_The_ FOREST RUNNERS

[Illustration: "A massive black form shot down into the center of theroom. " [Page 277. ]]

_The_ FOREST RUNNERS

A STORY OF THE GREAT WARTRAIL IN EARLY KENTUCKY

BYJOSEPH A. ALTSHELERAUTHOR OF "THE YOUNG TRAILERS"

D. APPLETON-CENTURY COMPANYINCORPORATED

NEW YORK LONDON1936

1908, BYD. APPLETON AND COMPANY

1935, BY EQUITABLE TRUST COPrinted in the United States of America

BOOKS BY JOSEPH A. ALTSHELER

 THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR SERIES

 The Hunters of the Hills The Rulers of the Lakes The Lords of the Wild The Shadow of the North The Masters of the Peaks The Sun of Quebec

 THE YOUNG TRAILERS SERIES

 The Young Trailers The Forest Runners The Keepers of the Trail The Eyes of the Woods The Free Rangers The Riflemen of the Ohio The Scouts of the Valley The Border Watch

 THE TEXAN SERIES

 The Texan Star The Texan Scouts The Texan Triumph

 THE CIVIL WAR SERIES

 The Guns of Bull Run The Guns of Shiloh The Scouts of Stonewall The Sword of Antietam The Star of Gettysburg The Rock of Chickamauga The Shades of the Wilderness The Tree of Appomattox

 THE GREAT WEST SERIES

 The Lost Hunters The Great Sioux Trail

 THE WORLD WAR SERIES

 The Guns of Europe The Forest of Swords The Hosts of the Air

 BOOKS NOT IN SERIES

 Apache Gold The Quest of the Four The Last of the Chiefs In Circling Camps The Last Rebel A Soldier of Manhattan The Sun of Saratoga A Herald of the West The Wilderness Road My Captive The Candidate

D. APPLETON AND COMPANY New York London

 This story, while independent in itself, continues the fortunes of the two boys who were the central characters of "The Young Trailers. "

CONTENTS

 I. PAUL 1

 II. IN THE RIVER 17

 III. THE LONE CABIN 36

 IV. THE SIEGE 59

 V. THE FLIGHT 72

 VI. THE BATTLE ON THE HILL 91

 VII. WHAT HAPPENED IN THE DARK 108

 VIII. AT THE RIVER BANK 125

 IX. A CHANGE OF PLACES 142

 X. THE ISLAND IN THE LAKE 157

 XI. A SUDDEN MEETING 176

 XII. THE BELT BEARERS 192

 XIII. BRAXTON WYATT'S ORDEAL 217

 XIV. IN WINTER QUARTERS 239

 XV. WORK AND PLAY 254

 XVI. NOEL 273

 XVII. FOOTPRINTS IN THE SNOW 283

XVIII. WHAT THE WARRIOR SAW 295

 XIX. THE WARNING 310

 XX. THE TERRIBLE FORD 328

 XXI. THE FLIGHT OF LONG JIM 340

 XXII. THE LAST STAND 355

THE FOREST RUNNERS

CHAPTER I

PAUL

Paul stopped in a little open space, and looked around all the circle ofthe forest. Everywhere it was the same--just the curving wall of red andbrown, and beyond, the blue sky, flecked with tiny clouds of white. Thewilderness was full of beauty, charged with the glory of peace andsilence, and there was naught to indicate that man had ever come. Theleaves rippled a little in the gentle west wind, and the crisping grassbowed before it; but Paul saw no living being, save himself, in the vast, empty world. 

The boy was troubled and, despite his life in the woods, he had full rightto be. This was the great haunted forest of _Kain-tuck-ee_, where the redman made his most desperate stand, and none ever knew when or whencedanger would come. Moreover, he was lost, and the forest told him nothing;he was not like his friend, Henry Ware, born to the forest, the heir toall the primeval instincts, alive to every sight and sound, and able toread the slightest warning the wilderness might give. Paul Cotter was astudent, a lover of books, and a coming statesman. Fate, it seemed, hadchosen that he and Henry Ware should go hand in hand, but for differenttasks. 

Paul gazed once more around the circle of the glowing forest, and theshadow in his eyes deepened. Henry and the horses, loaded with powder forthe needy settlement, must be somewhere near, but whether to right or lefthe could not tell. He had gone to look for water, and when he undertook toreturn he merely went deeper and deeper into the forest. Now the boughs, as they nodded before the gentle breeze, seemed to nod to him in derision. He felt shame as well as alarm. Henry would not laugh at him, but the bornscholar would be worth, for the time, at least, far less than the borntrailer. 

Yet no observer, had there been any, would have condemned Paul as hecondemned himself. He stood there, a tall, slender boy, with a broad, highbrow, white like a girl's above the line of his cap, blue eyes, dark andfull, with the width between that indicates the mind behind, and the firm, pointed chin that belongs so often to people of intellect. 

Paul and Henry were on their way from Wareville, their home, with horseshearing powder for Marlowe, the nearest settlement, nearly a hundred milesaway. The secret of making powder from the nitre dust on the floors of thegreat caves of Kentucky had been discovered by the people of Wareville, and now they wished to share their unfailing supply with others, in orderthat the infant colony might be able to withstand Indian attacks. HenryWare, once a captive in a far Northwestern tribe, and noted for his greatstrength and skill, had been chosen, with Paul Cotter, his comrade, tocarry it. Both rejoiced in the great task, which to them meant the savingof Kentucky. 

Paul's eyes were apt at times to have a dreamy look, as if he werethinking of things far away, whether of time or place; but now they werealive to the present, and to the forest about him. He listened intently. At last he lay down and put his ear to the earth, as he had seen Henry do;but he heard nothing save a soft, sighing sound, which he knew to be onlythe note of the wilderness. He might have fired his rifle. The sharp, lashing report would go far, carried farther by its own echoes; but it wasmore likely to bring foe than friend, and he refrained. 

But he must try, if not one thing, then another. He looked up at theheavens and studied the great, red globe of the sun, now going slowlydown the western arch in circles of crimson and orange light, and then helooked hack at the earth. If he had not judged the position of the sunwrong, their little camp lay to the right, and he would choose thatcourse. He turned at once and walked swiftly among the trees. 

Paul stopped now and then to listen. He would have uttered the long forestshout, as a signal to his comrade, but even that was forbidden. Henry hadseen signs in the forest that indicated more than once to his infallibleeye the presence of roving warriors from the north, and no risk must betaken. But, as usual, it was only the note of the wilderness that came tohis ears. He stopped also once or twice, not to listen, but to look at thesplendid country, and to think what a great land it would surely be. 

He walked steadily on for miles, but the region about him remainedunfamiliar. No smoke from the little camp-fire rose among the trees, andno welcome sight of Henry or the horses came to his eyes. For all he knew, he might be going farther from the camp at every step. Putting asidecaution, he made a trumpet of his two hands, and uttered the long, quavering cry that serves as a signal in the forest. It came back in asomber echo from the darkening wilderness, and Paul saw, with a littleshiver, that the sun was now going down behind the trees. The breeze rose, and the leaves rustled together with a soft hiss, like a warning. Chillcame into the air. The sensitive mind of the boy, so much alive toabstract impressions, felt the omens of coming danger, and he stoppedagain, not knowing what to do. He called himself afraid, but he was not. It was the greater tribute to his courage that he remained resolute whereanother might well have been in despair. 

The sun went down behind the black forest like a cannon shot into the sea, and darkness swept over the wilderness. Paul uttered the long cry againand again, but, as before, no answer came back; once he fired his rifle, and the sharp note seemed to run for miles, but still no answer. 

Then he decided to take counsel of prudence, and sleep where he was. If hewalked on, he might go farther and farther away from the camp, but if hestopped now, while he might not find Henry, Henry would certainly findhim. Any wilderness trail was an open road to his comrade. 

He hunted a soft place under one of the trees, and, despising the dew, stretched himself between two giant roots, his rifle by his side. He wastired and hungry, and he lay for a while staring at the blankundergrowth, but by and by all his troubles and doubts floated away. Thenote of the wind was soothing, and the huge roots sheltered him. Hiseyelids drooped, a singular feeling of peace and ease crept over him, andhe was asleep. 

It was yet the intense darkness of early night, and the outline of hisfigure was lost between the giant roots, but after a while a silver moonbrought a gray tint to the skies, and the black bank over the forest beganto thin and lighten. Then two figures, hideous in paint, crept from theundergrowth, and stared at the sleeping boy with pitiless eyes. 

Paul slept on, and mercifully knew nothing of his danger; yet it wouldhave been hard to find in the world two pairs of eyes that contained moresavagery than those now gazing upon him. Their owners crept nearer, looking with fierce joy through the darkness at the sleeping boy who wasso certainly their prey. Their code contained nothing that taught them tospare a foe, and this youth. In the van of the white invasion, was theworst of foes. 

The boy still slept, and his slumber was deep, sweet, and dreamless. Nowarning came to him while the savage eyes, bright with cruel fire, creptcloser and closer, and the merciful darkness, coming again, tried to closedown and hide the approaching tragedy of the forest. 

Paul returned with a jerk from his peaceful heaven. Hands and feet wereseized suddenly and pinned to the earth so tightly that he could not move, and he gazed up at two hideous, painted faces, very near to his own, andfull of menace. The boy's heart turned for a moment to water. He saw atonce, through his vivid and powerful imagination, all the terrors of hisposition, and in the same instant he leaped forward also to the future, and to the agony it had in store for him. But in a moment his courage cameback, the strong will once more took command of the body and the spirit, and he looked up with stoical eyes at his captors. He knew that resistancenow would be in vain, and, relaxing his muscles, he saved his strength. 

The warriors laughed a little, a soundless laugh that was full of menace, and bound him securely with strips of buckskin cut from his own garments. Then they stood up, and Paul, too, rose to a sitting position, gazingintently at his captors. They were powerful men, apparently warriors ofmiddle age, and Paul knew enough of costume and paint to tell that theywere of the Shawnee nation, bitterly hostile to him and his kind. 

His terrors came back upon him in full sweep. He loved life, and, scholarthough he was, he loved his life in the young wilderness of Kentucky, where he was at the beginnings of things. Every detail of what they woulddo to him, every incident of the torture was already photographed upon hissensitive mind, but again the brave lad called up all his courage, andagain he triumphed, keeping his body still and his face withoutexpression. He merely looked up at them, as if placidly waiting theirwill. 

The two warriors talked together a little, and then, seeming to changetheir minds, they unbound the boy's feet. One touched him on the shoulder, and, pointing to the north, started in that direction. Paul understood, and, rising to his feet, followed. The second warrior came close behind, and Paul was as securely a prisoner as if he were in the midst of a bandof a hundred. Once or twice he looked around at the silent woods andthought of running, but it would have been the wildest folly. His handstied, he could have been quickly overtaken, or, if not that, a bullet. Hesternly put down the temptation, and plodded steadily on between thewarriors, the broad, brown back of the one in front of him always leadingthe way. 

It seemed to him that they sought the densest part of the undergrowth, where the night shadows lay thickest, and he was wise enough to know thatthey did it to hide their trail from possible pursuit. Then he thought ofHenry, his comrade, the prince of trailers! He might come! He would come!Paul's blood leaped at the thought, and his head lifted with hope. 

Clouds swept up, the moon died, and in the darkness Paul had little ideaof direction. He only knew that they were still traveling fast amid thethick bushes, and that when he made too much noise in passing one or otherof the brown savages would prod him with the muzzle of a gun as a hint tobe more careful. His face became bruised and his feet weary, but at lastthey stopped in an opening among the trees, by the side of a little brookthat trickled over shining pebbles. 

The warriors wasted little time. They rebound Paul's feet in such tightfashion that he could scarcely move, and then, lying down near him, wentto sleep so quickly that it seemed to Paul they accomplished the feat bysome sort of a mechanical arrangement. Tired as he was, he could not closehis own eyes yet, and he longed for his comrade. Would he come?

Paul's sensitive nerves were again keenly alive to every phase of hiscruel situation. The warriors, lying almost at his feet, were monsters, not men, and this wilderness, which in its finer aspects he loved, wasbristling in the darkness with terrors known and unknown. Yet his cloggedand weary brain slept at last, and when he awoke again it was day--abeautiful day of white and gold light, with the autumnal tints of theforest all about him, and the leaves rustling in a gentle wind. 

But his heart sank to the uttermost depths when he looked at the warriors. By day they seemed more brutal and pitiless than at night. From theirlong, narrow eyes shone no ray of mercy, and the ghastly paint on theirhigh cheek bones deepened their look of ferocity. It was not theappearance of the warriors alone, it was more the deed for which they werepreparing that appalled Paul. They were raking dead leaves and fallenbrushwood of last year around a small but stout sapling, and they went onwith their task in a methodical way. 

