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Chapter 6 Structuring System Requirements: Process Modeling 1

Chapter 6
Structuring System Requirements:
Process Modeling

Chapter Overview
This chapter continues the discussion of systems analysis, introducing students to
requirements structuring. Specifically, students are introduced to process modeling and
logic modeling. Although there are several methods and techniques available for
process modeling, this chapter focuses on Data-flow Diagrams (DFDs) because they
have been popular for many years, especially in the structured analysis and design
literature. Also, many CASE tools have incorporated DFDs into their sets of system
development tools and techniques.

Structured English and decision tables are the two logic models presented in this
chapter. The chapter discusses how Structured English statements are used to
represent the basic constructs in structured programming: sequence, choice, and
repetition. Decision tables are discussed in reference to how they can represent more
complicated processing logic than simple Structured English statements.

Instructional Objectives
Specific student learning objectives are included at the beginning of the chapter. From
an instructor’s point of view, the objectives of this chapter are to:

1. Show how data-flow diagrams can logically model processes.

2. Teach students data-flow diagram symbols and the mechanical rules necessary for
them to create accurate and well-structured process models.

3. Show students how to decompose data-flow diagrams into lower-level diagrams.

4. Illustrate the concept of balanced DFDs.

5. Explain and demonstrate the differences among the four types of DFDs: current
physical, current logical, new physical, and new logical.

6. Illustrate how data-flow diagrams can be used as tools to support systems analysis.

7. Show how Structured English can be used to model process logic.

8. Demonstrate how decision tables can be used to represent the logic of choice in
conditional statements.

9. Explain that process modeling for Internet-based electronic commerce applications

is no different than the process used for other applications.

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Chapter 6 Structuring System Requirements: Process Modeling 2

Classroom Ideas
1. Use Figures 6–2 and 6–6 to illustrate the basic DFD symbols and the correct and
incorrect ways to draw the diagrams. Use Figure 6–3 to demonstrate the problem
with trying to include sources/sinks inside the system being modeled.

2. Once you have taught the basics of drawing DFDs, have students complete
Problems and Exercises 1 through 3 and 8 as in-class exercises that you can then
go over in class.

3. Figures 6–4, 6–5, 6–7, 6–8, and 6–9 can be used in class to teach decomposition.
These can be followed with students completing Problems and Exercises 4 and 10
in-class.

4. Use Figure 6–10 to illustrate unbalanced DFDs.

5. Supplement the material in this chapter on DFD mechanics, decomposition, and

balancing with your own examples, which you can work through together in class.
A good source of such examples is written organizational procedure statements.
Modified procedure statements also make good homework problems. See
Problems and Exercises 10 and 11 for examples. It is probably best to devote at
least one complete class period to working through examples. Students can
prepare these diagrams outside of class or try for the first time in class. Many
issues arise that are best handled from examples, such as the following difficulties
that students often encounter:

• identifying when to show a direct data flow between processes and

when to decouple these with a data store (emphasize that data
stores allow different processes to work at different rates and at
different times).
• deciding what activities to encompass with each process (emphasize
the principle of cohesion and the goal of each process being of
roughly equal size and complexity).
• distinguishing processes from sinks and sources (emphasize factors
such as audience and the ability to change or control in making such
distinctions).
• logical inconsistencies or ambiguities in narrative descriptions
(emphasize that this is the power of DFDs and the typical interaction
between requirements structuring and requirements determination
necessary to resolve such ambiguities).

6. Use a CASE tool in class to demonstrate other ways to model processes other than
DFDs. Have students compare and contrast these alternative methods with DFDs.

7. Using a CASE tool that supports DFDs, show in class how the tool provides for
decomposition and balancing and how DFDs are linked to the CASE repository.
Later, when teaching Chapter 6, you can show how the repository links DFDs and
entity-relationship diagrams.

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Chapter 6 Structuring System Requirements: Process Modeling 3

8. Use a CASE tool in class to show how the tool checks for completeness,
consistency, and other elements of analysis as discussed in the chapter.

10. Work through both decision table examples contained in the text, using Figures 6–
14 and 6–15, then work through Figures 6–16 and 6–17.

Lecture Notes
As illustrated in Figure 6–1, requirements structuring is the second of the three primary
analysis phases. This chapter introduces students to two methods useful for structuring
requirements: process modeling and logic modeling,

Process Modeling

Process modeling graphically represents the processes that capture, manipulate, store,
and distribute data between a system and its environment and among components
within a system. The data-flow diagram (DFD) is the type of process model discussed
in Chapter 6. During requirements determination, information is collected about the
current and new systems. The project team will structure this information into
meaningful representations of the current and new systems. The requirements
structuring process results in several deliverables, including a context data-flow diagram,
DFDs of the current system, DFDs of the new system, and a thorough description of
each DFD component. The process modeling deliverables are listed in Table 6–1.
CASE tools facilitate the preparation of these diagrams.

Data-Flow Diagramming Mechanics

Four symbols are used on data-flow diagrams; these symbols represent data flows, data
stores, processes, and source/sinks. The Gane and Sarson symbol set is illustrated in
Figure 6–2 and is the symbol set used in this textbook. A data flow represents data that
are in motion and moving as a unit. A data flow is represented by an arrow on the data-
flow diagram. A database query, sales report, or order are examples of data flows. In
contrast to a data flow, a data store represents data at rest. On a data-flow diagram, a
data store is represented as a rectangle with its right vertical line missing. A notebook,
file folder, or customer database are examples of data stores. A process, represented
as a rectangle with rounded corners, represents the works or actions performed on data.
Sources/sinks are the origin and/or destination of data and are represented on the
data-flow diagram as squares or rectangles. Suppliers, customers, and a bank are
examples. As it relates to sources/sinks, we are not interested in the interactions that
occur between sources and sinks, what a source or sink does with information or how it
operates, how to control or redesign a source or sink, and how to provide sources and
sinks with direct access to stored data. Figure 6–3 contrasts an incorrectly drawn DFD
(a process is shown as a sink) with one that is correctly prepared.

The Hoosier Burger case illustrates the DFD development process. The boundary or
scope of Hoosier Burger’s food-ordering system is represented by a context diagram;
this diagram, illustrated in Figure 6–4, also shows the system’s interactions with its

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Chapter 6 Structuring System Requirements: Process Modeling 4

environment. The context diagram contains only one process labeled “0” and no data
stores. After the context diagram is prepared, a level-0 diagram is drawn. The food-
ordering system’s level-0 diagram is shown in Figure 6–5. The level-0 diagram
represents a system’s major processes, data flows, and data stores at a high level of
detail.

The preparation of data-flow diagrams (DFDs) is governed by a set of rules; these rules
are summarized in Table 6–2. Two additional DFD diagramming rules are that the
inputs to a process are different from the outputs of that process and DFD objects have
unique names. Figure 6–6 shows the incorrect and correct ways to draw data-flow
diagrams. The context diagram is functionally decomposed into finer and finer detail,
resulting in the preparation of several levels of diagrams. A level-n diagram is a DFD that
is the result of n nested decompositions of a series of subprocesses from a process on a
level-0 diagram. Functional decomposition will continue until a subprocess cannot be
exploded into more detail. Primitive DFDs are the lowest level DFDs. The level-1
diagram appearing in Figure 6–7 is a decomposition of Process 1.0 on the level-0
diagram. Figure 6–8 shows a level 1 diagram. Figure 6–9 shows a level-2 diagram.

DFDs should be balanced, meaning that the inputs and outputs to a process are
conserved at the next level of decomposition. Figure 6–10 shows a set of unbalanced
DFDs. Figure 6–11 provides an example of a data-flow splitting. Table 6–3
summarizes four advanced diagramming rules. These rules address splitting composite
data flows into component data flows at the next level, the conservation principle, an
exception to balancing, and minimizing clutter on the DFD.

Using Data-Flow Diagramming in the Analysis Process

Completeness, consistency, timing considerations, the iterative nature of drawing DFDs,

and drawing primitive DFDs are five additional data-flow diagramming guidelines. DFD
completeness is the extent to which all necessary components on a data-flow diagram
have been included and fully described. CASE tools can help identify areas where the
diagrams are incomplete. It is important that each DFD element be described in the
CASE repository. DFD consistency is the extent to which information contained on one
level of a set of nested data-flow diagrams is also included on other levels. Again,
CASE tools can be used to detect inconsistencies among diagrams. DFDs do not
represent time, thus they do not reflect how often a processing activity occurs. Because
diagrams are generally not perfect on the first try, these diagrams are modified, resulting
in iterative development.

As mentioned previously, primitive DFDs are the lowest level of diagramming. The
analyst has probably reached the primitive level when she has reduced each process to
a single decision or calculation; each data store represents data about a single entity;
the system user does not care to see any more detail; every data flow does not need to
be split further to show that different data are handled in various ways; each business
form or transaction, computer online display, and report has been shown as a single
data flow; and there is a separate process for each choice on all lowest-level menu
options.

Data-flow diagrams are useful for performing gap analysis and for identifying system
inefficiencies. Gap analysis is the process of discovering discrepancies between two or

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Chapter 6 Structuring System Requirements: Process Modeling 5

more sets of data-flow diagrams or discrepancies within a single DFD. Gap analysis
helps identify redundant data flows, data that are captured and not used by the system,
and data that are updated identically in more than one location. CASE tools aid in this
analysis.

The IBM Credit Corporation is used as an example of how DFDs are useful during
business process reengineering. As Figures 6–12 and 6–13 illustrate, data-flow
diagrams made visualizing and analyzing the financing process much easier.

Logic Modeling

Because data-flow diagrams do not show the inner workings of processes, logic models
are useful for showing this internal logic. Decision tables are a popular method for
modeling system logic. In many instances, decision logic is quite complex, and often,
decision tables are best suited for these situations. A decision table is a matrix
representation of the logic of a decision, which specifies the possible conditions for the
decision and resulting actions. A decision table consists of three parts: condition
stubs, action stubs, and rules. A decision table can be simplified by removing
indifferent conditions. Figure 6–14 shows a complex decision table; Figure 6–15
shows the simplified version. The basic procedures for decision table construction are:
(1) name the conditions and the values each condition can assume; (2) name all
possible actions that can occur; (3) list all possible rules; (4) define the actions for each
rule; and (5) simplify the decision table. Figure 6–16 shows a decision table for the
Hoosier Burger’s inventory reordering system; Figure 6–17 shows the simplified table.

PVF WebStore: Process Modeling

The authors use Pine Valley’s WebStore to illustrate process modeling for an electronic
commerce application. This example shows that process modeling for electronic
commerce applications is the same as for more traditional application development
projects. Table 6–4 outlines the WebStore’s system structure and corresponding Level-
0 processes. Figure 6–18 is a Level-0 DFD for the WebStore.

Key Terms Checkpoint Solutions

Answers for the Key Terms Checkpoint section are provided below. The
number following each key term indicates its location in the key term
list.

1. data-flow diagram (5) 11. DFD consistency (9)

2. balancing (2) 12. level-n diagram (13)

3. condition stubs (3) 13. process (15)

4. level-0 diagram (12) 14. rules (17)

5. source/sink (18) 15. data store (6)

6. indifferent condition (11) 16. process modeling (16)

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Chapter 6 Structuring System Requirements: Process Modeling 6

7. context diagram (4) 17. gap analysis (10)

8. primitive DFD (14) 18. action stubs (1)

9. DFD completeness (8)

10. decision table (7)

Review Questions Solutions

1. What is a data-flow diagram? Why do systems analysts use data-flow
diagrams?
A data-flow diagram is a picture of the movement of data between external entities
and the processes and data stores within a system. Systems analysts use data-
flow diagrams to help them model the processes internal to an information system
as well as how data from the system’s environment enter the system, are used by
the system, and are returned to the environment. DFDs help analysts understand
how the organization handles information and what its information needs are or
might be. Analysts also use DFDs to study alternative information handling
procedures during the process of designing new information services.

