Just at this moment Jim and Willie came up to the colonel. When Jim saw the Indians, he stopped and stared as if he didn’t believe his own eyes. Then he dashed over to the taller Indian boy. “Wahbunou!” he cried. “What are you doing here?” Wahbunou tried to smile, but was too frightened to talk. He just grabbed Jim and clung to him. George Rogers Clark looked at Jim in amazement. “Jim, do you know this boy?” “Oh, sir,” Jim cried, “this is Wahbunou, my Potawatomi friend that I told you about.” Colonel Clark looked keenly at the boy and then at Jim. “Is this the boy who did not tell his people about seeing the Long-Knives marching that summer afternoon?” “Yes, sir.” Clark smiled at the Indian boy. “Well then, Wahbunou, I am sorry we had to take your food. But my men have had nothing to eat for several days. You are no longer a prisoner of Chief Long-Knife. All four of you are free to take your canoe and return home.” Wahbunou did not understand all that Colonel Clark said to him, but when Jim interpreted, the Indian boy nodded his head and smiled. George Rogers Clark shook hands with Wahbunou and said, “If you will come to Fort Sackville in a few days I’ll pay you for your food. Unfortunately, I have nothing to give you for it tonight.” Wahbunou nodded again, spoke to his Indian companions and motioned for them to follow him. They found their canoe and paddled rapidly away. Meanwhile the men were busy making buffalo stew. When it was ready the weakest men were fed first. Though there wasn’t enough stew to go around, it revived many exhausted soldiers and improved the spirit of all the soldiers. [Illustration: _Vincennes_] Chapter X CAPTURE OF VINCENNES From their camp the men could see the hundred cabins making up the town of Vincennes, and Fort Sackville over which the Union Jack was flying. If settlers in Vincennes turned toward Warrior’s Island, they could see American soldiers; so George Rogers Clark employed a trick of war to make them think he commanded a large army. While the men were resting after their taste of buffalo stew, two more of Clark’s scouts came into camp bringing a very frightened Frenchman from Vincennes. They said they had found him lurking near the camp. Willie and Jim had been sitting near the colonel and could hear everything he said to the Frenchman. Clark spoke sternly to the man cowering in front of him. “I will permit you to go into town under certain conditions. First you are to alert all French inhabitants and tell them we will take Vincennes tonight. They are to stay in their houses, keep quiet and not to let any one at Fort Sackville know of our presence. Oh, yes, and tell them to have a fine supper ready for us.” “Yes, sir,” the man replied. “And to think you’ve marched all the way from Kentucky!”