Paul knew well, too well. Hideous tales of such doings had come now andthen to his ears, but he had never dreamed that he, Paul Cotter, in hisown person would be such a victim. Even now it seemed incredible in theface of this beautiful young world that stretched away from him, so quietand so peaceful. He, who already in his boyhood was planning great thingsfor this splendid land, to die such a death!

The warriors did not cease until their task was finished. It was but abrief one after all, for Paul had made no mistake in his guess. There wasnot time, perhaps, to take a prisoner beyond the Ohio, and they could notforego a savage pleasure. They dragged the hoy to the sapling, stood himerect against the slim trunk, and hound him fast with green withes. Thenthey piled the dead leaves and brushwood high about him above his knees, and, this done, stood a little way off and looked at their work. 

The warriors spoke together for the first time since Paul had awakened, and their black eyes lighted up with a hideous glow of anticipation. Paulsaw it, and an icy chill ran through all his veins. Had not the greenwithes held him, he would have fallen to the ground. Once more his activemind, foreseeing all that would come, had dissolved his strength for themoment; but, as always, his will brought his courage back, and he shut hiseyes to put away the hateful sight of the gloating savages. 

He had never asked in any way for mercy, he had never uttered a word ofprotest, and he resolved that he would not cry out if he could help it. They should not rejoice too much at his sufferings; he would die as theywere taught to die, and he would show to them that the mind of a white boycould supply the place of a red man's physical fortitude. But Henry mightcome! Would he come? Oh, would he come? Resigned to death, Paul yet hopedfor life. 

He opened his eyes, and the warriors were still standing there, looking athim; but in a moment one approached, and, bending down, began to strikeflint and steel amid the dry leaves at the boy's feet. Again, despitehimself, the shivering chill ran through Paul's veins. Would Henry come?If he came at all, he must now come quickly, as only a few minutes wereleft. 

The leaves were obstinate; sparks flew from the flint and steel, but therewas no blaze. Paul looked down at the head of the warrior who workedpatiently at his task. The second warrior stood on one side, watching, andwhen Paul glanced at him he saw the savage move ever so little, but as ifdriven by a sudden impulse, and then raise his head in the attitude of onewho listened intently. Heat replaced the ice in Paul's veins. Hadsomething moved in the forest? Was it Henry? Would he come?

The standing warrior uttered a low sound, and he who knelt with the flintand steel raised his head. Something had moved in the forest! It might beHenry. For Paul, the emotions of a life were concentrated in a singlemoment. Fear and hope tripped over each other, and the wilderness grewdim to his sight. A myriad of little black specks danced before his eyes, and the blood was beating a quick march in his ears. 

The two savages were motionless, as if carved of brown marble, and overall the wilderness hung silence. Then out of the silence came a sharpreport, and the warrior who stood erect, rifle in hand, fell to the earth, stricken by instant death. Henry had come! His faithful comrade had notfailed him! Paul shouted aloud in his tremendous relief and joy, forgetfulof the second warrior. 

The kneeling savage sprang to his feet, but he had made a fatal mistake. To light the fire for the torture, he had left his rifle leaning againstthe trunk of a tree twenty feet away, and before he could regain it aterrible figure bounded from the bushes, the figure of a great youth, cladin buckskin, his face transformed with anger and his eyes alight. Beforethe savage could reach his weapon he went down, slain by a single blow ofa clubbed rifle, and the next moment Henry was cutting Paul loose with afew swift slashes of his keen hunting knife. 

"I knew you would come! I knew it!" exclaimed Paul joyously and wildly, ashe stood forth free. "Nobody in the world but you could have done it, Henry!"

"I don't know about that, Paul, " said Henry, "but I'd have had you backsooner if it hadn't been for the dark. I followed you all night the bestway I could, but I couldn't come up to you until day, and they began workthen. "

He glanced significantly at the leaves and brushwood, and then, handingPaul's rifle to him, looked at those belonging to the savages. 

"We'll take 'em, " he said. "It's likely we'll need 'em, and their powderand bullets will be more than welcome, too. "

Paul was rubbing his wrists and ankles, where the blood flowed painfullyas the circulation was restored, but to him the whole affair was ended. His life had been saved at the last moment, and the world was morebrilliant and beautiful than ever. His imagination went quickly to theother extreme. There was no more danger. 

But Henry Ware did not lose his eager, wary look. It did not take him morethan a minute to transfer the ammunition of the warriors to the pouchesand powder-horns of Paul and himself. Then he searched the forest withkeen, suspicious glances. 

"Come, Paul, " he said, "we must run. The woods are full of the savages. I've found out that there's a great war party between us and Marlowe, andI've hid the powder in a cave. I turned the horses loose, hoping thatwe'll get 'em some time later; but just now you and I have to saveourselves. "

Paul came back to earth. Danger still threatened! But he was free for thetime, and he was with his comrade!

"You lead the way, Henry, " he said. "I'll follow, and do whatever yousay. "

Henry Ware made no reply, but bent his ear again, in the attitude of onewho listens. Paul watched his face attentively, seeking to read hisknowledge there. 

"The big war band is not far away, " said Henry, "and it's likely thatthey've heard my shot. It would carry far on such a still, clear morningas this. I didn't want them to hear it. "

"But I'm glad you did shoot, " said Paul. "It was a mighty welcome sound tome. "

"Yes, " said Henry, with grim humor, "it was the right thing at the righttime. Hark to that!" A single note, very faint and very far, rose and wasquickly gone, like the dying echo of music. Only the trained ranger of thewilderness would have noticed it at all, but Henry Ware knew. 

"Yes, they've heard, " he said, "and they're telling it to each other. Theyare also telling it to us. They're between us and Marlowe, and they arebetween us and Wareville, so we must run to the north, and run as fast aswe can. "

He led the way with swift, light footsteps through the forest, and Paulfollowed close behind, each boy carrying on his shoulder two rifles and athis waist a double stock of bullets and powder. 

Paul scarcely felt any fear now for the future. The revulsion from thestake and torture was so great that it did not seem to him that he couldbe taken again. Moreover, they had seized him the first time when he wasasleep. They had taken an unfair advantage. 

The sun rose higher, gilding the brown forest with fine filmy gold, like aveil, and the boys ran silently on among the trees and the undergrowth. Behind them, and spread out like a fan, came many warriors, fierce fortheir lives. Amid such scenes was the Great West won. 

CHAPTER II

IN THE RIVER

Paul, while not the equal of Henry in the woods, was a strong and enduringyouth. His muscles were like wire, and there were few better runners westof the mountains. Although the weight of the second rifle might tell aftera while, he did not yet feel it, and with springy step he sped afterHenry, leaving the choice of course and all that pertained to it to hiscomrade. After a while they heard a second cry--a wailing note--and Henryraised his head a little. 

"They've come to the two who fell, " he said. 

But after the single lament, the warriors were silent, and Paul heardnothing more in the woods but their own light footsteps and his own longbreathing. Little birds flitted through the boughs of the trees, and nowand then a hare hopped up and ran from their path. The silence becameterrible, full of omens and presages, like the stillness before comingthunder. 

"It means something, " said Henry; "I think we've stumbled into a regularnest of those Shawnees, and they're likely to be all about us. "

As if confirming his words, the far, faint note came from their right, andthen, in reply, from their left. Henry stopped so quickly that Paul almostran into him. 

"I was afraid it would be that way, " he said. "They're certainly allaround us except in front, and maybe there, too. "

Visions of the torture rose before Paul again. 

"What are we to do?" he said. 

"We must hide. "

"Hide I Why, they could find us in the forest, as I would find a man in anopen field. "

"I don't mean hide here, " said Henry; "the river is just ahead, and Ithink that if we reach it in time we can find a place. Come, Paul, we mustrun as we never ran before. "

The two boys sped with long, swift bounds through the forest as only thosewho run for their lives can run. Now the voices of the pursuit becamefrequent, and began to multiply. Henry, with his instinctive skill in theforest, read their meaning. The pursuers were sure of triumph. But Henryshut his lips tightly, and resolved that he and Paul should yet eludethem. 

"The river is not more than a half mile ahead, " he said. "Come, Paul, faster! A little faster, if you can!"

Paul obeyed, and the two, bending their heads lower, sped on withastonishing speed. Trees and bushes slid behind them. Before them appeareda blue streak, that broadened swiftly and became a river. 

"We must not let them see us, " said Henry. "Bend as low as you can, and beas quiet as you can!"

Paul obeyed, and in a few more minutes they were at the river's edge. 

"Fasten your bullets and powder around your neck, " said Henry, "and keepthe rifle on your shoulder. "

Paul did so, following Henry's quick example, and the two stepped into thewater, which soon reached to their waists. Henry had been along this riverbefore, and at this crisis in the lives of his comrade and himself heremembered. Dense woods lined both banks of the stream, which was narrowhere for miles, and a year or two before a hurricane had cut down thetrees as a reaper mows the wheat. The surface of the water was coveredwith fallen trunks and boughs, and for a half mile at least they hadbecome matted together like a great raft, out of which grass and weedsalready were growing. But Paul did not know it, and suddenly he stopped. 

"Why, what has become of the river?" he exclaimed, pointing ahead. 

The stream seemed to stop against a bank of logs and foliage. 

Henry laughed softly. 

"It is the great natural raft, " he said. "There is where we are to hide. "

He hastened his steps, wading as rapidly as he could, and Paul kept by hisside. He comprehended Henry's plan, their last and desperate chance. In afew moments more they were at the great raft, and in the bank, amid adense, almost impenetrable mass of foliage, they hid their rifles andammunition. Henry uttered a deep sigh as he did it. 

"I hate like everything to leave them, " he said, "but if we come to closequarters with any of those fellows, we must trust to our knives andhatchets. "

Then he turned reluctantly away. It was not a deep river, nowhere abovetheir necks, and he pushed a way amid the trees and foliage that werepacked upon the surface, Paul, as usual, following closely. Now and thenhe dived under a big log, and came up on the other side, his head wellhidden among upthrust boughs and among the weeds and grass that had grownin the soil formed by the silt of the river. And Paul always carefullyimitated him. 

When they were about thirty yards into the mass Paul felt Henry's hand onhis shoulder. "Look back, Paul, " was whispered in his ear, "but be surenot to move a single bough. " Paul slowly and cautiously turned his head, and saw a sight that made him quiver. 

Running swiftly, savage warriors were coming into view on either bank ofthe river--tall men, dark with paint, and, as he well knew, hot with thedesire to take life. 

"I thank God that this place is here!" breathed Paul. 

"Yes, it was just made for us, " said Henry, and he laughed ever so little. "Come, Paul, we must get farther into it. But be sure you don't shake anyboughs. "

They waded on, only their heads above the current, and these always hiddenby the interlacing trunks and branches. A great shout, fierce withtriumph, rose behind them. 

"They've found where our trail entered the water, and they think they'vegot us, " whispered Henry. "Now, be still, Paul; we'll hide here. "

They pushed themselves into a mass of debris, where logs and boughs, sweptby the current, formed a little arch over the stream. There they stood upto their chins in water, with their heads covered by the arch. Throughthe slits between the trunks and boughs they could see their pursuers. 

It was a numerous band--thirty or forty men--and they divided now intoseveral parties. Some ran along the banks of the stream and others sprangfrom log to log over the raft, searching everywhere, with keen, black eyestrained to note every movement of the wilderness. 

Paul felt Henry's hand again on his shoulder, but neither boy spoke. Bothfelt as if they were in a little cage, with the fiercest of all wildanimals around it and reaching long paws through the bars at them. Eachsank a little deeper into the water, barely leaving room to breathe, andwatched their enemies still searching, searching everywhere. They heardthe patter of moccasins on the logs, and now and then they saw brown, muscular legs passing by. Two warriors stopped within ten feet of them andexchanged comment. Henry, who understood their language, knew that theywere puzzled and angry. But Paul, without knowing a word that they said, understood, too. His imagination supplied the place of knowledge. Theywere full of wrath because they had lost the trail of the two whom theyhad regarded as certainly theirs, and to seek them in the vast maze oflogs and brush was like looking for one dead leaf among the millions. 

The two warriors stood still for a full minute, and then moved on out ofsight. Paul drew a deep breath of relief, like a sigh, and Henry's handwas pressed once more upon his shoulder. 

"Not a sound yet, not a sound, Paul!" he whispered ever so softly. "Theywill hunt here a long time. "

More warriors, treading on the logs, showed that his caution was notmisplaced. They poked now and then in the water, amid the great mass ofdebris, and one stood on a log so near to the two lads that they couldhave reached out and touched his moccasined feet. But their covert was tooclose to be suspected, and soon the man passed on. 

Presently all of them were out of sight; but Henry, a true son of cautionand the wilderness, would not yet let Paul stir. 

"They will come back this way, " he said. "We risk nothing by waiting, andwe may save much. "

Paul made no protest, but he was growing cold. The chill from the water ofthe river was creeping into his veins, and he longed for the dry land anda chance to stir about. Yet he clenched his teeth and resolved to endure. He would not move until Henry gave the word. 