2. Explain the rules for drawing good data-flow diagrams.

The rules for DFDs are listed in Table 6–2 and illustrated in Figure 6–6.
Processes cannot have only outputs, cannot have only inputs, and must have a
verb phrase label. Data can move to a data store from only a process, not from
another data store or an outside source. Similarly, data can be moved to only an
outside sink or to another data store by a process. Data to and from external
sources and sinks can be moved by only processes. Data flows move in one
direction only. Both branches of a forked or a joined data flow must represent the
same data. A data flow cannot return to the process from which it originated.

3. What is decomposition? What is balancing? How can you determine if

DFDs are not balanced?
Decomposition is the iterative process by which a system description is broken
down into finer and finer detail, creating a set of diagrams in which one process
on a given diagram is explained in greater detail on a lower–level diagram.
Balancing is the conservation of inputs and outputs to a data-flow diagram
process when that process is decomposed to a lower level. You can determine if
a set of DFDs are balanced or not by observing whether or not a process that
appears in a level-n diagram has the same inputs and outputs when decomposed
for a lower-level diagram.

4. Explain the convention for naming different levels of data-flow diagrams.

The highest level DFD is called a context diagram. It represents the system as a
single process, with all the related entities and the data flows in and out of the
system. The next level diagram, called a level-0, decomposes the one process
from the context diagram into between two to nine high-level processes. Each
process in a level-0 diagram can be decomposed, if necessary. Each resulting
diagram is called a level-1. Should processes in a level-1 diagram be

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Chapter 6 Structuring System Requirements: Process Modeling 7

decomposed, each resulting diagram would be called a level-2 diagram. Each of

these processes would be decomposed on a level-3 diagram, and so on.

5. How can data-flow diagrams be used as analysis tools?

DFDs can be used as analysis tools to help determine the completeness of a
system model and a model’s internal consistency, as a way to determine when
system events occur through analyzing timeliness, and, through iterative use, to
develop and check models. Analysts can study DFDs to find excessive
information handling, thus identifying areas for possible efficiencies.

6. Explain the guidelines for deciding when to stop decomposing DFDs.

You can stop decomposing a DFD when the following six conditions are satisfied:

(1) each process is a single decision or calculation or a single database

operation, such as retrieve, update, create, delete, or read;
(2) each data store represents data about a single entity, such as a customer,
employee, product, or order;
(3) the system user does not care to see any more detail, or when you and other
analysts have documented sufficient detail to do subsequent systems
development tasks;
(4) every data flow does not need to be split further to show that different data are
handled in different ways;
(5) you believe that you have shown each business form or transaction, computer
screen, and report as a single data flow; and
(6) you believe there is a separate process for each choice on all lowest–level
menu options for the system.

7. How do you decide if a system component should be represented as a

source/sink or as a process?
Sources and sinks are always outside of the system being considered. They are
of interest to the system being considered only because they represent sources of
data coming into the system and destinations for data leaving the system. If any
data processing occurs inside a source or sink, it should be of no interest to the
system being modeled. If the processing is of interest, however, or if the identified
source/sink has several inputs and outputs to and from the rest of the system, it
may be better considered as an internal process.

8. What unique rules apply to drawing context diagrams?

Context diagrams have only one process that represents the entire system being
modeled and shows only the data flows into and out of the system. The diagram
also includes sources and sinks, which represent the system’s environmental
boundaries. There are usually no data stores in a context diagram.

9. Explain what the term DFD consistency means and provide an example.
DFD consistency is the extent to which information contained on one level of a set
of nested data-flow diagrams is also included on other levels. Balancing errors
are one type of consistency violation mentioned in the textbook. For instance, a

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Chapter 6 Structuring System Requirements: Process Modeling 8

payment data flow that appears on a level-1 diagram, but not on the level-0
diagram, is a consistency violation.

10. Explain what the term DFD completeness means and provide an example.
DFD completeness is the extent to which all necessary components of a data-flow
diagram have been included and fully described. A data store that does not have
any data flows coming into or out of it is a completeness violation.

11. How well do DFDs illustrate timing considerations for systems? Explain
your answer.
Timing considerations are not noted on DFDs. For instance indications of whether
a process occurs hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly are not made.

12. How can data-flow diagrams be used in business process redesign?

DFDs can graphically illustrate, at varying levels of detail, how a process or
processes work. Analysts can study DFDs of the current system and identify
areas of inefficiency. Analysts can prepare DFDs for the new system, identifying
changes for the new system.

13. What is the purpose of logic modeling? What techniques are used to model
decision logic and what techniques are used to model temporal logic?
The purpose of logic modeling is to show the rules that govern the behavior of
processes represented in data-flow diagrams. Decision tables model decision
logic. State diagrams model temporal logic.

14. What are the steps in creating a decision table? How do you reduce the size
and complexity of a decision table?
The steps for creating a decision table are:

(1) name the conditions and the values each condition can assume;
(2) name all possible actions that can occur;
(3) list all possible rules;
(4) define the actions for each rule; and
(5) simplify the decision table.

To reduce the size and complexity of a decision table, use separate, linked
decision tables, or use numbers that indicate sequence rather than Xs where
rules and action stubs intersect. Also, the analyst should identify indifferent
conditions and simplify the decision table.

15. What formula is used to calculate the number of rules a decision table must
cover?
To determine the number of rules a decision table must cover, simply determine
the number of values each condition may have and multiply the number of values
for each condition by the number of values for every other condition.

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Chapter 6 Structuring System Requirements: Process Modeling 9

Problems and Exercises Solutions

1. Using the example of an online cell phone apps store, list relevant data
flows, data stores, processes, and sources/sinks. Draw a context diagram
and a level-0 diagram that represent the app store. Explain why you chose
certain elements as processes versus sources/sinks.
A suggested context diagram and level-0 diagram are provided below.

Context Diagram:

CUSTOMER Customer Order

Receipt
0
Report of Purchase Payment Information
Apps Store

APPS PAYMENT
Confirmation of Payment
DEVELOPER PROCESSOR

Level-0 Diagram:
1.0
Receive and
Process Confirmation of Payment PAYMENT
CUSTOMER Customer Order
Customer PROCESSOR
Receipt Payment Information
Order

App Sale Data

2.0
D1: App Sales
Formatted Sale Data Update App
History
Sales History

3.0
Generate App APPS
Monthly Sales Data Report of Purchase
Sales Data DEVELOPER
Report

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Chapter 6 Structuring System Requirements: Process Modeling 10

2. Using the example of checking out a book from your university or college
library, draw a context diagram and a level-0 diagram. A suggested
context diagram and a level-0 diagram are provided below.

Context Diagram:

0
Book Checkout LIBRARY
Request LIBRARY Book Availability
PATRON Information
WEB
CHECK-OUT
Book Loan Information CATALOG
SYSTEM

Level-0 Diagram:

1.0 LIBRARY
PATRON Book Checkout Receive WEB
Request Checkout Information on
CATALOG
Request Book Requested

Book Availability
Information on
Information
Patron Requesting
Book
2.0 3.0
Determine 5.0
Determine
Patron Update
Book
Eligibility Library Web
Disposition
Catalog

Patron Eligibility
Information Changes in Checkout Status
Book Disposition
Information
Book Loan
4.0 Book Information D1: Library
Information
Process Book Checkout Status Catalog
Request

3. Evaluate your level-0 DFD from Problem and Exercise 2 using the rules for
drawing DFDs in this chapter. Edit your DFD so that it does not break any of
these rules.
Students should go through the rules discussed in this chapter (and presented in
Table 6–2 and Figure 6–6) one at a time and check each of their data-flow
diagrams. Alternatively, if the students are using a CASE tool to create their data-
flow diagrams, the CASE tool may be used to automatically check for errors in the
diagrams. There are no rule violations in the example DFDs, but we cannot verify
that there are no logical problems until we decompose the diagrams to a primitive
level. One obvious missing system capability is how to handle invalid orders;
typically, processes to handle abnormal conditions, like invalid orders, are shown
on primitive or at least low-level diagrams.

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

 Chapter 6 Structuring System Requirements: Process Modeling 11

4. Choose an example like that in Problem and Exercise 2, and draw a context
diagram. Decompose this diagram until it doesn’t make sense to continue.
Be sure that your diagrams are balanced, as discussed in this chapter.
Students may choose a variety of situations to use for the nth level data-flow
diagrams for this answer. Basically, students should continue the process of
decomposition until they have reached the point where no subprocess can
logically be broken down further (i.e., each process meets the definition of a
primitive process). See the level-1 data-flow diagram for this exercise, which
shows a sample decomposition of the process titled Finalize Order from the level-
0 data-flow diagram provided for Problem and Exercise 3. The (italicized) labels
for processes and sources/sinks without borders represent the origin or
destination of flows that pass between this subsystem and other system
components. Note that the Goods Sold File is a potential black hole or should
possibly be treated as a sink.
Problem and Exercise #4
Level-1 Diagram
Level-1 Diagram

Cap & Gown

Validate Order
Company

Cap and Gown Order

2.3
2.1 2.2
Receipt Receipt Generate
Generate Log Goods Sold
Information For
Receipt Data
Shipping

Goods Sold Data Inventory Data

Valid Order Information

Goods Sold File Update Inventory File

Validate Order

5. Refer to Figure 6-19 A and B, which contains drafts of a context and a level-
0 DFD for a university class registration system. Identify and explain
potential violations of rules and guidelines on these diagrams.
Some errors and peculiarities in these diagrams include:

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Chapter 6 Structuring System Requirements: Process Modeling 12

• In the level–0 diagram, the data store, Class Roster, does not have
the data flow, Scheduled Classes, flowing into it. Rather, this data
flow connects processes 2 and 3; thus, these DFDs are not
balanced.
• Process 1 appears to accomplish nothing since its inflow and outflow
are identical; such processes are uninteresting and probably
unnecessary; it is possible that this process will become interesting
when it is decomposed, where validation and error handling
processes might appear.
• Process 2 does not appear to need Course Request as input in order
to perform its function, as implied by its name.
• Some students may also wonder if process 3 has input sufficient to
produce its output; for example, where are prior class registrations
kept so that process 3 can determine when a course is full?

6. What is the benefit of creating multiple levels of DFDs? Consider the

concept of DFD consistency, as described on page 181. Why is consistency
important to take advantage of the multiple levels of DFDs that may be
created?

Creating multiple levels of DFDs assists in ensuring that sufficient levels of detail
can be understood when structuring requirements. By creating multiple levels,
those with a need for a broad overview can focus on context and level-0
diagrams. Those with need for more detail can use the more fully decomposed
diagrams. These diagrams need to remain consistent as missing sources, sinks,
or data flows can cause inconsistency between those referring to higher and lower
level diagrams.

7. Why do you think analysts have different types of diagrams and other
documentation to depict different views (e.g., process, logic, and data) of an
information system?
The various views (e.g., process, logic, data) of an information system each have
their own unique characteristics and provide the most relevant information to
different information system specialists. This variety is best understood,
expressed, and managed by using diagrams and documentation that are
specifically tailored for each view of the system. For example, data-flow diagrams
are useful for capturing the flow of data through business processes, but they are
not useful for describing the forms and relationships among data. As information
systems become larger and more complex, it becomes even more important to
use the right tool and technique to develop each component of an information
system. One technique that captured all aspects of an information system model
on one diagram or in one notation would likely be too complex for systems
professionals to handle.

