Part 13 (1/2)
”Has Te-o-kun-ko a white boy prisoner with him?” the General went on.
As soon as the question was interpreted, the Indian shot one swift glance at the faces of the General and those around him, then his eyes half closed again to their former expression of pa.s.sive indifference.
”Nea,” he replied.
”He says, 'no,'” interjected the interpreter.
”No?” exclaimed Sully. ”You know that he has had such a prisoner, don't you?”
”Tush.”
”Well, where is he now?”
”I don't know,” the Indian answered.
The General thought a moment. Then he inquired,
”How long has Te-o-kun-ko been in the camp?”
The prisoner made quite a lengthy reply and the interpreter struggled a moment arranging it into English speech.
”He says, 'He has been in camp only a few days. I saw him just before I came out to scout.'”
”Where did he come from?”
”He came from the south.”
”But where in the south?”
Again the reply was long and was translated,
”I don't know. I didn't talk with him, but some one told me he came from the south.”
”When did you see Te-o-kun-ko last,--that is, previous to his coming into the big camp?” the General inquired.
”I saw him two moons ago on the a.s.souri River, in the country of the Hudson's Bay Company.”
”Did he have the white child with him then?”
”Tush.”
”But you are sure he has not the white child with him now?”
”No, he has not.”
”Well, that will do,” said General Sully, rising from his camp-stool.
”We can't get any more out of him. He's probably lying, anyway,” he added, turning to Al. ”He doesn't want us to think they have any white prisoners. My belief is that your brother is undoubtedly there.”
Al tried to believe so too, but the interview, nevertheless, made him feel uneasy and depressed. He had known little about his brother's whereabouts and condition before, but now, if the Indian's statements were true, he knew less than ever. The search seemed to become more vague and hopeless the further he pursued it and he began almost to despair of ever seeing Tommy again. Had it not been for the many duties he had to perform and the increasing interest in events before them as they approached nearer to the hostile army, he would have lost heart altogether. But matters crowding fast upon each other forced him largely to forget himself and his private problems.