He saw what a wise precaution it was, when, a half hour later, seven oreight warriors came walking back on the logs, and thrust with sticks intothe little patches of open water between them. Henry and Paul crouchedcloser in their covert, and the warriors stalked back and forth, stillsearching. 

Henry knew that the Shawnees, failing to find a place beyond the debriswhere the fugitives had emerged upon the bank, would believe that theymight be hidden under the logs, and would not give up the hunt there. Ifthey should happen to find the rifles and ammunition, they would certainlybe confirmed in the conclusion, but so far they had not found them. Henry, looking between the logs, saw them pass near the place of concealment, butthey did not stop, and were soon near the other bank. It would havebitterly hurt his pride if they had found the rifles, even had he and Paulescaped. 

An hour more they waited, and then the last warrior was out of sight, goneup the river. 

"I think we may crawl out now, " whispered Henry; "but we've still got tobe mighty careful about it. "

Pad took a step and fell over in the water. His legs were stiff with thewet and cold; but Henry dragged him up, and before trying it again hestretched first one leg and then the other, many times. 

"We must make our way back through the logs and brush to the rifles, "whispered Henry, "and then take to the woods once more. "

"I think I've lived in a river long enough to last me the rest of mylife, " Paul said. 

Henry laughed. He, too, was stiff and cold; but, a born woodsman, he nowdismissed their long hiding in the water as only an incident. The tworeached the precious rifles and ammunition, drew them forth fromconcealment, and stepped upon the bank, rivulets pouring from theirclothing, and even their hair. 

"I think we'd better go back on our own trail now, " said Henry. "The warparty has passed on, and is still looking for us far ahead. "

"We've got to dry ourselves, and somehow or other get that powder toMarlowe, " said Paul. 

"That's so, " said Henry. "We came to do it, and we will do it. "

He spoke with quiet emphasis, but Paul knew that he meant to perform whathe had set out to do, come what might, and Paul was willing to go with himthrough anything. Neither would abandon the great task of helping to saveKentucky. But they were still in a most serious position. They had beenmany hours in water which was not now warmed by summer heat, and they werebound to feel the effect of it soon in every bone. Henry glanced up atthe heavens. It was far past noon, and the golden sun was gliding down thewestern arch. 

"I think, " said Henry, "that it would be best for us to walk, as fast aswe can on the back track, and then try to dry out our clothing a little. "

He started at once, and Paul walked swiftly by his side. The rivulets thatran from their clothing decreased to tiny streams, and then only dropsfell. The sinking sun shot sheaves of brilliant beams upon them, and soonPaul felt a grateful warmth, driving for the time the chill from hisbones. He swung his arms as he walked, as much as the rifles would allow, and nearly every muscle in his frame felt the touch of vigorous exercise. His clothing dried rapidly. 

Two hours and three hours passed, and they heard no more the cries of thewarriors calling to each other. Silence again hung over the wilderness. Rabbits sprang up from the thickets. A deer, frightened by the sound ofthe boys' footsteps, held up his head, listened a moment, and then fledaway among the trees. Henry took his presence as a sign that no otherhuman being had passed that way in the last hour. 

The sun sank, the twilight came and died, and darkness clothed thewilderness. Then Henry stopped. 

"Paul, " he said, "I've got some venison in my knapsack, but you and Iought to have a fire. While our clothes are drying outside they are stillwet inside and we can't afford to have a chill, or be so stiff that wecan't run. You know we may have another run or two yet. "

"But do we dare make a fire?" asked Paul. 

"I think so. I can hide the blaze, and the night is so dark that the smokewon't show. "

He plunged deeper into the thickets, and came to a rocky place, full ofgullies and cavelike hollows. It was so dark that Paul could see only hisdim form ahead. Presently their course led downward, and Henry stopped inone of the sheltered depressions. 

"Now we'll make our fire, " he said. 

It was pitchy black where they stood. The walls of the hollow rose farabove their heads, and its crest was lined on every side with giant treesand dense undergrowth. 

The two boys dragged up dead leaves and brushwood, and Henry patientlyignited the heap with his flint and steel. A tiny blaze arose, but he didnot permit it to grow into a flame. Heavier logs were placed upon the top, and the fire only burned beneath, amid the small boughs. Smoke arose, butit was lost in the black heavens. The fire, thus confined, burnedfiercely and rapidly within its narrow limits, and a fine bed of coalssoon formed. It was time! The night had come on cold, and the chillreturned to Paul's veins. Before the fire was lighted he had begun toshiver, but when the deep bed of coals was formed, he sat before it andbasked in the grateful and glowing heat. 

"I think we'd better take off our clothing and dry it, " said Henry, andboth promptly did so. They hung part of their garments before the fire, ona stick thrust in the ground, until they were dry, and then, putting themon again, replaced them with the remainder, to dry in their turn. Meanwhile they ate of the venison that Henry carried in his knapsack, andfelt very happy. It was a wonderful experience for Paul. This was comfortand safety. They were only a pin point in the wilderness, but for thepresent the stony hollow fenced them about, and the hidden fire gave forthwarmth and pleasure. 

"Do you think you could sleep, Paul?" asked Henry, when they had put onagain the last of the dried clothing. 

Paul laughed. 

"Could I sleep?" he said. "Would a hungry wolf eat? Will water run downhill? I don't think I could do anything else just now. "

"Then try it, " said Henry. "After a while I'll wake you up for yourwatch, and take a turn at it myself. "

Paul said not another word, but sank back on the grass and leaves, withhis feet to the great bed of coals. He saw their glow for a moment or two, then his eyelids shut down, and he was wafted away on a magic carpet to adreamless region of happy peace. Henry's eyes, grown used to the dark, looked at him for a moment or two, and then the larger boy smiled. Paul, his faithful comrade, filled a great place in his heart--they liked eachother all the better because they were so unlike--and he was silently, butnone the less devoutly thankful that he had come. 

Henry was warm and dry, and as he tested his muscles he found them suppleand strong. Now he took precautions, thinking he had let the fire burn aslong as was safe. He scattered the coals with a stick, and then softlycrushed out each under the stout heel of his moccasin. With the minutepatience that he had learned from his forest life, he persisted in histask until not a single spark was left anywhere. Then he sat down inTurkish fashion, with his rifle lying across his lap and the other riflesnear, listening, always listening, with the wonderful ear that noted everysound of the forest, and piercing the thickets with eyes whose keennessthose of no savage could surpass. He knew that they were in the dangerzone, that the Shawnees were on a great man-hunt, and regarded the twoboys as stilt within their net, although they could not yet put theirhands upon them. That was why he listened and watched so closely, and thatwas why he would break his word to Paul and not waken him, keeping thenightlong vigil himself. 

The night advanced, the darkness shredded away a little before a halfmoon, and Henry was very glad that he had put out the last remnant of thefire. Yet the trees still enclosed the hollow like a black wall, and hedid not think a foe had one chance in a thousand of finding them therewhile the night lasted. But he never ceased to watch--a silent, powerfulfigure, with the rifle lying across his lap, ready to be used at amoment's notice. His stillness was something marvelous. Even had it beenlight, an ordinary observer would not have seen him move a hair's breadth. He was a part of the silent wilderness. 

Midnight, and then the long hours. Faint noises arose in the thickets, betthe ear of the gray statue was alive, and he knew. The rabbits werehopping about, at play, perhaps, in the moonlight; a deer was passing;perhaps a panther stirred somewhere; but these were things that neither henor Paul feared; it was only man that they dreaded. After a while afaint, clear note rose, far to the east, and to it came three replies likeit, and also far away. Henry laughed low. They were the familiar signals, but he and Paul were well hidden, and they would escape through the linesbefore morning. They might easily go back to Wareville, too, but he wasresolved not to abandon either the horses or the powder. The powder wasneeded at Marlowe, and it would be a bitter humiliation not to take itthere. 

Two hours more passed, and then Henry heard the signals again, but nowcloser. By chance, perhaps, the Shawnees had formed their ring about theright place, and it was time to act. Paul had slept well and was rested, so Henry leaned over and shook him. Paul opened his eyes, and any questionthat he might have wished to ask was cut short at his lips by Henry's low, but commanding, "Caution! Caution!"

"It is far after midnight, and we must move, Paul, " said Henry. "They mayhave blundered on our trail before it was dark, and they are still lookingfor us. I think they are coming this way. "

Paul understood in a moment, but he asked no question; if Henry said so, it was true, it did not matter how he knew. He rose, imitating Henry, taking his two rifles, and they stole silently away from the little covethat had been so full of comfort for both. 

"We'll go toward the south now, " said Henry, "and on your life, Paul, don't stumble!"

Paul knew the worth of this advice, and he was woodsman enough to avoidtripping on the vines and bushes, despite the darkness. One mile droppedbehind them, then two, then three, and Henry suddenly put his hand uponthe shoulder of Paul, who, understanding the signal, sank down at oncebeside his comrade. 

The bushes were thick there, but Paul soon saw the danger, of whichHenry's ear had already warned him. A dozen warriors marched in a silentfile through the undergrowth. Well for the two that they were somedistance away, and that the bushes grew thick and long! And well for them, too, that it was night! The warriors looked keenly on every side as theypassed, apparently seeking out the last little leaf and twig; but, acuteas were their eyes, they did not see the boys in the bushes. And perhapsit was well for some of them that they did not find what they sought, asthe wilderness furnished no more formidable antagonist than Henry Ware, and Paul Cotter, too, was both brave and skillful. 

But the warriors passed, and the black wilderness hid them. Henry watcheda little bush that one had brushed against, swinging in the moonlightwith short jerks that became shorter until it grew quite still again. Buthe did not yet go. He and Paul knew that they must not move for manyminutes. A warrior might turn on his track, see their risen forms, andwith his cry bring the whole band back again. They yet lay motionless andstill, while the moonlight filtered through the leaves and the silence ofthe forest endured. Henry rose at last, and led the way again. 

"They are certainly beating up the woods for us, " said he, "and I thinkthat party will stumble right upon the little hollow where we rested. Itwas well we moved. "

They increased their southward pace, and when it was scarcely two hours tothe dawn Henry said:

"I know of a good place in which to rest, and a still better place inwhich to fight if they should find us. "

"Where?"

"Holt's lone cabin. It's less than half a mile from here. I've had it inmind. "

Paul did not know what he meant by Holt's lone cabin, but he was alwayswilling to trust Henry without questions. His imagination, flowering atonce into splendor, depicted it as some kind of an impregnable fortress. 

"Come, we mustn't lose time!" said Henry, and he suddenly increased hisspeed, running so fast that Paul had much to do to keep pace with him. Paul looked up, and he saw why Henry hastened. The black curtain wasrolled back a little in the east, and a splendid bar of gray appeared justat the horizon's edge. As Paul looked, it broadened and turned to silver, and then gold. Paul thought it a very phantasy of fate that the coming ofday, which is like life, should bring such terrors. 

They reached a clearing--a high, stony piece of ground--and in its centerPaul saw a little old log cabin, with a heavy open door that sagged onrude wooden hinges. 

"Come, " said Henry, and they crossed the clearing to the cabin, pushingopen the door. Paul looked around at the narrow place, and the protectingwalls gave him much comfort. Evidently it had been abandoned in greathaste. In one corner lay a tiny moccasin that had been a baby's shoe, andno one had disturbed it. On a hook on the wall hung a woman's apron, andtwo or three rude domestic utensils lay on the floor. The sight had Itspathos for Paul, but he was glad that the Holts had gone in time. He wasglad, too, that they had left their house behind that he and Henry mightuse it when they needed it most, because he began to be conscious now ofa great weakness, both of body and spirit. 

Hooks and a stout wooden bar still remained, and as Henry closed the doorand dropped the bar into place, he exclaimed exultantly:

"They may get us, Paul, but they'll pay a full price before they do it. "

"I'd rather they wouldn't get us at all, " said Paul. 

Nevertheless his imagination, leaping back to the other extreme, made thelone cabin the great fortress that he wished. And a fortress it was inmore senses than one. Built of heavy logs, securely chinked, the singlewindow and the single door closed with heavy oaken shutters, no bulletcould reach them there. Paul sat down on a puncheon bench, and breathedlaboriously, but joyously. Then he looked with inquiry at Henry. 

"It was built by a man named Holt, " said Henry. "He was either a greatfool or a very brave man to come out here and settle alone. But a monthago, after the Indian wars began, he either became wiser or less brave, and he went into Marlowe with his family, leaving the place just as itis. "

"He left in time, " said Paul. 

CHAPTER III

THE LONE CABIN

Henry was deeply thankful for this shelter because he knew how badly itwas needed. He went to the single little window, which sagged half open onhinges made of the skin of the buffalo. He pushed it back in place, andfastened it, too, with a smaller bar, which he was lucky enough to findlying on the floor. 

"Well, Paul, we are here, " he said. 

As he spoke he looked keenly and anxiously at his comrade. 