8. Consider the DFD in Figure 6–20. List three errors (rule violations) on this
DFD.
Three major errors in Figure 6–20 are:

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Chapter 6 Structuring System Requirements: Process Modeling 13

• Process 1.0 (P2) has only inputs, making it a “black hole”.

• Data flow DF5 should not move directly from source E1 to data store
DS1 without first going through a process.
• Data flow DF1 should not move directly from source E1 to sink E2
without first going through a process.
• Other peculiarities (such as Process 1.0 has label P2 and the data
store has only a label, not a number) are only that, not errors.

9. Consider the three DFDs in Figure 6–21. List three errors (rule violations)
on these DFDs.
These diagrams show the decomposition of process P1 on the level-0 diagram.
Three particular logical errors in Figure 6–21 are:

• The data store DS1, not DS2, should be represented on the level-1
diagram.
• DF6 is an inflow to sub process 1.2 on the level-1 but is an outflow
on the context diagram. The arrow is in reverse.
• Data flow DF3 should be an outflow on the level-1 diagram, and data
flow DF6 should not be on the level-1 diagram.
• Process P1.4.2 has no inputs and is thus a “miracle.”

10. Starting with a context diagram, draw as many nested DFDs as you
consider necessary to represent all of the details of the patient flow
management system described in the following narrative. You must draw at
least a context diagram and a level-0 diagram. In drawing these diagrams, if
you discover that the narrative is incomplete, make up reasonable
explanations to complete the story. Provide these extra explanations along
with the diagrams.

Dr. Frank’s walk-in clinic has decided to go paperless and will use an
information system to help move patient through the clinic as efficiently as
possible. Patients enter the system at the front desk by providing
demographic information to the personnel. If this is the first time the
patient has been seen, insurance and basic demographic information is
collected from the patient. If the patient has been seen previously, the
patient is asked to verify the information pulled from the patient registry.
The front desk person then updates the patient registry and ensures that
the patient has a chart in the electronic medical records system; if not, a
new medical record is started by placing formatted demographics into a
blank medical record. The front desk person then enters the medical
record ID into the system. Next, a medical technician collects the patient’s
health history, weight, height, temperature, blood pressure, and other
medical information, and combines this information with any information
from the patient’s medical record, summarizing the information into a
health trend. A doctor then sees the patient, prescribes medication or
treatment where appropriate based on the medical trend, and sends the
patient to checkout. The employee at checkout updates the patient’s
electronic medical record and provides prescriptions for medications or
treatments and a printed record of the health services received.

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Chapter 6 Structuring System Requirements: Process Modeling 14

CONTEXT DIAGRAM:

Demographic Information 0
Patient Flow
PATIENT Health Information
Treatment Plan
Management
Record of Services System

Level-0 Diagram:

Demographic
Information
PATIENT Treatment Plan

Record of Services

1.0 2.0 Health Information 3.0

Process Electronic Medical Process Create Diagnoses and 4.0
Record ID Prescriptions Finalize Visit
Demographic Health Treatment
Existing Patient Health Trend Information
Information Information Plan
Demographics

Updated
Demographics
D1: Patient
Registry
Prior Health
Information

D2: Electronic
Formatted Updated Health
Demographics
Medical Information
Record

11. a. Starting with a context diagram, draw as many nested DFDs as you
consider necessary to represent all of the details of the engineering
document management system described in the following narrative. You
must draw at least a context diagram and a level-0 diagram. In drawing
these diagrams, if you discover that the narrative is incomplete, make up
reasonable explanations to complete the story. Provide these extra
explanations along with the diagrams.

Projects, Inc. is an engineering firm with approximately 500 engineers that

provide mechanical engineering assistance to organizations, which requires
managing many documents. Projects, Inc. is known for its strong emphasis
on change management and quality assurance procedures. The customer
provides detailed information when requesting a document through a web
portal. An engineer is assigned to write the first draft of the requested
document. Upon completion, two peer engineers review the document to
ensure that it is correct and meets the requirements. These reviewers may
require changes or may approve the document as-is. The document is
updated until the reviewers are satisfied with the quality of the document.
The document is then sent to the customer for approval. The customer can
require changes or accept the document. When the customer requires
changes, an engineer is assigned to make the changes to the document.

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Chapter 6 Structuring System Requirements: Process Modeling 15

When those changes are made, two other engineers must review those
changes. When those reviewers are satisfied with the changes, the
document is sent back to the customer. This may happen through several
iterations until the customer is satisfied with the document.

Context:
Document Requirements
Document Request 0
Document Document Draft
CUSTOMER Document Draft ENGINEERS
Management Document To Review
Acceptance Decision
System Document Review Result

Level-0:
1.0
Process 4.0
Document Request CUSTOMER Document Draft
Document Approve Draft
Request Acceptance Decision

Customer
Requirements for Document 2.0 Required
Complete Changes
Draft Review
Document Draft Required Reviewed
Changes Document Draft

Document Unreviewed
Requirements Document Draft

3.0
ENGINEERS Document To Review Review Draft
Document Review Result

b. Analyze the DFDs you created in Part a. What recommendations for

improvements can you make based on this analysis? Draw new logical
DFDs that represent the requirements you would suggest for an
improved document management system. Remember, these are to be
logical DFDs, so consider improvements independent of technology that
can be used to support the management of these documents.
The DFDs show an inherent weakness in the processes used for the data to
flow. The document may go through several revisions before the customer has
seen any information from the document, thereby wasting a massive amount
of effort. A better process would seek customer input on the requirements that
are used as input into the 2.0 Complete Draft process. This could be done by
extending the process using this as the Level-1 diagram. Note that this is not
balanced with the context diagram above.

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Chapter 6 Structuring System Requirements: Process Modeling 16

Level-1:
1.1
Preliminary Document Receive
Requirements Document
Request
1.2
Approve
Document Document Request
Requirements

Requirements for Approval

4.0
CUSTOMER Document Draft
Req Approval Decision
Approve Draft
Acceptance Decision

1.3
Update
Document
Requirements
Customer
2.0 Required
Approved Requirements for Document Complete Changes
Draft Review
Document Draft Required Reviewed
Changes Document Draft

Document Unreviewed
Requirements Document Draft

3.0
ENGINEERS Document To Review Review Draft
Document Review Result

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Chapter 6 Structuring System Requirements: Process Modeling 17

12. A company has various rules for how payments to suppliers are to be
authorized. Some payments are in response to an approved purchase order.
For approved purchase orders under $5,000, the accounting clerk can
immediately issue a check against that purchase order and sign the check.
For approved purchase orders between $5,000 and $10,000, the accounting
clerk can immediately issue a check but must additionally obtain a second
signature. Payments for approved purchase orders over $10,000 always
require the approval of the accounting manager to issue the check as well
as the signature of two accounting clerks. Payments that are not covered by
a purchase order that are under $5,000 must be approved by the accounting
manager and a departmental manager that will absorb the cost of the
payment into that department’s budget. Such checks can be signed by a
single accounting clerk. Payments that are not covered by a purchase order
that are between $5,000 and $10,000 must be approved by the accounting
manager and a departmental manager, and the check must have two
signatures. Finally, payments that are not covered by a purchase order that
exceed $10,000 must be approved by a department manager, the accounting
manager, and the Chief Financial Officer. Such checks require two
signatures. Use a decision table to represent the logic in this process. Write
down any assumptions you have to make.

Rules
1 2 3 4 5 6
Approved Purchase Order Y Y Y N N N
Purchase Amount S M L S M L

Two Signatures X X X X
Accounting Manager Approval X X X X
Department Manager Approval X X X
CFO Approval X
Purchase Amount:
S = < $5,000
M = $5,000 - $10,000
L = > $10,000

13. A relatively small company that sells eyeglasses to the public wants to
incentivize its sales staff to upsell customers on higher-quality frames,
lenses, and options. To do this, the company has decided to pay the sales
representatives based on a percentage of the profit earned on the glasses.
All sales representatives will earn 15% of the profit on the eyeglasses.
However, the owners are concerned that the sales staff will fear earning less
than they do now. Therefore, those who were already working at the
company are grandfathered into an arrangement where the workers are
guaranteed to earn at least their base salary. Newly hired employees,
however, are guaranteed only minimum wage based on the hours worked.
To ensure only productive employees are retained, employees who are
underperforming for 3 months in a row are automatically terminated. For
those employees who are grandfathered in, any month where the

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Chapter 6 Structuring System Requirements: Process Modeling 18

representative earns only the salary is considered underperforming. For

newer employees, the bottom quarter of the employees based on profit
earned per hour worked are considered underperforming. Use a decision
table to represent the logic in this process. Write down any assumptions
you have to make.

Before reducing, we can have a table like this:

Rules
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Grandfathered in with Salary Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N N N N N N N N
Less Commission than Salary Y Y Y Y N N N N Y Y Y Y N N N N
Less Commission than Minimum Wage Y Y N N Y Y N N Y Y N N Y Y N N
Underperforming for last 2 months Y N Y N Y N Y N Y N Y N Y N Y N

Pay Salary X X X X
Pay Minimum Wage X X X X
Pay Commission Amount X X X X X X X X
Mark as Underperforming X X X X X X X X
Terminate Employment X X X X

After reducing, we have a decision table like this:

Rules
1 2 3 4 5 6
Grandfathered in with Salary Y Y Y N N N
Less Commission than Salary Y Y N - - -
Less Commission than Minimum Wage - - - Y Y N
Underperforming for last 2 months Y N - Y N -

Pay Salary X X
Pay Minimum Wage X X
Pay Commission Amount X X
Mark as Underperforming X X X X
Terminate Employment X X

14. A large technology company receives thousands of applications per day

from software engineers who hope to work for that company. To help
manage the constant flow of applications, a process has been created to
streamline identifying applicants for specific openings as they occur. Those
applications that are not in an approved file format are discarded and not
processed in any way. All applications are first fact-checked automatically
by detecting any inconsistencies with the application and the resume, as
well as other resume sites available online. For any applications with more
than one inconsistency, the application is automatically rejected as
untruthful. Next, the application is checked against the database of other

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Chapter 6 Structuring System Requirements: Process Modeling 19

applications already in the system. If such an application exists, the older

application is purged and the new application continues processing. Any
applications that do not contain at least 15 of the top 200 keywords that the
company is looking for are rejected. Next, the phone numbers of references
are checked to ensure they are a valid, working phone number. These
applicants are then retained in a searchable database. When managers send
a hiring request, the fifty best applications that most closely match the
desired attributes are sent to the manager. That manager selects the top 10
applications, which are then screened for bad credit, with credit scores
below 500 eliminated from the hiring process. If there are at least 5
remaining candidates, they are all invited to participate in phone interviews.
If there are fewer than 5 remaining candidates, the next 10 best matches are
added to the pool and screened for poor credit, and any remaining
candidates are invited to participate in phone interviews. Present this logic
in a decision table. Write down any assumptions you have to make.

