Cris did full justice to the humble fare, although he made rather a wry face at the gourd of spring water with which he was invited by his captors to wash down the frugal repast. Mastering his aversion, he, however, managed to swallow a few mouthfuls. Supper over, two of his captors wrapped themselves up in their blankets, and immediately fell asleep. The other two remained awake, watching him. Carrol saw that any attempt to escape under the eyes of two Indians would be idle. One he might have coped with, even unarmed as he was. Two would be more than a match for him, and he knew that on the slightest alarm the sleeping men would awake, making it four to one. With the philosophy of a stoic he threw himself upon the ground, and also fell asleep. He awoke once in the night to find that his guard had been changed. There was no better prospect of freedom than before. "Dura them! they're bound to fix me, I kin see that plain enough. Besides, with these 'tarnal all-fired thongs cuttin' into my elbows, what could I do?" Apparently nothing, for with a muttered curse at his own stupidity, he again composed himself to slumber. With the dawn of morning Cris Carrol and his captors continued their journey. They made no other halt before reaching the town. Carrol in vain tried to draw from them the reason of their unexpected presence at so great a distance from the residence of the tribe. They gave him no satisfaction. He discovered, however, that whatever errand they had been sent on, they had failed in accomplishing it, and his own capture began to be considered by him as a peace offering with which they intended to mollify Wacora's wrath at their want of success in the mission with which they had been charged. "Wal," reflected he, "I suppose I'm in some poor devil's place; perhaps I mout take more pleasure in doing him this good turn if I only knowed who he is. No doubt he's got some folks as 'ud grieve over him, but there ain't a many as will fret over Cris Carrol, not as I know on--yes, all right! go ahead. Let's go whar glory waits us, ye catawampous scamps, you. Ah! four to one; if it had been two to one, or, at a pinch, three to one, I'd have tried it on, if it had cost me all I've got, and that's my life--yah! it's almost enough to make one turn storekeeper to think on't." Unmoved by the taunts and jeers which Cris liberally bestowed upon them during the journey, the Indians continued to watch him narrowly. It was about mid-day when they arrived at their destination. On entering the Indian town Carrol was thrust into one of the houses, where he was left to await the order of Wacora as to his final disposition. Four guards were kept over him, two inside the house, the other two without. He expected immediate death, but he was left undisturbed for the rest of the day, and at night received some supper, consisting of dried meat, bread, and water. He was then permitted to pass the hours till morning as seemed best to him.