"Yes, Henry, " Paul replied. "Here we are, and mighty glad am I. It's goodto be in a house again after that river. "

Henry noticed at once that his voice was thinner and weaker than usual, and he saw also that the color on Paul's face was high--the rest and thelittle fire in the forest had not been enough. Again he was deeplygrateful for the presence of the cabin. He looked around, with inquiringeyes that could see everything. It was dusky in the cabin with both doorand window closed, but he observed with especial pleasure, among theabandoned articles, a small iron pot, suitable for cooking purposes, and alarge water bowl. When he summed up all, it seemed to this resourceful sonof the wilderness that Fortune had been very kind to them. Then he lookedat Paul and distinctly saw a tremor pass over his frame. 

"Paul, " he said, "are you cold?"

"A little, " replied Paul reluctantly. It hurt his pride to confess that hefelt on the verge of physical collapse. 

"Then we must have a fire, and I'm going to build it now. "

"Won't it be dangerous?" asked Paul. "Won't it be seen?"

"Oh, no, " replied Henry lightly. "We are alone in the forest now. "

His tone was convincing to Paul, but Henry himself was aware that theywere taking great risks. Yet they must be taken. 

"Now, Paul, " he said cheerfully, "you keep a good watch while I bring indeadwood. But first we will rake clean the welcoming hearth of our goodfriends who departed so quickly. "

Ashes and dead coals were lying in the fireplace, and he raked themcarefully to one side. Then he unbarred the door. The crisp October airrushed into the close, confined space, and it felt very welcome to Henry, but Paul shivered again. 

"Sit down in one of those chairs and rest, Paul, " he said, as he pointedto two homemade chairs that stood by the wall. "I'll be back in a minuteor two. "

Then he shut the door behind him. 

"I must take the risk, " he murmured. It was characteristic of Henry Ware, that in this emergency not even a vague thought of deserting his comradeentered his mind. And faithful as he was to Paul, Paul would have been asfaithful to him. Both meant to finish together their great errand. 

Henry looked around. The settler had made but little impression upon thesurrounding forest. The trees had been cut away for a distance of fifteenor twenty paces on every side, but the wilderness still curved in solidarray about the lone cabin, as if it would soon reclaim its own and blotout the sole sign of man's intrusion. Everywhere the foliage glowed withthe deep reds and yellows and browns of October, and afar hung a faintbluish haze, like an early sign of Indian summer. The slight wind amongthe leaves had a soothing note, and breathed of nothing but peace. PeaceHenry Ware devoutly hoped that it would be. 

His task was easy. The forest all about was littered with the fallen anddead wood of preceding years, and in a few moments he gathered up anarmful, with which he returned to the house. Then he brought in dryleaves, and heaped leaves and wood together in the chimney-place. Heglanced at Paul and saw him trembling. As if by chance he touched hiscomrade's hand, and it felt ice-cold. But he did not depart one jot fromhis cheerful manner, all his words showing confidence. 

"Now, Paul, " he said, "In less than a minute you'll see burning before youthe finest, warmest, glowingest and most comfortable fire in all theWest. "

Paul's eyes glistened. 

Henry drew forth flint and steel, and with a few strokes sent out thevivifying spark. The dry leaves caught, a light flame formed, the woodcaught in its turn, and then the blaze, leaping high, roared up thechimney. In a moment the hearth was glowing, and presently a bed of deepred coals began to grow. 

Paul uttered a low laugh of joy, and spread out his hands to the flames. The red light glowed across the delicately cut but strong face of the boy, and Henry noticed now that all his color was gone, leaving his featureswhite and drawn. 

"Sit a little closer, Paul, a little closer, " he said, still in tones ofhigh, good cheer. "Isn't it the most beautiful fire you ever saw?"

"Yes, " said Paul, "it is. It looks mighty good, but it's curious that itdoesn't warm me more. "

Henry had closed the door, and it was already very hot in the cabin; buthe decided now on another step--one that would take more time, but it mustbe taken. 

"Paul, " he said, "I'm going out in the woods to look for something, and Imay be gone at least half an hour. Take good care of our house while I'maway. "

"All right, " said Paul. But as he spoke his teeth struck together. 

Henry closed the door once more, with himself on the outside. Then hewalked to the edge of the clearing, and looked back at the cabin. He hadbeen careful to choose the kind of wood that would give out the leastsmoke, and only a thin column rose from the chimney. The wind caught itbefore it rose far, and it was lost among the great trees of thewilderness. It seemed again to Henry Ware that Fortune was kind to them. 

The single look sufficed, and then, drawing his long-bladed hunting knifefrom its sheath, he began to search the forest. Henry Ware had been long acaptive among the Northwestern Indians, and he had learned their lore. Hehad gained from the medicine men and old squaws a knowledge of herbs, andnow he was to put it to use. He sought first for the bitter root calledIndian turnip, and after looking more than twenty minutes found it. He dugit up with his sharp knife, and then, with another search of a quarter ofan hour, he found the leaves of wild sage, already dried in the autumnair. A third quarter of an hour and he added to his collection two moreherbs, only the Indian names of which were known to him. Then he returnedto the house, to find that the icy torrent in Paul's blood had now becomehot. 

"I can't stand this, Henry, " he said. "We've got the door and windowclosed and a big fire burning, and I'm just roasting hot. "

"Only a little while longer, " said Henry. "The truth is, Paul, you've hada big chill, and now the fever's come on you. But I'm Dr. Ware, and I'mgoing to cure you. When I was up there among the Indians, I learned theirherb remedies, and mighty good some of 'em are, too. They're particularlystrong with chills and fever, and I'm going to make you a tea that'll justlay hold of you and drive all the fever out of your veins. What you wantto do, Paul, is to sweat, and to sweat gallons. "

He spoke in rapid, cheerful tones, wishing to keep up Paul's spirits, inwhich effort he succeeded, as Paul's eyes sparkled, and a gleam of humorlighted up his face. 

"Well, Dr. Ware, " he said, "I'm mighty glad to know what's the matter withme. Somehow you always feel better when you know, and I'll trust to yourtea. "

He meant what he said. He knew Henry too well to doubt him. Any assertionof his inspired him with supreme confidence. 

"Now, Paul, " Henry resumed, "you keep house again, and I'll find where ourunknown friend got his drinking water. "

He took the iron pot that he had noticed and went forth into the forest. It was an instinctive matter with one bred in the wilderness like HenryWare to go straight to the spring. The slope of the land led him, and hefound it under the lee of a little hill, near the base of a great oak. Here a stream, six inches broad, an inch deep, but as clear as burnishedsilver, flowed from beneath a stony outcrop in the soil, and then trickledaway, in a baby stream, down a little ravine. There was a strain ofprimitive poetry, the love of the wild, in Henry's nature, and he pausedto admire. 

He saw that human hands had scraped out at the source a little fountain, where one might dip up pails of water, and looking down into the cleardepths he beheld his own face reflected back in every detail. It seemed toHenry Ware, who knew and loved only the wilderness, that the cabin, withits spring and game at its very doors, would have made a wonderfully snughome in the forest. Had it been his own, he certainly would haveundertaken to defend it against any foe who might come. 

But all these thoughts passed in a second, treading upon one another'sheels. Henry was at the fountain scarcely a moment before he had filledthe pot and was on the way back to the cabin. Then he cast in the herbs, put it upon a bed of red coals, and soon a steam arose. He found an old, broken-sided gourd among the abandoned utensils, and was able to dip upwith it a half dozen drinks of the powerful decoction. He induced hiscomrade to swallow these one after another, although they were verybitter, and Paul made a wry face. Then he drew from the corner the rudebedstead of the departed settler, and made Paul lie upon it beside thefire. 

"Now go to sleep, " he said, "while I watch here. "

Paul was a boy of great sense, and he obeyed without question, although itwas very hot before the fire. But it was not a dry, burning heat thatseemed to be in the blood; it was a moist, heavy heat that filled thepores. He began to feel languid and drowsy, and a singular peace stoleover him. It did not matter to him what happened. He was at rest, andthere was his faithful comrade on guard, the comrade who never failed. Thecoals glowed deep red, and the sportive flames danced before him. Happyvisions passed through his brain, and then his eyes closed. The red coalspassed away and the sportive flames ceased to dance. Paul was asleep. 

Henry Ware sat in silence on one of the chairs at the corner of thehearth, and when Paul's breathing became long, deep, and regular, he sawthat he had achieved the happy result. He rose soundlessly, and put hishand upon Paul's forehead. It came back damp. Paul was in a profuseperspiration, and his fever was sinking rapidly. Henry knew now that itwas only a matter of time, but he knew equally well that in theIndian-haunted wilderness time was perhaps the most difficult of allthings to obtain. 

No uneasiness showed in his manner. Now the lad, born to be a king of thewilderness, endowed with all the physical qualities, all the acute sensesof a great, primitive age, was seen at his best. He was of one type andhis comrade of another, but they were knitted together with threads ofsteel. It had fallen to his lot to do a duty in which he could excel, andhe would shirk no detail of it. 

He brought in fresh wood and piled it on the hearth. At a corner of thecabin stood an old rain barrel half full of water. He emptied the barreland brought it inside. Then, by means of many trips to the little springwith the iron pot, he filled it with fresh water. All the while he movedsoundlessly, and Paul's deep, peaceful slumber was not disturbed. He tookon for the time many of the qualities that he had learned from his Indiancaptors. Every sense was alert, attuned to hear the slightest sound thatmight come from the forest, to feel, in fact, any alien presence as itdrew near. 

When the store of water was secure he looked at their provisions. They hadenough venison in their knapsacks to last a day or two, but he believedthat Paul would need better and tenderer food. The question, however, mustwait a while. 

The day was now almost gone. Great shadows hovered over the easternforest, and in the west the sun glowed in its deepest red as it preparedto go. Henry put his hand upon Paul's forehead again. The perspiration wasstill coming, but the fever was now wholly gone. Then he took his rifleand went to the door. He stood there a moment, a black figure in the redlight of the setting sun. Then he slid noiselessly into the forest. Thetwilight had deepened, the red sun had set, and only a red cloud in thesky marked its going. But Henry Ware's eyes pierced the shadows, and nonein the forest could have keener ears than his. He made a wide circlearound the cabin, and found only silence and peace. Here and there weretracks and traces of wild animals, but they would not disturb; it was forsomething else that he looked, and he rejoiced that he could not find it. When he returned to the cabin the last fringe of the red cloud was gonefrom the sky, and black darkness was sweeping down over the earth. Hesecured the door, looked again to the fastenings of the window, and thensat down before the fire, his rifle between his knees. 

Paul's slumber and exhaustion alike were so deep that he would not belikely to waken before morning, so Henry judged, and presently he took outa little of the dried venison and ate it. He would boil some of it in thepot in the morning for Paul's breakfast, but for himself it was goodenough as it now was. His strong white teeth closed down upon it, and adeep feeling of satisfaction came over him. He, too, was resting fromgreat labors, and from a task well done. He realized now, for the firsttime, how great a strain had been put upon him, both mind and body. 

The night was sharp and chill, but it was very warm and comfortable in thelittle cabin. Paul slept on, his breathing as regular as the ticking of aclock, healthy color coming back into his pale face as he slept. Henry'sown eyes began to waver. A deep sense of peace and rest soothed him, heartand brain. He had meant to watch the night through, but even he hadreached the limit of endurance. The faint moaning of the wind outside, like the soft, sweet note of a violin, came to his ears, and lulled him toslumber. The fire floated far away, and, still sitting in his chair withhis rifle between his knees, he slept. 

Outside the darkness thickened and deepened. The forest was a solid black, circling wall, and the cabin itself stood in deepest shadow. Inside afresh piece of wood caught, and the blaze burned brighter and higher. Itthrew a glow across the faces of the two boys, who slept, the one lyingupon the bed and the other sitting in the chair, with the rifle betweenhis knees. It was a scene possible only in the great wilderness of_Kain-tuck-ee_. 

Meanwhile word was sent by unknown code through the surrounding forest toall its inhabitants that a great and portentous event had occurred. Notlong before they had welcomed the departure of the strange intruder, whohad come and cut down the forest and built the house. Then, with theinstinct that leaped into the future, they saw the forest and themselvesclaiming their own again; the clearing would soon be choked with weeds andbushes, the trees would grow up once more, the cabin would rot and itsroof fall, and perhaps the bear or the panther would find a cozy lairamong its timbers. 

Now the strange intruders had come again. The fox, creeping to the edge ofthe clearing, saw with his needlelike eyes a red gleam through the chinksof the cabin. The red gleam smote him with terror, and he slunk away. Thewolf, the rabbit, and the deer came; they, too, saw the red gleam, andfled, with the same terror striking at their hearts. All, after the singlelook, sank back into the shadows, and the forest was silent and deserted. Paul and Henry, as they slept, were guarded by a single gleam of fire fromall enemies save human kind. 