Rules
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Valid Format N Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
More than one inconsistency - Y N N N N N N N N N N
Another application exists - - Y Y Y Y Y N N N N N
Contains top key words - - Y Y Y Y N Y Y Y Y N
Phone numbers invalid - - Y N N N - Y N N N -
Among top 10 matches - - - Y Y N - - Y Y N -
Low credit score - - - Y N - - - Y N - -

Reject Application X X X X X X
Purge Old Application X X X X
Retain Application X X X X X X
Phone Interview X X

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Chapter 6 Structuring System Requirements: Process Modeling 20

15. A huge retail store must carefully manage its inventory levels. Stock-outs
(where there is none of an item on a shelf) can cause missed sales, while
too much inventory costs the company money in storage, ties up capital,
and carries the risk of the products losing value. To balance these
requirements, the store has chosen to use just-in-time ordering. To
accomplish this, reorders are automatically generated by an information
system (called the reorder system). Each item has a floor value, which is the
fewest units of an item that should be in the store at all time, as well as a
ceiling value, which is the maximum number of units that can be stored on
the allocated shelf space. Vendors are required to commit to delivering
product in either two days or one week. For vendors of the two day plan, the
reorder system calculates the amount of product purchased by customers
in the past week, doubles the quantity, and then adds the inventory floor.
The quantity on-hand is then subtracted. This is the desired order quantity.
If this quantity added to the current inventory is greater than the ceiling,
then the order quantity is reduced to the ceiling value less on-hand quantity.
If the desired order quantity is greater than the sales for the previous
month, a special report is generated and provided to management and the
order must be approved before being sent to the vendor. All other orders
are automatically placed with the vendor. However, if a product experiences
a stock-out, an emergency order is automatically generated for the ceiling
amount or the quantity sold in the last month, whichever is less. For
vendors on the one week plan, the reorder system calculates the amount of
inventory sold in the last two weeks, doubles the quantity, and then adds
the floor to create the desired stock level. If this level is greater than the
ceiling, the desired stock level is lowered to the ceiling and a report is
generated for management to determine if more space should be allocated.
The on-hand stock is subtracted from the desired stock level, yielding the
desired order level. If the desired order level is greater than the number of
units sold in the last two months, a special report is generated and provided
to management and the order must be approved before being sent to the
vendor. All other orders are automatically placed with the vendor. However,
if a product experiences a stock-out, an emergency order is automatically
generated for the ceiling amount or the quantity sold in the last month,
whichever is less. Present this logic in a decision table. Write down any
assumptions you have to make.

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Chapter 6 Structuring System Requirements: Process Modeling 21

Rules
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Stock-Out N N N N N N N N Y
Delivery Agreement D D D D W W W W -
Desired Order Level Exceeds Ceiling Y Y N N Y Y N N -
Desired Order Exceeds Previous Month Sales Y N Y N - - - - -
Desired Order Exceeds Previous 2 Months Sales - - - - N Y Y N -

Order lesser of ceiling or last month's sales X

Generate report and hold for approval X X X X
Generate report to look at allocated space X X
Lower desired order quantity to ceiling X X X X
Automatically place order with vendor X X X X X

Discussion Questions Solutions

1. Discuss the importance of diagramming tools for process modeling.
Without such tools, what would an analyst do to model diagrams?
Diagramming tools speed the development of DFDs. Most importantly, CASE
tools can aid in the analysis of these diagrams, helping to determine their
completeness and consistency. One alternative that analysts have is to generate
the diagrams by hand. This, however, is a very inefficient, error-prone alternative.

2. Think and write about how data-flow diagrams might be modified to allow
for time considerations to be adequately incorporated.
Students should identify several creative, innovative methods. One suggestion is
to make notations on the data flows and in the processes to indicate their timing.
You might also encourage students to contrast data-flow diagrams with state
diagrams (presented in Appendix A).

3. How would you answer someone who told you that data-flow diagrams were
too simple and took too long to draw to be of much use? What if they also
said that keeping data-flow diagrams up-to-date took too much effort,
compared to the potential benefits?
The simplicity of DFDs is part of their appeal. The information contained in the
DFDs is very useful, understandable, and valuable. DFDs can serve as a
communication tool between analysts and end users, with the end users easily
interpreting the information conveyed in these diagrams. Also, DFDs are very
beneficial for performing gap analysis. A strong argument can be made for the
use of CASE tools and the ability of these tools to speed DFD development, as
well as systems development, and the ease with which CASE tools can update
DFDs.

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Chapter 6 Structuring System Requirements: Process Modeling 22

4. Find another example of where data-flow diagrams were successfully used

to support business process reengineering. Write a report, complete with
DFDs, about what you found.
Encourage students to locate case studies of companies that have recently
undergone a reengineering process. Case studies are available in trade journals,
in the library, and on the Web.

Case Problems Solutions

Pine Valley Case Exercises Solutions

a. Construct a context data-flow diagram, illustrating the Customer Tracking

System’s scope.
A suggested context diagram is provided below.

Pine Valley Furniture, Part a

Context Diagram
Part a Context Diagram
Follow-Up Sales
Existing Online Customer Id Promotion

WebStore New Online Customer ID and Profile Request Customer

Customer’s
Purchase
Existing Online Customer Profile 0 Existing Customer ID
New Customer ID Customer
Tracking New Customer ID and Profile
Online Customer’s Purchase System

Trend
Analysis

Existing Customer
Information

Query New Customer ID

and Profile Request

Purchasing
Management Query-Based Report Fulfillment

b. Construct a level-0 diagram for the Customer Tracking System.

While student interpretations will vary, a suggested answer is provided below.

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Chapter 6 Structuring System Requirements: Process Modeling 23

Pine Valley Furniture, Part b

Part bLevel-0
Level-0
Diagram Diagram

New Customer ID and Profile

Query-Based Report
New Customer ID and Profile
Request
Purchasing
5 Query Management
Fulfillment Existing Customer
Information Generate
Management

Sa
Report

le
s
In
fo
rm
at
Existing Customer ID

io
n
1

Trend Analysis
Existing Online

Matching Customer Profile

Verify Customer Sales

Customer Profile
Customer ID

Inventory Information
Account
Sales Trends

New Customer ID

New Customer ID and

Customer
New Online

Existing
Profile

Online
Customer ID and

Profile
Web Store Profile Request 3
Analyze
Customer
Purchasing
Activity

Inventory Status
Customer Inventory
Purchase History
Customer

Cu
Updated

Reserved Inventory
s to
me
r’s
Re
ce
nt
Pu
Online Customer’s rc
ha
Purchase s eA
2 c ti
Collect vit
y
Customer
Purchasing
e Activity 4
as
rch Generate
Pu Foll
r’s Follow-Up Sales ow-U
me p
s to
Promotion Sale
Cu
s Pro
m otio
n

Purchasing
Customer
Fulfillment

c. Using the level-0 diagram that you constructed above, select one of the
level-0 processes, and prepare a level-1 diagram.
While student interpretations will vary, a suggested answer is provided below.

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

 Chapter 6 Structuring System Requirements: Process Modeling 24

Pine Valley Furniture,

Level-1 DiagramPart c
Level-1 Diagram

Existing Customer Information

New Customer ID and Profile

Purchasing
Fulfillment
New Customer ID and Profile Request

Existing Customer ID

New Customer ID
1.1 Valid New Customer ID and Profile Request 1.2
Existing Online Verify Current Create New
Customer ID Customer Customer ID
Status New Customer ID and Profile and Profile

New Customer ID and

Customer ID
Available
Valid Existing Customer ID

New Online Customer ID and

Profile
Profile Request

WebStore

Customer

Existing Online
1.3 Matching Customer Profile
Customer Profile
Match Existing
Customer ID
with Profile Existing Customer Profile

d. Exchange your diagrams with another class member. Ask your class
member to review your diagrams for completeness and consistency. What
errors did he or she find? Correct these errors.
Encourage students to review the data-flow diagramming rules presented in Table
6-2. Using these rules as a guide, students should then evaluate their
classmates’ diagrams.

2. Hoosier Burger Case Exercises Solutions

a. Modify the Hoosier Burger context-level data-flow diagram (Figure 6–4) to

reflect the changes mentioned in the case.
Student interpretations may vary; a suggested answer follows.

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

Chapter 6 Structuring System Requirements: Process Modeling 25

Context-Level Diagram
Hoosier Burger, Part a
Context-Level Diagram

Delivery Order Receipt Food Order

Delivery Order Request

Customer Kitchen

er
O rd
od
Cus Fo er
to m
liv e
ry O rd
er O
De ry
rde liv e
r De
in g
any
mp
cco
ke tA
T ic
er
O rd
Receipt 0
Food Ordering
System
Delivery Payment/Order Ticket

Management Reports

Restaurant
Manager
Reconciled Delivery Order Report

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

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 “The Windsor people are not in a very strong stockade, and I think
I may succeed. I shall march on the afternoon of to-morrow.”
“Who will you leave here?”
“I don’t know certainly. We shall not be long gone, and I think one
of my blockheads may be trusted for a day. Come, taste this aqua
vitæ, which was sent to me from Manhattan by my worthy friend,
Wilhelem Kieft, and then to bed, to be ready for the morning. ’Tis a
wild night.”
They sat talking for some time over the liquor, and then went to
their couches. Boston wrapped himself warmly in a wolf-skin robe
which lay upon the porch, and lay down to rest; he slept two hours.
When he arose, the storm was at its height, and he could move
about the house with perfect impunity. Walking quickly to a window-
lattice on the south, he gave a single tap upon it, and waited. The
tap was answered from within, and the lattice was raised to allow
Katrine to thrust out her head. She looked so provokingly sweet that
Boston solaced himself with a kiss before a word was said.
“Impudence!” whispered the girl. “I shall close the lattice.”
“No you won’t, my dear. Where is Theresa?”
“Like your impudence to ask. She is in bed, and you ought to be in
yours, instead of tramping about on such a night as this.”
“We have no time to talk. Go in and wake Theresa, and tell her to
open her lattice in half an hour, for one she wots of will come to her
before that time.”
“You are crazy, both of you. It is death for you to be near Good
Hope to-night. Do you not know that Captain Van Zandt is here, and
that he spares none who stand in his way?”
“Little care we,” replied the other, snapping his fingers, “for
Captain Joseph Van Zandt. We know more of his movements than
you think, Katrine. But get you gone, and tell Theresa that Willie is
here. When you have done that, come back to me.”
 “You speak sometimes like one born to command” said Katrine,
looking at him fixedly. “If it should be so—if you should deceive me!”
“Katrine, you mistrust me. Have I ever given you cause?”
She was back in a moment, with one soft arm about his neck. “I
trust you,” was all she said.
“I have a secret from you, my darling,” he said, returning her
embrace. “But, take this to your heart—whatever your station,
whatever mine, I love you entirely. Now, go.”
She opened the door which led into the room of Theresa. She
found her awake, with her head bowed upon a table. Katrine was
not so much a servant as a dear friend to Theresa, and she passed
her arm about her kindly, as she asked why she was sad.
“He is here,” was the answer.
“Who?”
“Van Zandt.”
“I know that; but why should you fear him? Your lover will never
see you forced to be his wife. I will not. My lover will not.”
“Alas, what can they do? Willie is far away.”
“Not so far as you may imagine. I heard a tapping at my window
just now. I opened it, and who do you suppose was there?”
“Hans Drinker,” said Theresa, with a smile, for she knew that the
worthy Dutchman persecuted poor Katrine to the verge of
distraction.
“If I served you rightly,” said Katrine,“I should go back to my
room, and not tell you a single word.”
“But you won’t. Who was it? Carl Anselm?”
“Be careful! It was Bainbridge.”
“I knew he was here. Did he say any thing about Willie?”
 “He told me to bid you rise, and be at your lattice in half an hour,
for Willie Barlow would then be there.”
Theresa clasped her hands in fervent thanksgiving.
“You have brought glad tidings, dear Katrine,” she said. “Sit with
me until he comes. Ah, what is he doing in this frightful storm?”
“It is enough that he is here. You should have seen poor Boston.
Wet—oh, so wet! Like one drownded cat.”
The two sat with clasped hands until a tap came at the lattice.
Theresa rose and opened it softly.
“Who is it?” she whispered.
“Willie,” he replied. Hands and lips met. That hour could not be
forgotten, in any after pain.
 CHAPTER VI.
THE HUMAN COLLISION AND HORSE
COLLAPSE.

