"See, it this," he said, and for the moment his face had ceased to grin. "I see much. I learn much. See." He waved an arm, comprehensively taking in the whole countryside. "White men all dead--all kill. Beacon--it gone. Fort--it gone. Farm--all gone. So. Miles an' miles. They all kill. Soldiers, come by south. They, too, all kill. Indian man everywhere. So. To-morrow they eat up dis farm. So. They kill all." "Wal?" Seth seemed quite unconcerned by the man's graphic picture. At once Jim Crow assumed a look of cunning. His eyes became narrower slits than ever. "So. It dis way," he said, holding up a hand and indicating each finger as he proceeded to make his points. "Black Fox--him angry. Much. Big soldier men come from north. They fight--very fierce, an' tousands of 'em. They drive Indian back, back. Indian man everywhere kill. So. They come. Chief him much angry. Him say, 'They come. But I kill all white men first.' So to-morrow he burn the farm right up, an' kill everybody much dead." "And the soldiers are near?" The white man's words were coldly inquiring, but inwardly it was very different. A mighty hope was surging through him. The awful suspense had for the moment dropped from his sickening heart, and he felt like shouting aloud in his joy. The Indian saw nothing of this, however. "Yes, they near. So. One sun." Seth heard the news and remained silent. One day off! He could hardly realize it. He turned away and scanned the horizon. Jim Crow grew impatient. "An' the fi' dollar?" There was something so unsophisticated in the man's rascality that Seth almost smiled. He turned on him severely, however. "You've been workin' with your countrymen, murderin' an' lootin', an' now you see the game's up you come around to me, ready to sell 'em same as you'd sell us. Say, you're a durned skunk of an Indian!" "Jim Crow no Indian. I, Jim Crow, scout," the man retorted. Seth eyed him. "I see. You figger to git scoutin' agin when this is through. Say, you're wuss'n I thought. You're wuss'n----" He broke off, struck with a sudden thought. In a moment he had dropped his tone of severity. "See, I'm goin' to hand you twenty dollars," he said, holding the other's shifty eyes with his own steady gaze, "if you've a notion to earn 'em an' act squar'. Say, I ken trust you if I pay you. You ain't like the white Injun, Nevil Steyne, who's bin Black Fox's wise man so long. After he'd fixed the mischief he gits around to us an' turns on the Indians. He's fought with us. An' he's goin' to fight with us to-morrow. He's a traitor to the Indians. You belong to the whites, and you come to help us when you can. Now, see here. You're goin' to make north hard as hell 'll let you, savee? An' if the soldiers git here at sundown to-morrow night, I'm goin' to give you twenty dollars, and I'll see you're made head scout agin." Seth waited for his answer. It came in a great tone of self-confidence. "I, Jim Crow, make soldiers dis night. So."