But as the night thickened there had been a whirring in the air not faraway. An hour earlier the twilight had been deepened by something thatlooked like a great cloud coming before the sun. It was a cloud that movedswiftly, and it was made of a myriad of motes, closely blended. Itresolved itself soon into a vast flock of wild pigeons, millions andmillions flying southward to escape the coming winter. 

Presently they settled down upon the forest for the night, and all thetrees were filled with the chattering multitude. Often the bough bentalmost to the ground beneath the weight of birds, clustered so thick thatthey could scarcely find a footing. The fox and the wolf that had lookedat the lone cabin came back now to seek, an easier prey. 

Henry Ware slept until far after midnight, and then he awoke easily, without jerk or start. The fire had burned down, and a deep bed of coalslay on the hearth. Paul still slept, and when Henry touched him he foundthat he had ceased to perspire. No trace of the fever was left. Yet hewould be very weak when he awoke, and he would need nourishing food. Itwas his comrade's task to get it. Henry took his rifle and went outside. The moon was shining now, and threw a dusky silver light over all theforest. He might find game, and, if so, he resolved to risk a shot. Thechances were that no human being save himself would hear it. He feltrather than saw that nothing had happened while he slept. No enemy to befeared had come, while all his own strength and elasticity had returned tohim. Never had he felt stronger or more perfectly attuned in body andmind. 

He moved again in a circuit about the cabin, watching carefully, and nowand then looking up among the trees. Perhaps an opossum might be hangingfrom a bough! But he saw nothing until he widened his circuit, and then heran directly into the myriads of wild pigeons. Here was food for an army, and he quickly secured plenty of it. The danger of the rifle report wasgone, as he had nothing to do but take a stick and knock off a bough asmany of the pigeons as he wished. Then he hastened back to the cabin withhis welcome burden. Paul still slept, and it pleased Henry to give him asurprise. He kindled the fire afresh, cleaned two of the youngest, fattest, and tenderest of the pigeons, and began to boil them in the pot. 

When the water simmered and pleasant odors arose, he was afraid that Paulwould awake, as he turned once or twice on his bed and spoke a fewincoherent words. But he continued to sleep, nevertheless, and at last thepigeon stew was ready, throwing out a savory odor. 

The day was now coming, and Henry opened the window. The forest, wet withmorning dew, was rising up into the light, and afar in the east shone thegolden glory of the sun. He drew a deep breath of the fresh, good air, anddecided to leave the window open. Then he filled the broken gourd with thegrateful stew, and, holding it in his right hand, shook Paul violentlywith his left. Paul, who had now slept his fill, sat up suddenly andopened his eyes. 

"Here, Paul, open your mouth, " said Henry commandingly, "and take thisfine stew. Dr. Ware has prepared it for you specially, and it is sure tobring hack your strength and spirits. And there's plenty more of it. "

Paul sniffed hungrily, and his eyes opened wider and wider. 

"Why--why, Henry!" he exclaimed. "How long have I slept, and where did youget this?"

"You've slept about twenty hours, more or less, " replied Henry, laughingwith satisfaction, "and this is wild pigeon stew. Fifteen or twentymillions roosted out there in the forest last night, and they won't missthe dozen or so that I've taken. Here, hurry up; I'm hungry, and it's myturn next. "

Paul said no more, but, thankful enough, took the stew and ate it. Then, by turns, they used the broken gourd and ate prodigiously, varied bydrinks from the water barrel. They had fasted long, they had undergonegreat exertions, and it took much to remove the sharp edge from theirappetites. But it was done at last, and they rested content. 

"Henry, " said Paul, upon whose mind the fortunate advent of the wildpigeons made a deep impression, "while we have had great mischances, itseems to me also that we have been much favored by Providence. Ourfinding of this cabin was just in time, and then came the pigeons as ifspecially for us. You remember in the Bible how the Lord sent the manna inthe wilderness for the Israelites; it seems to me that He's doing the samething for us. "

"It looks so, " replied Henry reverently. "The Indians with whom I oncelived think that the Great Spirit often helps us when we need it most, andI suppose that their Great Spirit--or Manitou, as they call Him--is justthe same as our God. "

Both boys were now silent for a while. They had been reared by devoutparents. Life in the forest deepens religious belief, and it seemed tothem that there had been a special interposition in their favor. 

"What are we going to do now?" asked Paul at length. 

"We can't take up our journey again for a day or two, " replied Henry. "We've got to get that powder to Marlowe some time or other. Warevillesent us to do the job, and we'll do it; but you are yet too weak, Paul, tostart again. You don't know how really weak you are. Just you get up andwalk about a little. "

Paul rose and walked back and forth across the room, but in a few momentshe became dizzy and had to sit down. Then he uttered an impatient littlecry. 

"You're right, Henry, " he said, "and I can't help it. Find the horses andtake the powder to Marlowe by yourself. I guess I can get back toWareville, or come on later to Marlowe. "

Henry laughed. 

"You know I wouldn't dream of doing such a thing, Paul, " he said. "Besides, I don't think they need to be in any hurry at Marlowe for thatpowder. We'll rest here two or three days, and then take a fresh start. "

Paul said no more. It would have been a terrible blow to him to have nofurther share in the enterprise, but he had forced himself nevertheless tomake the offer. Now he leaned back luxuriously, and was content to wait. 

"Of course, " said Henry judicially, "we run risks here. You know that, Paul"

"Everybody who lives in Kentucky runs risks, and big ones, " said Paul. 

"Then we'll sit here for the present and watch the forest. I don't like tokeep still, but it's a fine country to look at, isn't it, Paul?"

The love of the wilderness was upon Henry, and his eyes glowed as helooked at the vast surrounding forest, the circling wall of deep-toned, vivid colors. For him, danger, if absent, did not exist, and there wasinspiration in the crisp breeze that came over a thousand miles ofuntenanted woods. He sat in the doorway, the door now open, and stretchedhis long legs luxuriously. He was happy; while he might be anxious to goon with the powder, he pined for neither Wareville nor Marlowe for theirown sakes. 

Paul looked at his comrade with understanding and sympathy. The forestmade its appeal to him also, but in another way; and since Henry wascontent, he would be content, too. Used as he was to hardships and narrowquarters, the little cabin would not be a bad place in which to pass twoor three days. He turned back to the fire and held out his hands beforethe mellow blaze. 

Henry examined the forest again, widening his circle, and saw no traces ofan enemy. He judged that they had passed either to east or west, and thathe and Paul would not be molested just yet, although he had no confidencein their permanent security. He saw a deer, but in view of their bountifulsupply of pigeons he did not risk a shot, and returned before noon, tofind Paul rapidly regaining his strength. He cooked two more of thepigeons in their precious iron pot, and then they rested. 

They left both door and window open now, and they could see forest andsky. Henry called attention to a slight paleness in the western heavens, and then noted that the air felt damp. 

"It will rain to-night, Paul, " he said, "and it is a good thing for you, in your weakened condition, that we have a roof. "

They ate pigeon again for supper, and their wilderness appetites were toosharp to complain of sameness. They had barred window and door, and letthe fire die down to a bed of glowing coals, and while they ate, Paulheard the first big drops of rain strike on the board roof. Other dropscame down the chimney, fell in the coals, and hissed as they died. Paulshivered, and then felt very good indeed in the dry little cabin. 

"You were a real prophet, Henry, " he said. "Here's your storm. "

"Not a storm, " said Henry, "but a long, cold, steady rain. Even an Indianwould not want to be out in it, and bear and panther will hunt theirholes. "

The drops came faster, and then settled into a continuous pour. Paul, after a while, opened the window and looked out. Cold, wet air struck hisface, and darkness, almost pitchy, enveloped the cabin. Moon and starswere gone, and could not see the circling wail of the forest. The rainbeat with a low, throbbing sound on the board roof, and, with a kind oflong sigh, on the ground outside. It seemed to Paul a very cold and a verywet rain indeed, one that would be too much for any sort of human beings, white or red. 

"I think, we're safe to-night, Henry, " he said, as he closed and fastenedthe window. 

"Yes, to-night, " replied Henry. 

Paul slept a dreamless sleep, lulled by the steady pour of the rain on theroof, and when he awoke in the morning the sun was shining brightly, without a cloud in the sky. But the forest dripped with rain. He wasstrong enough now to help in preparing the breakfast, and Henry spoke withconfidence of their departure the next morning. 

The hours passed without event, but when Henry went as usual through theforest that afternoon, he came upon a footprint. He followed it and foundtwo or three more, and then they were lost on rocky ground. The discoverywas full of significance to him, and he thought once of hurrying back tothe cabin, and of leaving with Paul at once. But he quickly changed hismind. In the forest they would be without defense save their own strongarms, while the cabin was made of stout logs. And perhaps the danger wouldpass after all. Already the twilight was coming, and in the darkness hisown footprints would not be seen. 

Paul was at the door when Henry returned, and he did not notice anythingunusual in his comrade's face, but Henry advised that they stay insidenow. Then he looked very carefully to the bars of the door and the window, and Paul understood. The danger flashed instantly on his mind, but hisstrong will prepared him to meet it. 

"You think we are likely to be besieged?" he said. 

"Yes, " replied Henry. 

Paul did not ask why Henry knew. It was sufficient that he did know, andhe examined his arms carefully. Then began that long period of waiting soterrible to a lad of his type. It seemed that the hours would never pass. The coals on the hearth were dead now, and there was no light at all inthe cabin. But his eyes grew used to the dusk, and he saw his comradesitting on one of the benches, one rifle across his lap and the othernear, always listening. 

Paul listened, too. The night before the rain had fallen on the board roofwith a soothing sound, but now he could hear nothing, not even the windamong the trees. He began to long for something that would break thisominous, deadly silence, be it ever so slight--the sound of a falling nutfrom a tree, or of a wild animal stirring in the undergrowth--but nothingcame. The same stillness, heavy with omens and presages, reigned in allthe forest. 

CHAPTER IV

THE SIEGE

The whole night passed without event and the day came. Paul saw the lightgrow deeper and deeper, but nothing stirred in the forest. It stretchedbefore him, a living curve of glowing red and yellow and brown, but it wasnow like a sea of dangerous depths, and the little cabin was their soleisland of safety. 

"It's a good thing we brought the extra rifles with us, " said Henry. "Theylook like good weapons, and they may save us in case of a rush. Ah, therethey come!"

Paul had noticed nothing, but Henry had seen the bushes at the edge of theforest quiver, and then move contrary to the wind. His eye did not restupon any brown body, but he knew as well as if they had cried out that thewarriors were there. How many? That was the question that concerned himmost. If a great war party, they might hang on a long time; but if only asmall one, he and Paul might beat them off as often as they came. Theyhad four rifles, plenty of ammunition, enough food to last several days, and he thanked God for the providential presence of the rain barrel. 

These were but brief passing thoughts, and he never ceased to watch theforest. Still no sign of a face, but now and then the unnatural quiver ofthe bushes, and above them the sun spinning a fine golden, veil over allthe great wilderness. 

"Our guests have come, Paul, " said he, "but from safe cover they areinspecting our front yard. "

"And they don't know yet whether or not they would like to disportthemselves on our lawn. "

"That is just it. They have doubts about their welcome. "

"That being so, " said Paul, in the light, jesting spirit that he loved, "I'll just wait until they knock at our door. Meanwhile I'll take a drinkfrom that lucky cistern of ours. "

He bent his head into the barrel, and as he drank he felt fresh strengthand courage rushing into his veins. 

"It was great luck, wasn't it, to find this barrel?" he said. 

"It certainly was, " replied Henry, and his words came from the bottom ofhis heart. "Now you watch while I take a drink. "

Paul did so, but he noticed nothing unusual in the woods. The faint signsthat Henry read with such an unerring eye were hidden from him. But hisskill was sufficient to cover all the cleared space. No warrior could passthere unseen by him. Henry rejoined him. 

"You watch from one side and I'll take the other, " he said. 

They did so, but the single room of the cabin was so small that they wereonly a few feet from each other, and could talk together in low tones. 

"It will be a trial of patience, " said Henry. "The Indian always has moretime than anybody else in the world, and he is willing to make the most ofit. "

Paul, too, knew that Shawnees, no matter what their numbers, would not yetrisk a headlong attack on the cabin, and now his curiosity as to what theywould do was aroused. It was surprise that Henry and he must guardagainst. What was to be expected? His sense of curiosity was as keenlyaroused as his sense of danger. 