The meeting between the lovers was long, and it was only the
wise council of Boston which induced them at length to separate. He
had moved away a little from the window, and was calling in a low
tone upon Willie to make haste, when a chamber lattice was thrown
rudely back, and a gun protruded. It was Captain Van Zandt who
had heard voices.
“Come away,” cried Boston, now careless. “You will spoil all. Obey
me, Sir Lieutenant!”
“How dare he speak in that way?” thought Katrine.
Willie, imprinting a farewell kiss upon the willing lips of Theresa,
bounded away. A stream of fire leaped from the muzzle of the
musket of Van Zandt. A mocking laugh came back in response.
Without a moment’s hesitation, he leaped from the window, sword in
hand, calling upon Van Curter, who was up and armed by this time,
to follow. It is a maxim which all woodsmen should heed, not to
follow an enemy too closely in the dark. But, an angry man is not
apt to take maxims to heart. Van Zandt had recognized the voice of
the peddler, and heard him call “Willie,” and knew full well who were
the intruders and their business.
Boston did not run far. Reaching the edge of a little thicket, he
paused, and waited for the captain, who was only a few feet behind,
hurrying forward at his best pace; when Boston, making a single
forward step, dealt a blow with such fullness and force, that the
furious soldier went down like an ox under the ax of the butcher. No
one, looking at the light frame of the peddler, would have imagined
for a moment that his muscles were developed to such an extent.
No sooner was the blow struck, than he grasped Willie by the arm
and hurried him forward at a quick pace, leaving Van Zandt prostrate
upon the earth.
“Have you hurt him badly?” inquired Willie.
“Oh, no. I hit him behind the ear in the way you wot of. I did not
care to use my weapons.”
“You are right. What shall we do now? I am afraid you have
betrayed yourself. You called out, ‘obey me!’ in a way that made me
start.”
“Katrine suspects too, the little darling. I have promised to tell her
the secret. She shall know it when the house of Good Hope is ours.”
“You have hope, then?”
“When I shall tell you what I have heard this night from the lips of
Jacob Van Curter, you will understand why I have hope. But, we can
not stay now. We must go to Windsor at once. We know the river,
and our canoe is at hand.”
“I am ready to go.”
As they glided from the shore, Van Curter stumbled over the
prostrate form of Joseph. This aroused the captain, and he
staggered to his feet, making a weak attack upon his friend, who
parried his blows with great ease.
“You are mad. It’s I, Van Curter.”
Van Zandt came to his senses.
“I believe I am crazy,” he said. “But what a blow. My head seems
split asunder.”
“What did he strike you with? Ho, there, Hans! Bring the torch
hither. What did he strike you with?”
“It seemed like a clinched hand. And it can not be that a human
hand should have such power. I would sooner be kicked by a horse
than take such another blow.”
“Do you know who struck you?”
“Not I; though when the blow came every sun, moon and star in a
clear sky seemed to blaze close before my eyes. By my faith, I am
dizzy yet.”
“I should think you were. Lean upon me, and let us return to the
house. Do you know who they were?”
“Surely. Who should it be but the worshipful Lieutenant Barlow,
and his friend Bainbridge. I tell you again that he is something more
than he shows upon the outside. S’death, man, he called out to the
lieutenant like a master, I can tell you, and he came at his call.”
“What was it all about?”
“I heard voices under my window, and listened. It was Theresa
talking with Barlow. I threw open my window and called upon him to
speak. But Bainbridge called to his comrade to come away, and I
missed him—it was very dark.”
“By the bones of my father!” cried Van Curter. “Has it gone so far
as that. Follow me.”
He strode into the house, and knocked heavily at his daughter’s
door, ordering her to come forth. She did so, with her garments
thrown loosely about her. She greeted the young man in a hesitating
manner, which went to his heart.
“How is this?” said her father, harshly. “Who dares to come to
Good Hope in the dead of night, to meet the daughter of a Van
Curter? Where is your womanhood, girl? Can you think of this and
not blush?”
Theresa had much of her father’s untamable spirit, and answered
quickly:
“It is no shame to meet one whom I love! And I take no fear in
saying that I love Willie Barlow.”
 “Say you so? Am I bearded to my face by a child of mine? Look
upon Joseph Van Zandt. You were promised to him long ago. He has
waited long years until this hour. And now you—you, of all others,
spit upon the contract of your father, and plight your faith to one of
alien blood! While I live, it shall never be.”
Theresa did not lower her eyes, but met the angry orbs of her
father with a full glance.
“Speak no more of Joseph Van Zandt. Joseph, I am very sorry that
you have set your heart upon a thing which can never be. I do not
love you. But, if report says true, you would not have far to go to
find one who would be true to you in wedlock. But I love you not as
a wife should love, and I never can be yours.”
Van Zandt looked at her a moment, the fierce anger in his heart
blazing in his eyes. He had waited long years for Theresa—had seen
her grow more beautiful, day by day, and now, the torture of hearing
her say that she loved him not! He raised his clinched hand on high,
and brought it down upon the table with a force which made the
glasses ring again.
“God in his mercy keep him out of my sight, or I shall kill him,” he
cried.
“Father!” she cried, “look upon the man you would have me marry.
He is a murderer in his heart.”
“So am I,” her parent answered, moodily. “Girl, get you in. You
shall wed Joseph, as I am your father.”
“I would not have it so,” said Joseph. “I marry no unwilling wife.
But him—let him take care!”
“What would you do?” she half-screamed.
“Murder! You have described the feelings of my heart. If he cross
not my path, well—he is safe. But, if I meet him, God do so to me,
and more also, if both leave the ground alive!”
“He is mad,” she said.
 “You have made me so—you, with your accursed beauty. Blame
that, and nothing more.”
“Get you in, I say,” cried Van Curter. “Do you still tarry to madden
him the more? Get to bed! As for you, Joseph, go to your room and
try to get a little sleep. Remember that in the morning we prepare
for the march.”
“You are right. Now she is gone, I am a man again. I tell you she
maddens me. I did not mean to tell her that, when I spoke. Let him
look to himself, the alien dog!”
“You will have the chance, Joseph, as we march against him, to do
away with him forever. Come, be a man.”
“I am. You have seen me fight, and know my power. I shall do
good service if it comes to blows.”
“Thanks. Go to your room and get a little sleep. You will need it.
To-morrow we shall see Ten Eyck, and secure his horse for your
service.”
“Will he sell it?”
“I shall give him command while we are gone. That will make him
ready to do any thing. Good-night.”
Joseph went up to his room and sat at the open window. The rain
drifted in his face, but he heeded it not. He could hear Van Curter
tramping to and fro in his room, and the voices of Theresa and
Katrine in low conversation below. Before morning, he dropped into
an uneasy slumber, with his head upon the sill. He was waked by the
sound of noisy preparation in the open space below the window. He
sprung up at once, buckled his sword-belt about him, and went
down. He met Theresa in the large room in which he had seen her
the night before. Neither spoke a word; but the glance of mingled
repulsion and fear upon the one side, and of deadly threatening
upon the other, was of greater expression than a volume. He passed
her quickly, with his spurs ringing upon the hard floor, and went out
into the open space, or parade of the House of Good Hope. He was
greeted by a cheer from those of the men who recognized him, for
Captain Van Zandt was known far and near as a brave and skillful
leader. He called to his side a slender youth, who was cleaning a gun
in the corner of the parade. He had a strange face, sharp features,
with thin, cruel lips, receding forehead, and small, glittering, deep-
set eyes. The youth laid down the gun when called by the captain,
and followed him from the stockade to a retired spot outside the
works.
“Carl Anselm,” said the latter, stopping suddenly, and laying his
hand impressively upon the shoulder of the young man, “do you owe
me any thing?”
“A life!” said the boy, quickly.
“You have said often, Carl, that you would like to do me a service.
I do not remind you of your indebtedness to me because I like to
remind people of their obligations; but the time has come when I
need your help.”
“I have waited long,” said the young man. “When I lay under the
hand of the savage Mohawk, and you killed him, I swore to repay
you for the life you gave me. You have made me happy. What would
you have me do?”
“Do you know the road to the Nipmuck village of Wampset?”
“Yes; one of Wampset’s men was here but a day or two ago.”
“Is it far?”
“Twenty miles—so the brave said.”
“It can be done, then. Take your arms and go to the village; find
the chief, Wampset, give him this wampum belt, and tell him that
the sender calls upon him to meet him at the three hills above
Windsor, at midnight, with all the men he can muster. Do not fear for
yourself; there is no Indian who owns the sway of the Nipmucks or
the Mohawks who would lay a hand in anger upon the man who
wears that belt. Put it on.”
 Carl encircled his waist with the wampum belt. “Shall I go now?”
he asked.
“Yes, and make haste; you must have a horse. Ha, Paul
Swedlepipe, come hither.”
That individual, who was passing in a great hurry, came up at the
call.
“Where is that Narragansett pony you bought from the Yankee?”
“In my stable.”
“You must lend him to Carl. We are going on an expedition in
which you are to have an important trust. Can he have the horse?”
“If you will be responsible for him, yes.”
“Go with him, Carl,” said the captain, turning away. “Do not stop a
moment to talk. Kill any one who attempts to stay you. I know you
are good and true. Good-by, and all luck to you.”
In a few moments Carl Anselm, with the wampum belt girt about
his waist, rode out of Good Hope. The captain stepped to the side of
his horse for a parting word:
“Do you know William Barlow, the man who was in Good Hope
last night?”
“I have met him and know him perfectly by sight.”
“He is my enemy. Do you fear him?”
“I fear no man,” replied the youth, drawing himself up proudly.
“What would you have me do?”
“I tell you he is my enemy. Is not that enough for thee? Say, shall
he die, if you meet? Will you give him a grave in the forest?”
“If knives are sharp or bullets dig deep—if water can drown or fire
burn, when we meet he shall die.”
“You are a friend indeed,” cried Joseph, grasping his hand. “Go out
upon your duty, with my thanks for your kindness. And remember,
that in me you always have a friend.”
They shook hands and parted, the young man riding swiftly
forward upon his way, along the bank of the “Happy River,” while
Joseph went back to the camp. On the way, he met Van Curter, who
asked him to go with him to secure the horse of Ten Eyck.
That worthy was reposing in front of his house, smoking a pipe in
great enjoyment. He greeted the approach of the two dignitaries
with a nod of recognition, thinking in his heart how he would crow
over Paul Swedlepipe, who could not boast of the honor of such a
visit.
“Good-day, mynheer, good-day,” said Van Curter. “We have agreed
to go out against Windsor to-day, and, after considerable discussion,
my friend the captain and myself have agreed upon a person to take
command of Good Hope during our absence.”
“Who is it?” asked Ten Eyck, watching the puff of smoke which
ascended in spiral rings from his fair, long pipe.
“What would you say to Paul Swedlepipe?” asked the captain, with
a touch of mischievous humor. “Would he be a good man for the
place?”
“What! Paul Swedlepipe? Do you insult me? I would suggest that
you go and get Hans Drinker’s boy, Jacob, and give him command,
before you take Paul Swedlepipe. To be sure, little Jacob is a fool;
but what of that? Paul is a fool, too.”
“Then you don’t think Paul would do?”
“Nix, no, no!” he cried using all the negatives at his command.
“Well, we concluded, after due discussion, not to take Paul. What
do you say to Hans Drinker?”
“He is a bigger fool than Jacob!”
“Then he won’t do; and, in fact, we didn’t think of having him.
The man we have in our mind is one Ten Eyck!”
 “Ha!” said he, without moving a muscle of his face, “that is
sensible! Oh, Saint Nicholas,” he thought, “won’t I crow over that
Paul Swedlepipe after this!” Then he added aloud: “How many men
do you leave with us?”
“Five. You won’t need many, as our expedition must be kept
secret. Mind that, and don’t blab.”
Ten Eyck nodded his head vigorously, and the captain came to the
principal object of the visit. “You bought a horse yesterday?”
“Yaw,” said he.
“What did you give for him?”
“One hundred and fifty guilders.”
“Ah; the price is large. I want to see the horse. If he is good, I will
give you a hundred and fifty.”
“I sells him den. I puys him,” he went on, now using broken
English, as it was more in sympathy with the subject, “vor fear Paul
Swedlepipe get him. Coom over unt see him.”
The two men followed to the place where the beast had spent the
night. The reader will remember that a tremendous rain had fallen
during the night. The horse had been shut up in a sort of corral of
rails which, however, afforded little shelter.
To describe the puffed-up and vainglorious manner in which Ten
Eyck approached the corral, would be in vain. He seemed to grow
taller, and his head was thrown back to such a fearful extent that
there seemed to be immediate danger of his falling over on his back.
Those familiar with the ballad which some years since was the
delight of the youngsters of this country and of Merry England, “Lord
Bateman,” will remember the engraving representing that individual.
Mynheer Ten Eyck, approaching the corral, was his exact
representative. Mentally, he was crowing over his enemy at every
step. They entered the corral by a bar which was set in holes in two
posts, set upright, about eight feet apart. Ten Eyck put up the bar,
lest the spirited beast should attempt to escape.
 Where was he? There, shivering in one corner of the corral, was a
strange animal, without tail or teeth, for he had dropped them both
in the night; a hide streaked here and there with marks of the
coloring-substance which Boston had used in the metamorphosis;
with drooping head and dejected looks generally. Ten Eyck took in all
at a glance. Sold! fearfully and irrecoverably by the Yankee, aided
and abetted by Paul Swedlepipe!
“Where is your horse?” asked the captain. “Not this, I hope!”
“You have been cheated again,” cried Van Curter.
Ten Eyck glared from side to side for an object upon which to
wreak his vengeance. In that unlucky moment Paul, who had heard
in some way that Joseph intended to buy the horse, and had
followed to see the fun, peeped over the rails. The woebegone face
of his enemy met his eye. It was too much. He burst into a
stentorian laugh. Ten Eyck turned, wrath blazing from his eyes, and
rushed at his foe. Nothing loth, Paul tumbled into the inclosure and
met him half-way. At any other time, Ten Eyck would have known
better than to peril his fame in open battle. But, the last drop had
been put into the pot of his wrath, and it boiled over. They met, like
Ajax and Hector, in the center of the list, and great deeds were
achieved, whereof Good Hope rung for many a day. As we have said,
Paul was short and choleric, and ready for a fray. The strokes of the
combatants fell thick and fast. Ten Eyck had armed himself, in hot
haste, with the fallen tail of the cause of the quarrel. Paul had
caught up a more hurtful weapon, a short cudgel, which he had
found outside the corral. At him, Paul! At him, Ten Eyck! Now
Hector! Now Ajax! It was the Battle of the Giants. The horse-tail
swept the air with a whistling sound and lighted with stinging force
upon the face of Paul. The cudgel cracked upon the crown of Ten
Eyck, and twice brought him to his knee. The two lookers-on would
not interfere, for they knew the quarrel had been fomenting for
many years, and they hoped this would decide it.
Holding their sides with laughter, the two soldiers watched while
the unequal fight went on—unequal because the weapon of Ten
Eyck, beyond maddening Paul to new exertions, did no harm. At last,
a well-directed blow brought the tall man to the ground.
As Paul rushed forward, ready, like ancient warriors, to fight for
the body of his conquered foe, the captain held him back:
“Enough of this. Away to your duty, Paul. Leave him to us.”
Paul obeyed, and Ten Eyck rose from the ground, a dejected man
—a sadly different one from him who had entered the corral. He was
humbled in the dust. Not only had he been overreached by his hated
foe in the bargain, but he was beaten in open battle. From this day,
he dared not meet Paul Swedlepipe. The star of Ten Eyck had set
forever!
They left the spot, as the captain did not desire to invest in horse-
flesh of that kind. It was in vain that they attempted to console Ten
Eyck. His self-respect was gone; he had been betrayed, beaten,
sold!
“Cheer up, man, cheer up,” said the captain, slapping him upon
the shoulder. “Paul didn’t do it. He never had the head for it at all. It
was all the work of that scoundrel, Boston Bainbridge.”
“The lightning blast him!” roared Ten Eyck.
“If I catch that fellow,” said Van Curter, “I will keep my promise to
him. I will strap him up to a swaying limb and give him forty stripes
save one.”
“I imagine you will have to catch him first,” answered the younger
man, setting his teeth hard. “I have to thank him for his interference
when I met Barlow in the forest, as well as for the blow which I
think came from his hand last night. Barlow is not cool enough to
knock a man down who has a sword in his hand. He would have
used the steel.”
“Hot blood, hot blood, like your own. How did you miss him, last
night?”
 “It was dark enough, the only light coming from a taper at the
back of my room. No, I do not wonder that I missed him.”
“Where did you send Carl Anselm?”
“I thought I told you. In my Indian-fighting I made the friendship
of Wampset, a sachem of the Nipmucks. He gave me a wampum
belt, and promised that, if I needed his help, and would send or
bring that belt to him, he would come to my aid with all the men at
his command.”
“Ah, that is good; where shall we meet them?”
“At the three hills, near Windsor.”
“It is a good place. You must be satisfied with one of my horses.”
“It will do. Let us go in.”
 CHAPTER VII.
AN OLD FOX AND A YOUNG ONE.

