Auguste sat in a cold fury as he heard, for the first time, an account of the war between the British Band and the people of Illinois as many pale eyes must have seen it. A murdering band of savages had invaded the state. The brave volunteers had pursued them, endured the loss of comrades, but eventually had triumphed, administering a righteous retaliation by exterminating most of the invaders. Bennett, a lean man whose rounded shoulders gave him a serpentine look, turned to Thomas Ford. "Your witness, sir." Ford, very erect in contrast to Bennett, stood up and walked toward Raoul. "Mr. de Marion, why on the night of September fifteenth, 1831, did you offer a reward of fifty pieces of eight to anyone who would kill your nephew, Auguste de Marion?" "Objection," Bennett called from his seat. "This has nothing to do with the defendant's conduct in the Black Hawk War." "On the contrary Your Honor," said Ford. "It explains how my client got involved in the war." "I'll allow it," said David Cooper. After Ford repeated his question, Raoul said, "I don't remember offering any reward." "I can produce at least ten witnesses who heard you and saw you hold up a money bag." "Well, he provoked me. He'd tried to cheat me out of my inheritance." "Apparently you'd already got control of the estate. By force of arms. Was it necessary to go on and incite men to kill him?" "I figured he might do just what he did--stir up the Sauk against us and try to use them to take the land away from me." Ford turned to the jury, and the spectators could see the incredulous look on his face. Auguste felt a warmth for Ford. He seemed to know what he was doing. But it still made him uneasy to know that his life was in the hands of another man, no matter how competent. "And why were you going to shoot Auguste, when he came to you with a white flag at Old Man's Creek?" "He was trying to lead us into an ambush." Ford sighed, clasped his hands behind his back and took a few paces away from Raoul. He threw an exasperated look at the jury, as if to say, _What can I do with this man?_ Then he turned suddenly and said, "Mr. de Marion, in 1812, when you were just a boy, were you not present at the incident known as the Fort Dearborn Massacre?" "Objection," said Bennett. "This certainly has nothing to do with the man who's on trial." "Goes to the character of the witness, Your Honor," said Ford. "I'll let you ask the question," said Cooper. "Please answer, Mr. de Marion." Raoul hunched over and his face grew darker. "God knows I was at Fort Dearborn." "And did you not see your sister horribly murdered by Indians. Were you not subjected to two years of captivity and slavery?" "I did. I was." The words came out in a hoarse whisper.