Over an hour dragged slowly by, minute by minute. The sun blazedbrilliantly over the wilderness, and the shut little cabin grew close andhot. No fresh air came except by the loopholes, and it was not enough forcoolness. Paul's forehead grew damp, and his eyes ached from continualwatching at the loophole. Curiosity now began to give way to anger. Ifthey were going to do anything, why didn't they do it? He watched theforest so much and so intently that he began to create images there forhimself. A tall stump was distorted into the figure of an Indian warrior, a clump of bushes took the shape of an entire group of Shawnees, and manysavage, black eyes looked from the leaves. Paul's reason told him that hebeheld nothing, but his fancy put them there, nevertheless. He sawpresently a little jet of smoke, rising like a white feather; he heard areport, and then the sound of a bullet burying itself with a soft sigh ina log of the cabin. He laughed at the futility of it, but Henry said:

"They're just trying us a little--skirmishing, so to speak. Be carefulthere, Paul! A chance bullet might catch you in the eye at the loophole. "

More lead came from the forest, and there was a sharp crackle of riflefire. Bullets thudded into the stout walls of the cabin, and Paul's soulswelled with derision. His vivid mind pictured himself as safe from thewarriors as if they were a thousand miles away. He was attracted suddenlyby a slight, gurgling sound, and then a cry of dismay from Henry. Hewheeled in alarm. Henry had sprung to the water barrel, the preciouscontents of which were oozing from a little round hole in the side, abouttwo thirds of the way up. A bullet had entered one of the loopholes andstruck the barrel. It was an unfortunate chance, one in a thousand, andhad not Henry's acute ear detected at once the sound of flowing water, itmight have proved a terrible loss. 

But Henry was rapidly stuffing a piece of buckskin, torn from his huntingshirt, into the little round hole, and he waved Paul back to the wall. 

"You stay there and watch, Paul, " he said. "I'll fix this. "

The buckskin stopped all the flow but a slight drip. Then, with his stronghunting knife, he cut a piece of wood from the bench, whittled it intoshape, and drove it tightly into the bullet hole. 

"That's all secure, " he said, with a sigh of relief. "Now I must get itout of range. "

He wheeled it to a point in the cabin at which no chance bullet couldreach it, and then resumed the watch with Paul. 

"Aren't you glad, Paul, " said Henry, "that you were not in the place ofthe water barrel?"

"Yes, " replied Paul lightly, "because a piece of buckskin and a roundstick wouldn't have healed the damage so quickly. "

He spoke lightly because he was still full of confidence. The little cabinwas yet an impregnable castle to him. The crackle of rifle fire died, thelast plume of white smoke rose over the forest, drifted away, and was lostin the brilliant sunshine. Silence and desolation again held thewilderness. 

"Nothing will happen for some hours now, " said Henry cheerfully, "so thebest thing that we can do, Paul, is to have dinner. "

"Yes, " said Paul, with his quick fancy. "We can dine sumptuously--venisonand pigeon and spring water. "

"And lucky we are to have them, " said Henry. 

They ate of the venison and pigeon, and they drank from the barrel. Theywere not creatures of luxury and ease, and they had no complaint to make. When they finished, Henry said:

"Paul, you ought to take a nap, and then you'll be fresh for to-night, when things will be happening. "

Paul at first was indignant at the idea that he should go to sleep withthe enemy all about them, but Henry soon persuaded him what a wise thingit would be. Besides, the air was all the time growing closer and warmerin the little cabin, and he certainly needed sleep. His head grew heavyand his eyelids drooped. He lay down on the bed, and in a surprisinglyquick time was slumbering soundly. 

Henry looked at the sleeping lad, and his look was a compound of greatfriendship and admiration. He knew that Paul was not, like himself, bornto the wilderness, and he respected the courage and skill that couldtriumph nevertheless. But it was only a fleeting look. His eyes turnedback to the forest, where he watched lazily; lazily, because he knew withthe certainty of divination that they would not attempt anything untildark, and he knew with equal certainty that they would attempt somethingthen. 

He awakened Paul in two hours, and took his place on the bench. He had notslept at all the night before, when they were expecting a foe who had notyet come, and he, too, must be fresh when the conflict was at hand. 

"When you see shadows in the clearing, wake me, without fail, Paul, " hesaid. 

Then he closed his eyes, and like Paul slept almost at once. Neither theweary waiting nor the danger could upset his nerves so much that sleepwould not come, and his slumber was dreamless. 

The afternoon waned. Paul, peeping from the loophole, saw the sun, redlike fire, seeking its bed in the west, but the shadows were not yet overthe clearing. Refreshed by his sleep, and his nerves steadied, he nolonger saw imaginary figures in the wilderness. It was just a wall of redand yellow and brown, and it was hard to believe that men seeking hislife lay there. By and by the east began to turn gray, and over theclearing fell the long shadows of coming twilight. Then Paul awakenedHenry, and the two watched together. 

The shadows lengthened and deepened, a light wind arose and moaned amongthe oaks and beeches, a heavy, dark veil was drawn across the sky, and theforest melted into a black blur. Now Henry looked with all his eyes andlistened with all his ears, because he knew that what the warriors wanted, the covering veil of the night, had come. 

It was a very thick and black night, too, and that was against him andPaul, as the objects in the clearing were hidden almost as well now asanything in the forest. Hence he trusted more to ear than to eye. But hecould yet hear nothing, save the wind stirring the leaves and the grass. Inside the little cabin it grew dark, too, but their trained eyes, becoming used to the gloom, were able to see each other well enough forall the needs of the defense. 

Time passed slowly on, and to Paul every moment was tense and vivid. Thedarkness was far more suggestive of danger than the day had been. He tookhis eyes now and then from the loophole, for a moment, to glance atHenry's face, and about the third or fourth time he saw a sudden lightleap into the eyes of his comrade. The next instant Henry thrust hisrifle into the loophole and, taking quick aim, fired. 

A long, quavering cry arose, and after that came a silence that lay verystill and deadly upon Paul's soul. Henry had seen in the shadow a deepershadow quiver, and he had fired instantly but with deadly aim. Paul, looking through the loophole on his own side of the cabin, could seenothing for a little space, but presently arose a patter of feet, and manyforms darted through the dusk toward the cabin. He quickly fired onerifle, and then the other, but whether his bullets hit he could not tell. Then heavy forms thudded against the log walls of the hut, and through theloophole he heard deep breathing. 

"They've gained the side of the cabin, " said Henry, "and we can't reach'em with our rifles now. "

"I did my best, Henry, " said Paul ruefully. Conflict did not appeal tohim, but the wilderness left no choice. 

"Of course, Paul, " said Henry, with every appearance of cheerfulness, "it's not your fault. In such darkness as this they were bound to getthere. But they are not inside yet by a long sight. Be sure you don't getin front of any of the loopholes. "

There came a heavy push at the door, but neither it nor the bar showed theslightest sign of giving way. Henry laughed low. 

"They can't get enough warriors against that door to push it in, " he said. 

The two boys rapidly reloaded the empty rifles, and now each crouchedagainst the wall, where no chance bullet through a loophole could reachhim. An eye unused to the darkness could have seen nothing there. Theirfigures were blended against the logs, and they did not speak, but each, listening intently, could hear what was going on outside. Paul's fancy, asusual, added to the reality. He heard men moving cautiously, softfootfalls going pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat around the cabin, and it seemed tohim a stray word of advice or caution now and then. 

The silence was broken suddenly by a blaze of fire that seemed to comethrough the wall, a report that roared like a cannon in the cabin. A spurtof smoke entered at one of the holes, and a bullet burled itself in theopposite wall. A savage had boldly thrust the muzzle of his rifle into aloophole and fired. 

"Be still, Paul, " whispered Henry. "They can't hit us, and they arewasting their ammunition. "

A second shot was tried by the besiegers, but the result was only theroaring, echoing report, the smoke and the flame, and the bullet thatfound a vain target of wood. But to Paul, with an imagination fed bystories of mighty battles, it was like a cannonade. Great guns weretrained upon Henry and himself. A thin, fine smoke from the two shots hadentered the cabin, and it floated about, tickling his nostrils, andadding, with its savor, to the fever that began to rise in his blood. Hedropped to his knees, and was creeping, rifle ready, toward one of theloopholes, eager with the desire to fire back, when Henry's strong handfell upon his shoulder. 

"I understand what you want, Paul, " he whispered. "I, too, feel it, but itpays us to wait. Let 'em waste their lead. "

Paul stopped, ashamed of himself, and his blood grew cooler. He was notone to wish anybody's life, and again his mind rebelled at the necessityof conflict. 

"Thank you, Henry, " he said, and resumed his place by the wall. 

No more shots were fired. The warriors could not know whether or not theirbullets had hit a human mark, and Henry inferred that they would wait awhile, crouched against the cabin. He reckoned that when they did movethey would attack the door, and he noiselessly made an additional prop forit with the heavy wooden bench. But the faint sound of footsteps suddenlyceased, and Henry, listening intently, could hear nothing save the risingwind. He looked through one of the loopholes, but he could not seeanything of the savages. Either they were still crouching against thewall, or had slipped back to the forest. But he saw enough to tell himthat the night was growing cloudy, and that the air was damp. 

Presently rain fell in a slow drizzle, but Henry still watched at theloophole, and soon he caught a glimpse of two parallel rows of men bearingsomething heavy, and approaching the cabin. They had secured a tree trunk, and would batter down the door; but they must come within range, and Henrysmiled to himself. Then he beckoned to Paul to come to his side. 

"Bring me your two rifles, " he whispered. "This is the only place fromwhich we can reach them now, and I want you to pass me the loaded guns asfast as I can fire them. "

Paul came and stood ready, although his mind rebelled once more at theneed to shoot. Henry looked again, and saw the brown files approaching. Hethrust the muzzle of the rifle through the hole and fired at a row ofbrown legs, and then, with only a second between, he discharged anotherbullet at the same target. Cries of pain and rage arose, there was a thudas the heavy log was dropped to the ground, and Henry had time to send athird shot after the fleeing warriors as they ran for the forest. 

"They won't try that again, " said Henry. "They cannot approach the doorwithout coming within range of the loophole, and they'll rest a while nowto think up some new trick. "

"What will be the end of it?" asked Paul. 

"Nobody can say, " replied the great youth calmly. "Indians don't stick toa thing as white men do; they may get tired and go away after a while, butnot yet, and it's for you and me, Paul, to watch and fight. "

A certain fierce resolve showed in his tone, and Paul knew that Henry felthimself a match for anything. 

"Better eat and drink a little more, Paul, " said Henry. "Take the half ofa pigeon. We'll need all our strength. "

Paul thought the advice good, and followed it. Then came another period ofthat terrible waiting. 

CHAPTER V

THE FLIGHT

Paul was half reclining against the wall, when he suddenly saw Henry lookup. Paul's eyes followed his comrade's, and then he heard a soft, faintsound over their heads. He understood at once. Danger had come from a newquarter. The Shawnees were upon the board roof, through which a riflebullet could easily pass. The menace was serious, but the men up therecould not see their targets below, and they themselves were in aprecarious position. 

Henry once pointed his rifle toward a portion of the roof from which aslight sound came, but for a reason that he did not give he withheld hisfire. Then came a dead stillness, to be broken a few moments later byfierce war cries all around the cabin and a crash of rapid shots. Itseemed to Paul that an attack in great force was being made from everyside, and, thrusting his rifle through the loophole, he fired quickly atwhat he took to be the flitting form of a foe. The next moment he becameaware of a terrible struggle in the cabin itself. He heard a thud, theroar of a rifle shot within the confined space, a fall, and then, in thehalf darkness, he saw two powerful figures writhing to and fro. One wasHenry and the other a mighty Shawnee warrior, naked to the waist, andstriving to use a tomahawk that he held in a hand whose wrist was clenchedin the iron grasp of his foe. Lying almost at their feet was the body ofanother warrior, stark and dead. 

Paul sprang forward, his second and loaded rifle in his hand. 

"No, no, Paul!" cried Henry. "The chimney! Look to the chimney!"

Paul whirled about, and he was just in time. A savage warrior dropped downthe great wide chimney that all the log cabins had, and fell lightly onhis feet among the dead embers of a month ago. His face was distortedhorribly with ferocity, and Paul, all the rage of battle upon him now thatbattle had come, fired squarely at the red forehead, the rifle muzzle onlythree feet away. The savage fell back and lay still among the cinders. Thenext instant the deep, long-drawn sigh of a life departing came frombehind, and Paul whirled about again, his heart full of sickening fear. 

But it was Henry who stood erect. He had wrenched the warrior's owntomahawk from him, and had slain him with it. His face was flushed with avictorious glow, but he stood there only a moment. Then he seized his ownsecond and loaded rifle, and ran to the chimney. But nothing more camedown it, and there were no more sounds of warriors walking on the roof. The three who had come had been daring men, but they had paid the price. The shots and shouts around continued for a little space, forms dashedheavily against the door, and then, as suddenly as it began, the tumultceased. 

Paul felt a chill of horror creeping through his bones. It was all soghastly. The dead warriors lay, each upon his back, one among the deadcoals, and Paul could hear nothing but his own and Henry's heavybreathing. 

"It was a daring thing to do, " said Henry at last, "to come down thechimney that way; but it has been done before in Kentucky. "

Then they reloaded their rifles, but Paul was like one in a dream. Itseemed to him now that he could not endure the long hours in the cabinwith those dead faces on the floor staring at him with their dead eyes. 