Carl Anselm rode swiftly up the fertile valley, making the most of
the Narragansett pony. He kept well to the west, away from the post
at Windsor, fearing that, if he met any of Holmes’ men, they might
ask awkward questions. The Nipmuck country proper was further
north than Windsor; but one of their villages, not a stationary one,
stood not far away. This was the village of Wampset, a sort of Indian
bandit, who lived like the gipsys, pitching his wigwams where he
chose. He had fully one hundred men in his village, the bravest and
most restless spirits of his nation. The Pequods, the Romans of New
England, knew and hated Wampset. Many a plan had been laid to
surprise his village; but they had always failed. The party which
came, if stronger than Wampset, found only warm ashes in the
ruined lodges; but the Nipmucks had flown. Wampset claimed no
particular hunting-ground, but roamed from the most western
border of the Pequod country to the Connecticut, a river he never
crossed.
The young German had heard of the whereabouts of Wampset,
from a man of the Nipmuck nation who had come into Good Hope a
few days before. As he approached the village, he took careful note
of every thicket near which he passed. All at once, the woods
seemed alive with signals, and stealthy footsteps could be heard.
Carl knew he was hemmed in, and was not surprised when an
Indian of commanding presence stood in the path and ordered him
to pause. Carl had been skilled in Indian dialect.
“What would the white man here? He is far from the strong house
of his people.”
 Carl took off the belt and held it up before the eyes of the man.
He started a little, and then assumed a calm attitude:
“Let the warrior look upon the belt,” said Carl. “Has he ever seen
it?”
“He has. Where did the white man get it?”
“From one who sent me to seek the chief, Wampset, that I might
speak a word in his ear.”
The warrior turned and uttered a whoop. It was evidently an
understood signal, for the sound of retiring footsteps could be heard,
and they were alone. The warrior turned again to Carl:
“Wampset is always to be found by his friends, and by his enemies
when he chooses to be found. Let the young man speak. Wampset
is here.”
“Where?”
The savage laid his hand upon his naked breast, in an impressive
and graceful gesture. Carl could not doubt that he spoke the truth.
“There is a young war-chief upon the banks of the great river, to
whom the chief gave this belt. Long ago, the Indians gave the land
to his people. But the English people of Shawmut have come and
built a strong house upon the river. The young war-chief is coming to
drive them away, and he sent the belt to Wampset, that he may
come to his aid with all his men.”
The chief mused:
“I have seen the strong house of the people whom we call
Yengees. They will not go away if they can help it. But, my word is
given to my young brother, and I will go.”
“He said that you must meet him at the three hills, near the
strong house, at midnight to-night.”
“It is well. Let the young man come into the village.”
 Carl followed him into the village, which consisted of huts formed
only for summer weather. In winter they had different habitations.
The chief led the way to his lodge, and invited his guest to sit
upon a pile of skins in one corner. A squaw brought in two large
wooden bowls, with spoons of the same material. One of the bowls
contained boiled venison, and the other parched corn. Flat, wooden
dishes of the same material as the rest, were placed in their hands,
and the two made a hearty meal, for the young man was tired by his
long ride. When the meal was over, they sat and conversed for an
hour. Then the chief, thinking that the young man looked as though
he needed rest, left the lodge, and Carl lay down upon the skins and
slept.
He rose in about an hour, and went out into the village. He found
the warriors making preparations for a march. The chief joined him.
“Are not these cabins cold in winter?” asked Carl.
“The Indians do not dwell in such wigwams when the north wind
blows cold,” said the other. “There are pleasant places high up
among the hills, where the Pequods can not find us, and where we
can live until the sun is warm again.”
“You do not stay in one place long.”
“The knives of the Pequods are long, and their arrows sharp. They
have no love for Wampset. They come upon his lodges in the night;
but, Wampset is not a fool. He knows when to hide, and when to be
found. The sparks are not out in the lodges when the Pequods
come, but the men of Wampset are gone.”
“Do you ever fight them?”
“When they are not too many. The braves of Wampset have often
sent them howling back to their lodges. But when we are weak and
they are strong, we hide in the bush. Sassacus, sachem of the
Pequods, would give much wampum for the scalp of Wampset.”
“Does Wampset love the white chiefs at Windsor?”
 “Wampset can not love the men who tread upon the graves of his
fathers. The Pequods are my enemies. By day and night they watch
for the camp-fires of Wampset; but they are brave, and they are
Indians. Is the white man owner of the soil? Did he receive it as an
inheritance? No; it is the land of the Indian. Pequod or Narragansett,
Mohawk or Nipmuck, it is theirs! No, Wampset does not love white
men; but the young chief who saved my life in battle is my friend. I
will aid him, if it is in my power.”
“I must not stay,” said Carl. “There is work before me. I will go out
toward the fort, and you must follow with your braves. Give me a
token by which I may pass your warriors in safety.”
The chief unclasped a wampum bracelet from his brawny arm, and
fastened it upon that of his young friend. “The Nipmuck doesn’t live,”
said he, “who would lay a finger upon the man who wears this. Go
in peace.”
Carl rose, took up his rifle and left the lodge. His horse was tied to
a post near the door. He mounted and rode away toward the east.
Wampset looked after him with a half-sigh, for he saw in him a type
of the men before whom his nation was fading like dew in the
sunshine.
Carl pursued his way until he struck the river a few miles from
Windsor. There was something peculiar in the temper of this young
man. He was relentless to his enemies—eager for their blood; but
true as steel to his friends. In his code, nothing was too much to do
for the man who had saved his life. To risk his own seemed to him a
duty which he must perform. Young as he was, he was a fit tool for
such work as Joseph Van Zandt assigned him. He had fled from the
old country with the blood of a brother on his hands—shed in a
moment of anger. Others had felt his steel, and the story had never
been told. He thought it an easy way to pay his debt to Joseph,
merely by taking the life of William Barlow.
Approaching the trading-post, he paused and considered. He felt
quite certain that he might enter the place without fear, as there had
been no open rupture between the commandants of the two posts.
But he was naturally of a suspicious disposition, a feeling which is
common to such natures as his.
He finally rode into the place and was kindly received. He gave
them to understand that he had been out upon a scout at the
command of Van Curter, and had been chased by a part of the band
of Wampset. They knew that the young German was an active scout,
and thought nothing of the story. Willie and Boston Bainbridge had
not yet come in. After finding out all he cared to know, Carl rode
away toward Good Hope, upon the trail usually pursued by travelers.
Once out of sight of the village, he went aside from the path, took
down his rifle and looked at the priming, and sat down beside the
trail, with a look of grim determination upon his face.

