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           ButDuncan,who,indeferencetotheother’sskillandservices,hadhithertosubmittedsomewhatimplicitlytohisdictation,nowassumedthesuperior,withamannerthatwasnoteasilyresisted.Hewavedhishand,insignofhisdisliketoallremonstrance,andthen,inmoretemperedlanguage,hecontinued—

           "Youhavethemeansofdisguise;changeme;paintme,too,ifyouwill;inshort,altermetoanything—afool."

           "ItisnotforonelikemetosaythathewhoisalreadyformedbysopowerfulahandasProvidence,standsinneedofachange,"mutteredthediscontentedscout."Whenyousendyourpartiesabroadinwar,youfinditprudent,atleast,toarrangethemarksandplacesofencampment,inorderthattheywhofightonyoursidemayknowwhenandwheretoexpectafriend."

           "Listen,"interruptedDuncan;"youhaveheardfromthisfaithfulfollowerofthecaptives,thattheIndiansareoftwotribes,ifnotofdifferentnations.Withone,whomyouthinktobeabranchoftheDelawares,issheyoucallthe‘dark-hair’;theother,andyoungeroftheladies,isundeniablywithourdeclaredenemies,theHurons.Itbecomesmyyouthandranktoattemptthelatteradventure.Whileyou,therefore,arenegotiatingwithyourfriendsforthereleaseofoneofthesisters,Iwilleffectthatoftheother,ordie."

           Theawakenedspiritoftheyoungsoldiergleamedinhiseyes,andhisformbecameimposingunderitsinfluence.