"Henry, " he said, "we can't keep them here. "

"No, " replied Henry, "we can't; but we must wait a little. "

Paul sat down on the bench. He felt for a moment faint and sick. Thelittle cabin was full of rifle smoke, and it lay heavy in his nostrils andupon his lungs. He felt as if he were breathing poisoned air. But thesmoke gradually drifted away up the chimney, and the thick, cloggingfeeling departed from his lungs and nostrils. Strength and spirit cameback. 

"How are we to get rid of them?" he asked, nodding toward the deadwarriors. 

"Let's wait an hour at least, and I'll show you, " replied Henry. 

The hour passed, but to Paul it seemed two. Then Henry took the largest ofthe warriors and dragged him to the wall just beneath the window. Thesecond and third he did the same way. 

"Now, Paul, " he said, "you must take down the bar and open the window. Then I'll pitch them out. The besiegers will be surprised, and they won'thave time to get at us. "

Paul accepted his part of the task eagerly. There might be danger, butbetter that than having the dead men lying on the floor and staring at himwith dead eyes. He took down the bar and quickly held the window open. Henry heaved up the bodies of the warriors and cast them out, one by one, each falling with a dull, heavy sound to the ground below. Then Paulslammed back the window and shot the bar into place. As he did so threeor four rifles flashed from the forest, and the bullets pattered upon theheavy oaken shutter. 

"Too late, " said Henry, "We took 'em by surprise, as I thought we should. "

Paul drew a long and deep breath. The cabin had taken on a brighteraspect. 

"I'm mighty glad that's done, " he said. 

"If you'll listen carefully, I think you'll hear something later, " saidHenry. 

Henry was right. In about half an hour they heard soft, shuffling noisesbeside the cabin, just under the window. 

"They're taking away the dead warriors, " said Henry. 

"I don't want to fire on them while they're doing it, " said Paul. 

"Nor I, " said Henry. "We might reach 'em, but I'm glad they're doing whatthey are. "

The slight, sliding noises continued for a little while, and then theyheard only the light sweep of the rain. On the roof it became a patter, and here and there a drop made its way between the boards and fell on thefloor. It was soothing to Paul after the excitement of those terriblemoments, and he felt a queer, pleasant languor. His eyes half closed, buthis vague look fell on somber, dark spots on the floor, and the sight wasrepellent to him. He went to the hearth, heaped up the whole of the embersand ashes, and sprinkled them carefully over the spots, which would havebeen red in the light, but which were black in the night and gloom of thecabin. Henry watched him do it, but said nothing. He understood Paul, andgave him his sympathy. 

Paul sat down again on the floor, and leaned against the wall. Thepleasant, languorous feeling came once more, but he was roused suddenly byscattered rifle shots, and sprang up. Henry laughed. 

"They're not attacking, " he said. "It was only a volley, fired from thewood, to show how angry they are. I don't think we need expect anythingmore to-night. You might really go to sleep, Paul, if you feel like it. "

"No, I will not!" exclaimed Paul with energy. "I won't do all thesleeping, and let you do all the watching. Besides, I couldn't sleep, anyhow; my nerves wouldn't let me. I looked sleepy just because I wastired, it's your time. "

"All right, " said Henry. "Now, you watch good, Paul. "

Then Henry lay down upon the floor and closed his eyes. He might not havedone so, but he felt sure that nothing more would be attempted thatnight; and if, by any chance, they should attack again, Paul would besure to waken him in time. The rain grew harder on the roof, and itssteady patter was like the rocking of a cradle to a child. His nerves wereof steel, and the mechanism of his body and brain were not upset at all. The half-dropped lids dropped down entirely, and he slept, breathingpeacefully. 

Paul watched, his brief lethargy gone; but his accustomed eyes could seelittle now through the loopholes, only the dim forest and the rain, falling slowly but steadily. He and Henry seemed to be alone in the world. Outside all the wilderness was in gloom, but in the little cabin it wasdry and warm. The few drops that came through the boards now and then, andfell with a little pat on the floor, were nothing. He and Henry were dryand safe, and it seemed to him that so far, at least, they had all thebetter of the battle. The glow of triumph came again. 

Paul watched until dawn, and saw the sun spring up over the easternforests. Then he awakened Henry, and the great youth, stretching himself, uttered a long sigh. 

"That was fine, Paul!" he said, "fine! Now, what are our friends outsidedoing?"

"Nothing that I can see. There are only stumps in the clearing, and treesand hushes in the forest. I see no warrior. "

Henry laughed, and his laugh had a most cheerful tone. 

"They are not far away, " he said. "It is likely they'll try to starve usout, or rather conquer us with thirst. They don't know anything about ourbarrel of water. "

"Blessed barrel!" ejaculated Paul. 

It seemed that Henry was right in his prediction. As long hours passed, the sun rose higher and higher, and it grew very close in the littlecabin. Paul thought the warriors must have gone away, disgusted with theirlosses, but Henry cautioned him against savage patience. Toward noon theyate a little more of their pigeon and dried venison, and Paul looked withsome dismay at the small portions that were left. 

"Henry, " he exclaimed, "there is enough for supper, and no more. "

"Just so, " said Henry, "and our enemies remain on guard. They'll wait forus. "

He thought it best to put the case plainly and in all its hideous phasesto Paul. While savages sometimes abandoned a siege very soon, they did notshow signs of ceasing now. Perhaps they relied on starving out thebesieged, and if they only knew the state of affairs within the cabintheirs was a good reliance. 

Their brief dinner over, the two boys sat down on the floor, and from theloopholes on either side watched the forest. To Paul the whole air andatmosphere of the cabin had now become intolerably oppressive. At first ithad been such a strong, snug place of refuge that he rejoiced, but at lasthis sensitive spirit was weighed down by the long delay, the gloom, andthe silence. The sight of their limited rations brought to him all thefuture--the vigilant enemy on guard, the last little piece of food gone, then slow starvation, or a rush on the savage bullets and sure death. Asusual, his uncommon imagination was depicting everything in vivid colors, far in advance. 

But he said nothing, nor did Henry. They had already exhausted allsubjects for talk, and they waited--Henry with real, and Paul with assumedpatience. Fully two hours passed in silence, but after that time it wasnaturally Paul who spoke first. 

"Henry, " he said in a tone that indicated unbelief in his own words, "don't you think that they must have got tired and gone away?"

"No, they are surely in the forest about us; but since they won't go, Paul, you and I must leave to-night. "

"What do you mean?" Paul's words expressed the greatest surprise. 

Henry stood up, and figure, face, and words alike showed the greatestdecision. 

"Paul, " he said, "our last piece of venison will soon be gone, and theShawnees, I think, will stay, expecting to starve us out, which they cando; but the night shows all the signs of being very dark, and you and Imust slip through their lines some way or other. Are you ready to try it?"

It was like a signal to Paul, those words, "Are you ready to try it?" Hewas ready to try anything now, as a release from the cabin, and a fineflare of color mounted to his cheeks as he replied:

"I'll follow you anywhere, Henry. "

Henry said nothing more; Paul's reply was sufficient; but he resumed hisposition at the loophole, and attentively watched the heavens. Somberclouds were rolling up from the southwest and the air was growing cooler, but heavy with damp. Already the sun, so bright and pitiless in themorning, was obscured, and mists and vapors hung over the forest. Hejudged that it would be a dark night, with flurries of mist and rain, justsuited to his purpose, and he felt a sensation of relief. 

"Paul, " he said, after a while, "I think we'd better take the two capturedrifles with us again. If we come face to face with 'em, a couple of extrashots might save us. "

"Whatever you say, Henry, " replied Paul. 

The afternoon passed slowly away, and the night came on thick and dark, asHenry had hoped. The rain fell again in intermittent showers, and it wascarried in gusts by the wind. The two boys drank deeply from the barrel, and ate what was left of the venison. 

"Be sure your powder horns are stopped up tight, Paul, " said Henry. "We'vegot to keep our powder dry. The sooner we go the better, because theShawnees won't be expecting us to come out so soon. "

The darkness was now rolling up so thick and black that to Paul it seemedlike a great sable curtain dropping its folds over them. It enveloped theforest, then the clearing, then the hut, and those within it. The inky skywas without a star. The puffs of rain rattled dismally on the roof of theold cabin. But all this somberness of nature brought comfort and lightnessof heart to the besieged. Paul's spirits rose with the blackness of thenight and the wildness of the rain. 

"Are you all ready, Paul?" asked Henry. 

"Yes, " replied Paul cheerfully. 

Accustomed as they were to the darkness of the cabin, they could not seeeach other's faces now, only the merest outlines of their figures. 

"We must keep close together, " said Henry. "It won't do to lose sight ofeach other. "

He slipped to the door, lifted the bar and put it soundlessly on one side, and he and Paul stood together in the open space, just a moment, waitingand listening. 

The rush of air and raindrops on Paul's face felt wonderfully cool andinvigorating. His chest expanded and his spirits rose to the top. It waslike leaving a prison behind. 

"Step more lightly than you ever did before in your life, " said Henry, andhe and Paul put foot together on mother earth. The very pressure of thedamp earth felt good to Paul all the way through his moccasins. A step ortwo from the door they paused again, waiting and listening. The forest wasinvisible, and so were the stumps in the clearing. But nothing stirred. Henry's acute ear told him that. 

"We'll follow the wall around to the other side of the cabin, " hewhispered to Paul. "They don't know yet that we've come out, and naturallythey'll watch the door closest. Be careful where you put your feet. "

But the very dampness prevented any rustle in the weeds and grass, andthey passed to the other side of the cabin without an alarm coming fromthe forest. There they paused again, and once more Henry whispered hisinstructions. 

"I think we'd better get down and crawl, " he said. "It's a hard thing todo with two rifles each, but we must do it until we get to the woods. "

It was difficult, as Henry had said, and Paul felt, too, a sense ofhumiliation; but then one's life was at stake, and without hesitation hedropped to his knees, crawling slowly after the dark figure of hiscomrade. Henry made no sound and Paul but a little, not enough to be heardten feet away. Henry stopped now and then, as if he would listen intentlya moment or two, and Paul, of course, stopped just behind him. Fortuneseemed to favor their daring. The great silence lasted, broken only bypuffs of wind and rain, and the wet leaves of the forest rubbing softlyagainst each other. Paul looked back once. The cabin was already meltinginto a blur, although not twenty yards distant, and in as many yards moreit would be lost completely in the surrounding darkness. 

Now the forest was only a few yards away, but to Paul it seemed very far. His knees and wrists began to ache, and the two rifles became awkward forhim to carry. He wondered how Henry could go forward with so much ease, but he resolved to persist as long as his comrade led the way. 

The dark outline of the wood slowly came nearer, then nearer yet, and thenthey entered it, pressing silently among the hushes and the black shadowsof the lofty trees. Here Henry rose to his feet and Paul imitated him, thankful to rest his aching knees and wrists, and to stand up in the formand spirit of a man. 

"We may slip through unseen and unheard, " whispered Henry, "and then againwe may not. Come on; we'll need all our caution now. "

But as they took the first step erect, a cry arose behind them, a cry sofull of ferocity and chagrin that Paul absolutely shuddered from head tofoot. It came from the clearing, near the hut, and Paul, without thetelling of it, knew what had happened. 

"They've tried the door of the cabin, only to find it open and the placeempty, " whispered Henry. "Now, we must not go too fast, Paul. In thispitchy darkness not even a Shawnee could see us ten feet away, but hecould hear us. No noise, Paul!"

They stole forward, one close behind the other, going but slowly, seekingwith sedulous care to avoid any noise that would bring the savages uponthem. The rain, which had grown steadier, was a Godsend. It and the windtogether kept up a low, moaning sound that hid the faint pressure ofPaul's footsteps. The cry behind them at the cabin was repeated once, echoing away through the black and dripping forest. After that Paul heardnothing, but to the keener ears of Henry came now and then the soft, sliding sound of rapid footsteps, a word or two uttered low, and the faintswish of bushes, swinging back into place after a body passed. He knewthat the warriors were now seeking eagerly for them, but with the aid ofthe intense darkness he hoped that he and Paul would steal safely throughtheir lines. They went slowly forward for perhaps half an hour, stoppingoften and listening. Once Henry's hand on Paul's shoulder, they sank alittle lower in the bushes, and Henry, but not Paul, saw the shadowyoutline of a figure passing near. 

Fortunately the forest was very dense, but unfortunately the clouds beganto thicken, and a rumble dull and low came from the far horizon. Then theclouds parted, cut squarely down the middle by a flash of lightning, andfor a moment a dazzling glow of light played over the dripping forest. Everything was revealed by it, every twig and leaf stood out in startlingdistinctness, and Paul, by impulse, sank lower to hide himself among thebushes. 

The glow vanished and Henry had seen nothing; he was sure, too, that noone had seen them, but he knew that it was only luck; another flash mightreveal them, and he and Paul must now hasten, taking the chances ofdiscovery by noise. He spoke a word to his comrade, and they plunged morerapidly through the undergrowth. The thunder kept up an unceasing andthreatening murmur on the far horizon, and the lightning flared fitfullynow and then, but they were still unseen, and Henry hoped that they hadnow passed the ring of savages in the forest and the dusk. 