The two Englishmen, after their hasty flight from Good Hope, had
pressed on as fast as their feet would carry them toward Windsor.
Boston’s knowledge of the proposed assault caused him many an
inward chuckle. He gloried in the discomfiture of Van Zandt.
“I heard a fall,” said Willie, “while they were pursuing us from the
house. How was that, Bainbridge?”
“That,” replied Bainbridge, with an indescribable twist of his
features, “was caused by the fall of—something.”
“A wise observation. What was it?”
“I would not be certain upon this point, worthy young man of
war,” said Boston. “I can not fight with carnal weapons. I am a man
of peace, and live by trade.”
“Don’t keep up that farce here, I beg you. I have laughed in secret
at the manner in which you have kept this character, until I am
nearly past laughing again. But, what is the use of keeping it up
here?”
 “It must be done, Willie. Until Good Hope is ours, and the Dutch
driven out of the valley, I am nothing but Boston Bainbridge. Do you
think any of them suspect, except Katrine?”
“Yes. Once or twice you have given orders in your usual tone. Van
Zandt heard you to-night, I am sure. Katrine and Theresa heard you.
They are pretty sharp people, and hard to blind.”
“Katrine is a darling,” said Bainbridge. “I hate to deceive her. But it
must all come right sometime. When she is my wife we can laugh
together over the life of a hawker.”
“I wonder what old Paul Swedlepipe and Ten Eyck are doing about
this time. Won’t the fellow tear when he sees that horse after the
rain? Oh, I would give fifty pounds to see his face at the time. This
rain will wash every grain of color off from his hide, and we should
see a skeleton instead of the horse I sold him. Never mind; we have
a right to spoil the Egyptians. Ha! The bush moves!”
The sudden exclamation caused Willie, who stood at his side, to
start back in some alarm. The movement saved his life, for the rifle
of Carl Anselm cracked at that moment, and the ball tore a bloody
track through the fleshy part of his arm. In an instant the bushes
parted to the rush of the body of Bainbridge. For a man of peace, he
certainly behaved in a wonderful manner. The movement was so
sudden, that he was close to the side of the would-be assassin
before he could turn. Carl was no coward. His courage had been
proved in a hundred different ways. Drawing his knife, he made a
sudden rush at the hawker, and struck at him viciously with the keen
blade. Boston nimbly eluded the stroke and returned it by a slashing
blow, which laid open the cheek of the other, marking him for life. As
soon as he felt the wound, Carl turned and fled along the river
shore, at his best speed, with the hawker following like a sleuth-
hound on the trail. He passed round a point of rocks which
completely hid him from view. Bainbridge rushed forward, in time to
catch a glimpse of the German upon the back of his horse, which he
had tied there for security. His jeering laugh came back to them on
the wind.
 “He has escaped,” cried Boston, as Willie came up. “He got to his
horse. The devil fly away with him!”
“Is he hurt?”
“Yes. I laid open his cheek from the ear to the chin. The
scoundrel. He will carry my mark to the grave. That he may, is my
fervent prayer. Do you know him?”
“I have never seen him before.”
“I have. He is a minion of Van Zandt, or my name is not
Bainbridge. It is young Carl Anselm. That bullet was meant for you.
How could he miss, when he was not thirty feet away? The
miserable scoundrel belongs in Good Hope. They say his character is
none of the best, even among his associates. Let me see your arm.”
With some labor and pain, Willie stripped the jacket and shirt from
the wound and showed it to Bainbridge. It was a deep flesh-wound,
and Boston shook his head. Going down to the river bank, he
gathered some leaves from a plant which grew there. These he
bruised into a poultice, with which he bound the wounded limb.
“I know the nature of the herb,” he said. “An old Indian woman
told me about it, and tried it on a bear-scratch I once got in a fight
with that animal. It was wonderful in its effects.”
“It feels comfortable,” said Willie, placing the arm in a sling which
the other improvised from a sword-belt. “I will yet have the pleasure
of wringing the man’s neck who did me this favor.”
“He is no enemy to despise,” replied Boston. “When you have an
open, avowed enemy, you know how to guard against him; but a
sneaking fellow like this, who would shoot you from behind a bush,
is more to be feared. He is full of energy, and will come upon you in
impossible places. In the assault to-night, look out for him!”
“You think they will come, then?”
“They are not the men to be laggards. I can not understand what
Carl was doing here. He certainly was not sent out on purpose to
shoot you. I could give a reason if I knew where Wampset was.”
“I know just where he is encamped.”
“Where is he?”
“About twenty miles away. An Indian of the Narragansett tribe,
who came into Windsor the day after you left, told us where he was.
I know that man. He is an outcast from all tribes, and yet he
maintains himself against any force they can bring against him. He
must have a powerful mind.”
“He has. I have seen him once or twice, and he is a noble Indian.
With all his prejudices against the whites, he has none of the cold-
blooded animosity of Sassacus, nor the supercilious behavior of
Mennawan. But this news troubles me. I doubt not he will come to
the aid of the Dutch, for I have heard it said that Van Zandt once did
him a great service which the Indian will not hesitate to repay, and
now is the Dutchman’s time of want, if ever.”
“Then we have, indeed, much to dread, if Wampset is brought
against us.”
“What Indians were at the post when you came away?”
“Only the young son of the Narragansett chief, the Fox.”
“None better. He is truly named. Let us hasten. Do you think he
will stay in Windsor?”
“He said he would until the full moon.”
“Good. Make haste.”
They hurried into the post. Catching sight of an idler near the
gate, Boston called him, and asked him if the “Fox” was yet in the
post. Being answered in the affirmative, he desired that he should
be sent to him at once.
Willie turned away, and entered a log-house in one corner of the
stockade, bestowing a smile of recognition upon a young Indian,
who was coming out. The latter made his way at once to Boston,
who greeted him kindly.
 “How is the chief, your father?” he asked, touching the young man
upon the naked shoulder with his open palm. “How long will it be
before he will give the tribe into the hands of his son, who, though
he is yet young, has left his mark upon the enemies of his nation?”
“The chief is very well, and sends his greetings to the white chief;
his warriors hope it will be many years before he lays down the
wampum of a head chief for another to take up. Who is worthy to
take the mantle of Miantonomah?”
“None but his son, when Miantonomah is ready. The young chief
has often said that he only waits to do the white man a service. Will
he do it to-day?”
“When was the Fox unwilling to aid his white brothers?”
“It will take him into the forest.”
“That is well; the forest is his home.”
“He must keep his hatchet keen, for the Pequods may lurk along
the track.”
“A Narragansett does not fear a Pequod.”
“It is well; now let the Fox listen.”
In a few decided words, the Yankee informed the young man what
he wished him to do. Having thoroughly mastered it and acquiesced
in the service, he took his weapons, tightened his belt, and left the
post, taking the trail which led to the camp of Wampset.
 CHAPTER VIII.
“THERE’S MANY A SLIP ’TWIXT THE CUP AND
THE LIP.”

