rescued from the Pottawattomies and who were to be returned to their people under our escort. The first stage of our journey, up the devious Osage River, was one tedious to all and exceedingly laborious to those whose duties confined them to the navigation of the boats. In confirmation I need only add that the Summer was fast nearing its close before we arrived at the Osage towns. There, instead of the generosity which we had a right to expect from an Indian tribe to whom we had restored so many members, we were delayed many days by their ungrateful reluctance to supply us with horses, and in the end obtained with greatest difficulty only a few of their least desirable animals.