'Yes,' continued Uncle Lambert, thoughtfully, 'I must confess I thought it a little unlikely at first that you should have been annoyed by Red Indians; but, of course, when I remembered the Earl's Court Show, I saw at once that it was quite possible.' Clarence felt a cold qualm. He had, as we already know, seen Buffalo Bill's wonderful show, which, indeed, was responsible for much of his recent military enthusiasm. But till that moment, curiously enough, it had not occurred to him to connect the mysterious Wah Na Sa Pash Boo with the denizens of the Wild West whom he had seen careering about the immense arena at Earl's Court. 'Do you mean,' he said, with an effort, 'that you thought some of Buffalo Bill's Indians had managed to _escape_?' 'Well, I don't know any other way to account for such a thing. Do you?' Clarence did not answer this question directly: 'But,' he objected desperately, 'those were _converted_ Indians. They went to church, and the Lyceum, and all that!' Uncle Lambert shrugged his shoulders: 'Once an Indian always an Indian!' he said. 'They must have their fling now and then, I suppose, and then the old Adam crops up. And you see,' he added, 'it cropped up in that attack on you the other night. Fortunately for us, and indeed for the whole country, you were prepared for them--otherwise no one can tell what horrors we might not have seen.' 'We may--we may see them yet!' said the hero, gloomily. 'Just look at this, Mr. Jolliffe.' Lambert took the bark from him, and read it with a thoughtful frown. At last he said: 'Well, I rather expected something of this sort when I saw you posting up all those insulting notices--Indians are so confoundedly touchy, you know.' 'You might have said that at the time, then!' exclaimed the General reproachfully. Lambert lifted his eyebrows. 'My dear chap, I thought you knew. Wasn't that what you were all driving at?' 'Not me,' said Clarence. 'I was against it from the first. I told them it was caddish to insult a fallen foe, but they would go and stick up those _beastly_ notices.' 'All's well that ends well, eh? You've got a rise out of 'em this time. I congratulate you, my boy, on getting the chance of a second brush with the Indians. And this time you'll have the army with you.' 'A lot of good they are!' said Clarence, in a muffled voice. 'Come, it's not good form for a General to run down his troops; but you heroes are always so modest. I'll be bound, now, you've determined not to mention this in the house till the danger is passed?' 'No, I haven't, though. I shall mention it, most likely. Why not?' 'To save them useless anxiety. Because, unless I am wrong, you see cause to apprehend (I must ask you not to conceal anything from me)--to apprehend that this will be a more serious affair than the last?' 'Yes, I do,' replied the General, promptly, 'a good deal.'