Van Curter and his men made good time in their march to
Windsor, and at four o’clock in the afternoon they were encamped
behind the three hills. Hardly had they settled themselves to wait for
night, when Carl Anselm came in. His face was disfigured by the
knife-cut; the blood lay in thick clots about it, and his small eyes
sparkled with vicious fire under his heavy brows. He made his way at
once to the place where Van Zandt sat, under a large maple tree.
“Welcome, Carl,” said the captain. “In the name of the saints,
what is the matter with your face?”
“I have taken the mark in your service,” replied the other, angrily.
“Come away from the rest and I will tell you how.”
The captain followed him to a retired spot, then called upon him
to speak.
“I waited in the path for the coming of your enemy until I became
weary and fell asleep; their voices woke me as they came, and I
started up so quickly that the bush stirred. He was not alone.”
“Ah-ha!”
“No; that cursed spy—for he is nothing better—Bainbridge, was
with him. Sturm and wetter! I will have his heart’s blood upon my
own account.”
“On with your tale, quick. You fired, did you not?”
“Yes. As the bush stirred, Bainbridge called out to his companion,
and he jumped; if he had not done it, a ball would have been in his
heart. My curse upon the meddler.”
“Then he escaped?” demanded the other, hoarsely.
“Escaped. Not fully, for my ball struck him on the arm, and there
was blood starting through his clothing. Before I could look, that
devil, whom we call the peddler, was upon me with an open knife. I
had mine in my hand, and made a blow at him. He is quick as a cat;
he dodged the knife, and struck at me. You see the result. I lay that
wound up against him. I shall do him mischief yet.”
“What did you do then?”
“I saw that he was not what he seemed, and more than a match
for me, I dropped the knife and ran for my horse, I had tied him in a
ravine by the river-side. Curse the Yankee, he was like a greyhound;
if there had been twenty rods more to run I should be a dead man;
but I got to my horse and was off.”
“It is a total failure, then?”
“Not so. Before, I worked only for you; now I work for both. I
have an account with the man who calls himself Boston Bainbridge.”
“You might have had before, if you had any eyes. You love
Katrine, the cousin of Theresa.”
The young man turned upon him with a quick look. “Who told you
that?” he said.
“It matters not.”
“Why do you bring her into the conversation?”
“Have you no eyes? Why, man, the other night, while Barlow
stood at the window of my willful maid, whispering in her ear, whom
think you stood at that of Katrine?”
“Who?”
“Boston Bainbridge.”
“You know this to be true? It is not a trick to make me more
surely your friend?”
 “I saw it myself.”
“Ah.” Carl stopped, and with his knife-blade stabbed the earth at
his feet. “Would that I had him here,” he cried, “would that I knelt
upon his breast as I kneel upon the earth. He is my enemy until
death.”
“You never knew this?”
“I knew that she was proud, and would not listen to me. I hoped
for better things; I thought that a lover’s persistency would bring
about the desired end, and this is the re—result.”
His countenance became as that of a fiend; in the heat of his
passion the blood gushed anew from his wounded face. He caught
some of it in his hand, and cast it from him, crying passionately:
“Let this blood witness against him.” After that he was calmer.
“We will work together, my master; much may be done where
there is a good heart in the cause. I am with you, body and soul.”
“The compact is made. By knife, cord and bullet, I will be true to
you in this business.”
“So let it be,” responded Carl.
“Have you seen Wampset?”
“Yes. Before nightfall he will be here with a hundred men.”
“Well done. The English power shall be swept from this river; our
enemies shall be—where?”
“It matters little so that they cumber the earth no more. It is time
Wampset were here.”
“You are sure he will keep his appointment?”
“The promise of an Indian is sure. He will keep his word.”
“Did you look over the block-house and note the entrances?”
“Yes. There are eighteen men in all, now that this spy and Barlow
are here; the whole is under the command of William Holmes; his
second in command is his brother, who is away in Boston.”
“His brother?”
“Yes.”
“I never heard of such a man until I came here.”
“Few have; he is seldom seen; people who live in this region know
that there is such a man as Robert Holmes. He tramps the forest,
makes treaties with the Indians, and prepares the country for the
next inroad of Yankees. No man can put his finger on him and say,
‘This is Robert Holmes,’ and yet, he is a fixed fact. The people in
Windsor have great faith in him, but are non-committal about him.”
“He is a mystery, then?”
“One which we can not unravel. Some of our people swear that
Robert Holmes is only a name for a devil, who has taken up his
abode at Windsor. I begin to think it is half right, for who but a devil
could exert such an influence over Yankees?”
“Phew, such talk as that will do for other men than us; as for this
imaginary potentate, if there is such a man, we probably shall meet
him to-night, and try the virtue of cold steel upon him. I wonder
Wampset is not here; he is not a man to shirk his appointment. Who
comes there? Is this the way they keep guard?”
An Indian, gliding forward like a stealthy ghost, at that moment
appeared before him. At the first look, Van Zandt knew him; it was
one of the men who belonged to the band of Wampset—his
messenger, a light, active fellow, with a cunning face.
The first salutation of the captain was sharp and to the point,
“Where is Wampset? It is long since the chief was known to linger
on the war-trail.”
“Wampset has not lingered. But, he can not come to the aid of his
young friend. The Hawk hovers with outspread wings above his tree-
top. Shall not the Eagle guard his own nest first?”
“What mean you?”
 “Sassacus has sent Mennewan upon the war-trail. A dog who had
eaten bread in our lodges told the Pequods that the Eagle rested his
tired wings upon the banks of the great river. The Pequods are very
mad for the scalp of Wampset, and his band are known in every
lodge in the nation. They are very brave.”
“How do you know this?”
“The band had painted their faces for war and set forth. Near the
river-side they met the Fox. He is the son of Miantonomah, sachem
of the Narragansetts. The Fox is very cunning, and he loves
Wampset. He has sworn to have the scalp of Sassacus. He told us
that he had been in the Pequod lodges, and they were on the way.
They did not know that he was with them. None are so cunning as
the Fox.”
“What did he do then?”
“What could he do? Should he leave his little ones a prey to the
tomahawks of the Pequods?”
This was unanswerable, and Van Zandt could only mutter curses
on the unlucky fate which had worked against him. If he had only
known the truth, fate would not have had the curses on that day.
But, curses would do no good. Wampset was by this time half way
back to his camp, and the Fox, who had done his work well, was
back in Windsor, reporting to his employer the success of the
stratagem. As the reader has no doubt surmised by this time, the
coming of the Pequods was a coinage of the brain of Boston, who
hoped by this to send the Indians back to their camp. The ruse
succeeded to a charm, and deprived the Dutch of their allies.
There was nothing for it but to take the place without help, and
Carl, in company with Captain Van Zandt, set out to reconnoiter the
position. It was now growing dark, and they advanced with caution.
All about the stockade was still. The silence, in fact, was so profound
as to be suspicious. Van Zandt, a practiced Indian-fighter, had his
suspicions of such quiescence. He advanced carefully. There was
only one light in the stockade. That was a fire in the center, around
which sat four or five of the garrison. They were all stalwart men, for
Captain Holmes brought no others into the wilderness. The spy
could see through the chinks that their arms lay beside them, and
ready to take up at a moment’s notice.
In the mean time, Carl had stolen round to the other side of the
building, and looked through the chinks in the logs. The cabin in
which the officers lived stood close at hand, and through another
orifice in the logs, the young German could see the interior. There
were three men in the cabin—Barlow, Captain Holmes and Boston.
They sat upon stools, by the side of a wooden table, talking eagerly
in low tones. From the place where he stood, it was impossible for
Carl to hear a word. But, to his astonishment, he saw that Boston
not only took an active part in the conversation, but his opinion was
listened to with great deference. Carl’s blood boiled in his veins.
Since the last night, an intense hatred of the peddler had grown up
in his heart. This was the man who had stolen the heart of Katrine.
He should die.
He drew a pistol from his pocket, and leveled it through the
chinks. The light of a candle upon the table glimmered along the
barrel. He pulled the trigger. The hammer came down upon the flint
without a report. The priming had been shaken out of the pan in
coming from the camp. With a muttered invective Carl slipped
behind the logs of the stockade and felt for his powder-flask. He had
left it in the camp! The passion of the man was fearful to see. He
ran back to find his captain, and lead him to the spot. The moment
his eye rested upon the group he put a pistol into the hand of Carl.
“Hold,” he said, as that person was about to fire. “Don’t do it. We
must get nearer, and hear what they say.” The stockade was about
twelve feet high, but the corners were rough, and stood out about
six inches from the rest of the work, forming a sort of ladder. Van
Zandt took the lead, climbed over, and dropped down into the work,
between the wall and the cabin.
The conversation continued; but, to the rage of the two spies, it
was now carried on in whispers. It was impossible to hear a word.
Twice Carl raised his pistol, and as often he was restrained by the
hand of his leader, who had no notion of betraying their presence by
a shot, while they were inside the fort. He feared the men who sat
by the fire.
“In God’s name,” whispered Carl, “are you going to let him
escape? I must fire.”
“Who do you speak of?”
“He. That devil, Bainbridge.”
“I have not so much quarrel with him as with Barlow. Let us get
out of this. I tell you you must not, shall not fire. Come.”
Carl obeyed, sullenly enough. They climbed the wall without
molestation, and reached the other side. All at once the captain was
startled by the report of a pistol, and saw Carl looking through the
crack, with the pistol still smoking in his hand. A terrible uproar was
heard in the cabin.
“Run for it, captain,” shouted Carl. “Missed him,” he hissed, in his
desperation.
They ran in silence until they reached the edge of the woods,
when Van Zandt turned, and took his companion by the throat. The
epithets he exhausted upon him were of the most fearful nature.
Carl shook him off with an angry gesture.
“Take your hand from my throat, Captain Joseph. You ought to
know, by this time, that the blood of the Anselms is hot, and can not
brook an insult. Hands off, I said!”
“You infernal hound! Did I not order you not to fire?”
“I know it. If I had expected to die the next moment, I would
have fired that pistol. I will have him yet. He is doomed. Either he or
I.”
“Little cares he for such as you are. Fool, do you not see the
immense advantage this man has over you in every point. He is cool;
your blood is like fire. He calculates every chance; you act upon the
first thought which enters your crazy head. You have, doubtless, by
this rash act, spoiled our chance of taking the stockade. If you have,
I am not the man to shield you from the rage of Van Curter.”
“Take your own course,” replied Carl, angrily. “I care not. You had
better look to it, or you will cancel the bond between us.”
This was what Van Zandt did not care to do, and he begun to
conciliate the man. This led him back to the subject of Bainbridge.
“The unquiet beast stooped for a paper he had dropped just as I
fired. What has happened to me? Is my aim gone? When was I ever
known to miss such shots as these?”
They hurried back to camp, and put the men in order for the
attack. When they approached a change had taken place in the
aspect of affairs. The works were now brilliantly lighted. Pitch-pine
torches blazed in every crevice; the bright barrels of guns glistened
along the wall. Van Curter halted his men and came forward,
demanding a parley.
“It shall be granted,” cried a voice from within. “Wait.”
In a few moments the door of the stockade swung open, and two
men came out. They were Captain Holmes and Barlow. Calling Van
Zandt to his side, Van Curter advanced to meet them.
“You have seen me once before,” said Holmes, “and know I have
authority. What has the commandant to say to me.”
“I am in the service of the Dutch republic. When you passed up
the river, on your way to this place, I warned you to strike and stay.
You refused, and kept on your course! I was not in a position then to
enforce my commands. I had even made up my mind to tolerate
you, as well as I might. But, since you have been here, the riot and
disturbance caused by your men are beyond the power of my nature
to endure longer.”
“Of what do you complain?”
“You are a cheating set.”
 “Ah!”
“You sell my men horses which are good for nothing.”
“They ought to know better than to buy.”
“But they don’t. Your men make a very bad horse look beautiful.
There is one vagabond among you whom I will give forty stripes
save one, if he ever comes to Good Hope. I have sworn it.”
“What is his name?”
“Boston Bainbridge.”
“Ah, indeed! What has Boston been doing?”
“Every thing that is bad; nothing that is good. I will make him
wish that he had never been born. He sold a horse to one of my
council for a very high price, bought it back for five guilders, and
sold it to another man for a hundred and fifty.”
“And you intend to flog him?”
“Surely.”
“I can’t do better than to warn him to keep out of your way when
I see him again. Boston is a cheat in one way. But to business. You
have run out of your course to talk of him. What are the men of
Good Hope doing here?”
“You are on our land. We claim it as the right of our country, in
the name of Hendrick Hudson, the man whom your country would
not honor, and who came to us for his due. You must break up this
trading-house, and take yourself again to your sloop, get out of the
country, and keep out of it.”
“You are modest in your demands, sir. I will say that for you. What
if I refuse?”
“You see these men?”
“Yes.”
“They have arms in their hands.”
 “I see the arms. They are very rusty. You don’t use them much, I
guess.”
“If you refuse we shall take the place.”
“Perhaps you mean you will try to take it.”
“We will take it,” said Van Zandt, speaking for the first time.
“If you can,” replied Barlow, returning the Dutchman’s look of hate
and defiance.
“Be quiet, Willie,” said the captain. “It can do no good. Now, sir, to
your demand. I hold this post in the name and by the authority of
my monarch, king of England. I care nothing for other powers. My
force is not large; but, while I or any of my officers or men can lift
an arm in its defense, no Dutchman shall enter the block-house,
except as a friend. If he comes as an enemy we will give him English
steel.”
“You speak plainly.”
“I speak as I feel. Twice to-day murder has been attempted by
one of your men. We know him. His name is Carl Anselm, and he is
a servant of Captain Van Zandt.”
“Murder!”
“Nothing else. This morning he fired from a bush and missed my
lieutenant here, or rather wounded him in the arm, though his intent
was to kill.”
“The other?”
“That occurred to-night. The captain and his servant came down
together to reconnoiter. While the captain was on one side of the
building, his servant snapped a pistol at one of my officers through a
chink in the logs. Then they climbed over the wall at the corner.”
“The devil!” cried Joseph.
“You see we were not altogether uninformed in regard to your
movements, sir. You climbed over the wall and listened at the chink
in the cabin. We whispered, and you could not hear what we said.”
“Are there devils upon earth?” muttered Joseph, in utter
astonishment.
“Your man still wanted to fire, and you restrained him. You
climbed the wall first, and as your back was turned, Carl fired the
pistol, and missed. Is the account correct?”
“Perfectly. And now tell me, if you will do so, how you know all
this?”
“Certainly. You were watched all the time. And since Mynheer Van
Curter has thought proper to speak of one of my men, and of the
punishment he intends to give him, let me say that I have my eye on
this Carl Anselm. If he falls into my hands he shall not taste a
whipping-post, but he shall have a ride on a higher horse than any
he has ever saddled. And he will find it a tough colt to ride. I shall
hang him as sure as my name is Holmes.”
“You refuse to surrender?”
“Utterly—and I advise you to clear out at once.”
“The consequences must light upon your own head then.”
“I am ready to abide them. My stockade is strong, and I have men
enough to man it. If you try to take it you will have to fight. It is
useless to prolong this conference. Let me bid you good-night.”
As they turned to leave, Barlow saw some men creeping up in the
rear, led by Carl. He whispered to the captain. He turned quickly,
when Van Curter laid hands upon him, and attempted to detain him.
Willie found himself in the grasp of Joseph. With one effort of his
prodigious strength, Holmes dashed Van Curter breathless to the
ground, and turned to the aid of Willie. But, the young men,
clinching, had fallen, and Joseph’s head struck the earth with such
force as to deprive him of his senses. Rising quickly, the two turned
toward the stockade. There were seven men between them and the
gate—unarmed, however, as they had intended to overpower the
officers—not to harm them. Holmes measured the distance to the