"You heard my answer to Bevoir," returned James Morris. "If you wish to locate, why not do so here? This was a spot Monsieur Bevoir always admired," he added, with some slight show of sarcasm. "On this burnt-over spot!" ejaculated Jean Bevoir. "No, thank you! I shall go where I expected to go--to the Ohio." "Rather late in the year to put up a post now," suggested Dave, who could not help saying something. At this speech Jean Bevoir smiled knowingly. "Trust me that I know what I am doing," he said. "Come," he added, to his companions, in French. "We can gain nothing by remaining here longer." He turned his steed around, and rode off, and Valette and Bergerac did the same. Soon the brushwood and forest hid them from view. "Well, I never!" burst out Dave. "Who would have thought it?" "It seems we are not clear of that rascal after all," said James Morris bitterly. "Not only is he alive, but he is coming out to his old hunting ground to bother us." "Do you think he will set up a post near us, father?" "He did that when I located here. He seems to take savage delight in crowding on my heels." "That Valette is about as bad a rascal as Bevoir." "That is true." "Do you know much of the third fellow?" "Not a great deal, but I always fancied he was a Frenchman of the better sort. He used to be attached to the fort at Presqu' Isle. I once bought some furs from him, and he was much pleased over what I gave him for them. He said it was much more than Bevoir offered." "He seems hand-in-glove with Bevoir now." "Perhaps, or else it may be that he was simply hired by Bevoir to come out and help establish a new post." "What can they do with winter so close at hand?" "Nothing much, son. They will have to work hard to provide themselves a shelter." "Bevoir didn't appear to be much worried." "He may possibly have something in mind of which I know nothing," answered James Morris thoughtfully. "It is too bad! I wish he would go away and leave me alone. He might just as well establish himself a hundred miles from here, as to be on top of me." It was now too dark to continue the search around the ruins, and taking the few things they had found with them, they returned to the new post. "We had better not say anything about Bevoir and his crowd," said James Morris as they journeyed along. "Let the men and the Indians find it out for themselves." "All right, father; just as you say," answered Dave. "But when they find it out, what then?" "Then let the men say what they please. We will try to avoid a quarrel." "Jean Bevoir hates White Buffalo worse than poison." "I do not doubt it, for White Buffalo accused him several times of cheating the hunters of his tribe out of a reasonable exchange for their furs. Bevoir got the Indians drunk and then literally robbed them." "He dealt principally in rum, didn't he?"