Paul had dropped back from Henry's side, but was following closely behindhim. He was deeply impressed by a situation so extraordinary for one ofhis type. The thunder, the lightning, the darkness and the dangercontained for him all the elements of awe and mystery. 

"I think we've shaken them off, " said Henry presently, "and unless thelightning shows us to some stray member of the band they can't pick up ourtrail again before morning. "

Paul was grateful for the assurance, and he noticed, too, that the dangerof the lightning's revelation was decreasing, as the flashes were becomingless frequent and vivid. His breathing now grew easier and his spiritsrose. Much of the gloom departed from the forest. The thunder that hadkept up a continuous low rolling, like a dirge, died away, and thelightning, after a few more weak and ineffectual flashes, ceased. 

"We won't have any further trouble to-night, that's sure, " said Henry. "They could not possibly find our trail before day, and I think we'dbetter push on, as nearly as we can, in the direction of our hiddenpowder. You know we still mean to do what we started out to do. "

They traveled all night, with brief periods of rest, through rough anddensely wooded country. Toward morning the rain ceased, and the clouds allfloated away. The stars came out in a clear sky, and a warm wind blew overthe wet forest. Henry looked more than once at Paul, and his look wasalways full of sympathy. Paul's face was pale, but his expression was setin firm resolve, and Henry knew that he would never yield. 

After a while the dark began to lighten, and Henry stopped short insurprise. Paul was walking in such automatic fashion that he almost ranagainst him before he stopped. Henry pointed with a long forefinger to ared spot deep in the forest. 

"See that?" he said. 

"Yes, I guess it's the sun rising, " said Paul, who was staggering alittle, and who saw through a cloud, as it were. 

Henry looked at him and laughed. 

"The sun!" he said. "Well, Paul, it's the first time I ever knew the sunto rise in the west. "

"The sun's likely to do anything out here where we are, " rejoined Paul. 

"That's a fire, a camp fire, Paul, " said Henry, "and I'm thinking it mustbe made by white men. "

"White men! Friends!" exclaimed Paul. He stood up straight, and his eyesgrew brighter. An hour or two ago it had scarcely seemed possible to himthat they should ever see white faces again. 

"It's only my belief, " said Henry. "We've got to make sure. Now, you waithere, Paul, and I'll do a little bit of scouting. Sit down among thosebushes there and I'll be back soon. "

Paul was fully content to do what Henry said. He found a good place in athick clump of underbrush, and sank down easily. He would have been quitewilling to lie down, because he was terribly tired and sleepy, but with aneffort he held himself to a sitting posture and watched Henry. He wasconscious of a vague admiration as the tall form of his comrade wentforward swiftly, making no noise and hiding itself so quickly in theforest that he could not tell where it had gone. 

Then Paul was conscious of a great peace, and a heavy tugging at hiseyelids. Never in his life before was he so tired and sleepy. The lastraindrop was gone, and the bushes and grass were drying in the gentlewind. A fine golden sun was bringing with it a silver dawn, and a pleasantwarmth stole all through him. His head sank back a little more and hiselbow found a soft place in the turf. 

The boy, with his half-closed eyes and pale face, was not alone as he laythere among the bushes. Little neighbors came and looked at the newcomer. A hare gazed solemnly at him for a moment or two, and then hopped solemnlyaway. A bluebird flew down to the very tip of a bough, surveyed him atleisure, and then flew off in search of food. Neither hare nor bird wasscared. Tiny creeping things scuttled through the grass, but the boy didnot move, and they scuttled on undisturbed. 

Paul was just sinking away into a pleasant unknown land when a shoutbrought him back to earth. He sprang to his feet, and there was Henryreturning through the forest. 

"Friends, Paul! Old friends!" he cried. "Up with you and we'll pay 'em asurprise visit!"

Paul shook his head to clear his thoughts, and followed Henry. Henrywalked swiftly now, not seeming to care whether or not he made noise, andPaul followed him toward the fire, which now rapidly grew larger. 

CHAPTER VI

THE BATTLE ON THE HILL

Six men were sitting around a camp fire, and they showed every sign ofcomfort and cheerfulness. It was a big fire, a glowing fire, a warm fire, and it took all trace of damp from the rain or cold of the autumn morning. They were just having breakfast, and their food was buffalo hump, verytender as it came from beneath a huge bed of red-hot embers. 

The men seemed to have no fear of an enemy, perhaps because their fire wasin an open space, too far from the forest for the rifle shot of anambushed foe to reach them. Perhaps, too, they felt security in theirnumbers and valor, because they were certainly a formidable-looking party. All were stalwart, dressed in wilderness fashion--that is, in tanneddeerskin--and every one carried the long, slender-barreled Kentucky rifle, with knife and hatchet at his belt. There was Tom Ross, the guide, ofmiddle years, with a powerful figure and stern, quiet face, and near himlounged a younger man in an attitude of the most luxurious and indolentease, Shif'less Sol Hyde, who had attained a great reputation for lazinessby incessantly claiming it for himself, but who was nevertheless a hunterand scout of extraordinary skill. Jim Hart, a man of singular height andthinness, whom Sol disrespectfully called the "Saplin'"--that is, thesapling, a slim young tree--was doing the cooking. The others were typicalfrontiersmen--lean, big of build, and strong. 

The shiftless one curled himself into an easier position against a log, and regarded with interest a particularly juicy piece of the buffalo humpthat lay on the grass some distance from him. 

"Say, Saplin', " he drawled, "I wish you'd bring me that piece o' hump. Ithink it would just suit my teeth. "

"Git it yourself, " replied Saplin' indignantly. "Do you think I'm goin' tocook for a lazy bag o' bones like you, an' then wait on you, too?"

"Well, I think you might, " said Shif'less Sol sorrowfully. "I'm pow'fultired. "

"If I wuz to wait on you when you wuz tired, I'd wait on you all my life. "

"Which 'ud he puttin' yourself to a mighty good use, " said Sol tolerantly. "But if you won't bring it to me, I reckon I'll have to go after it. "

He rose, with every appearance of reluctance, and secured the buffalomeat. But he stood with it in his hand and regarded the forest to theeast, from which two figures were coming. Ross had already seen them, buthe had said nothing. The keen eyes of the shiftless one were not at faultfor a moment. 

"Paul Cotter an' Henry Ware, " he said. 

"Yes, " said Tom Ross. 

"And Paul's just about done up. "

"Yes, " said Tom Ross. 

"Looks like they've had a big fight or a big run, one or t'other or both. "

"Yes, " said Tom Ross. 

Then all went forward to meet the two boys, so well known to them. Paulwas staggering a little, and there was a high color, as of fever, in hisface, but Henry showed signs of neither fatigue nor excitement. 

"We're glad to find you, " said Henry briefly. 

"We're glad, awful glad!" began Paul, with more fervor; but he suddenlyreeled, and everything grew dim about him. Shif'less Sol caught him. 

"Here, Paul, " he said, "stand up. You're a heavy weight for a tired man tohold. "

His words were rough, but his tone was kindly. Paul, all his pridearoused, made a great effort and stood straight again. Slowly the worldabout him swam back, into its proper position. 

"Who said I wasn't standing up?" he asked. 

"Nobody, " replied Shif'less Sol; "but if I'd been through what I reckonyou've been through, I'd fall flop on the ground, an' Jim Hart would haveto come an' feed me or I'd starve to death right before his eyes. "

Paul laughed, and then he felt more like himself. Ross, too, had beenregarding him with sympathy, but he glanced inquiringly at Henry. 

"You've had it hot an' hard?" he said. 

"Yes, " replied the boy laconically; "we've run against Shawnees, and abouteverything that could has happened to us. "

"Then it's fire, warmth, meat, rest, an' sleep for Paul right away, " saidRoss. 

Henry nodded. 

Paul was looking at the fire, which seemed to him the most glorious oneever built, and he did not notice anything more until he was lying besideit, stretched on a blanket, and eating the very piece of tender buffalomeat that Shif'less Sol had coveted for himself. Despite his relaxed andhalf-dreamy condition, his imagination leaped up at once to magnificentheights. All danger and hardship were gone. He was surrounded by a ringof dauntless friends, and the fire glowed splendidly. 

Shif'less Sol sat down near him, and regarded him with the deepestsympathy, mingled with a certain amount of envy. 

"Paul, " he said, "I wish I wuz in your place for an hour or two. They'vejest got to wait on you. Nobody ever believes me when I say I'm sick, though I'm took pow'ful bad sometimes, an' they don't care whether I'mtired or not. Now, Paul, take all the advantages o' your position. Don'tyou reach your hand for a thing. Make 'em bring it to you. Ef I can't getwaited on myself, I like to see another fellow waited on. Here, Saplin', some more o' that buffalo steak for Paul, who is mighty hungry. "

Saplin' cast a look of scorn upon Shif'less Sol, but he brought the steak, and Paul ate again, for he was voraciously hungry. But one cannot eatalways, and by and by he had enough. Then his restful, dreamy feelinggrew. He saw Henry and the men talking, but he either did not hear whatthey said or he was not interested. Soon the whole world faded out, and heslept soundly. And as he slept the touch of fever left him. Shif'less Sollooked down at him kindly. 

"I'm tired, too, " he said, "but I suppose if I wuz to go to sleep some o'you 'ud be mean enough to shove me in the side with his foot. "

"I'd try to be the first, " said Jim Hart, "an' I'd shove pow'ful hard. "

"It 'ud be jest like you, " said Shif'less Sol, "but I suppose you can'tany more help bein' mean, Jim, than I can help bein' tired. "

Jim shrugged his shoulders and returned to his cooking, his tall, leanform bent over like a hoop. Paul slept peacefully on the blanket, but theothers talked much and earnestly. Henry, as he ate of the buffalo meat, told them all that had happened to him and Paul in that brief period whichyet looked so long. That the band would pick up the trail, daylight nowcome, and follow on, he did not doubt. There he stopped, and left theconclusion to the others. Shif'less Sol was the first to speak. 

"This gang, " he said, "come out to hunt buffalo, an', accordin' to whatHenry says, a war party--he don't know how big--is comin' this way huntin'him an' Paul. Well, ef it keeps on huntin' him an' Paul, it's bound to runup agin us, because Paul an' Henry are now a part o' our gang. Ez fur me, I've done a lot o' trampin' after buffalo, an' I feel too tired to run, Ijest do. "

"I ain't seen no better place for cookin' than this, " said Jim Hart, undoubling himself, "an' I like the looks o' the country round herepow'ful well. I'd hate to leave it before I got ready, "

"'Tain't healthy to run afore you're ready, " said Ike Stebbins, a short, extremely thick man. "It ain't good for the stomach. Pumps the blood rightup to the heart, an' I ain't feelin' very good just now, noway. Can'tafford to take no more risks to my health. "

A slight smile passed over the stern, bronzed face of Tom Ross. 

"I expected to hear you talk that way, boys, " he said, "it's in yourblood; but thar's a better reason still for our not goin'. If this warband stays around here, it'll be pickin' off settlers, an' it's fur us tostop it. Now, them Shawnees are comin' a-huntin' us. I jest wish to saythat we don't mean to be the hunted; we're to be the hunters ourselves. "

Sharp exclamations of approval broke from all these fierce spirits of theborder. But the deepest and most dangerous gleam of all was in the eyes ofHenry Ware. All his primeval instincts were alive, and foremost among themwas the desire to fight. He was tired of running, of seeking to escape, and his warlike blood was up and leaping. Two more men who had been outranging the woods for buffalo, or any other worthy game that might happenin their way, came in presently, and the little army, with the additionof the two boys, was now raised to the number of ten. And a real littlearmy it was, fortified with indomitable hearts and all the skill andknowledge of the wilderness. 

When Paul awoke beneath the pressure of Henry's hand on his shoulder, thesun was much higher, and the forest swam in limpid light. He noticed atonce that the fire was out, trampled under strong heels, and that all themen looked as if ready for instant conflict. He rubbed his eyes and sprangto his feet, half in shame that he should have slept while others watched. It was Shif'less Sol who came to his rescue. 

"It's all right, Paul, " he drawled. "We all know you were pow'ful tired, an' I'd have slept, too, ef them fellows hadn't been mean enough to keepme from it. You wuz just nacherally overpowered, an' you had to do it. "

Paul looked around at the little group, and he read the meaning in the eyeof every man. 

"You are going to fight that war band?" he said. 

"It 'pears to me that it's a sight less tirin' than runnin' away, " repliedShif'less Sol, "though we hate to drag you, Paul, into such a fracas. "

The blood flushed into Paul's face. 

"I'm ready for it!" he exclaimed. "I'm as ready as any of you! Do youthink I want to run away?"

"We know, Paul, that you've got ez much grit ez anybody in the world, "said Tom Ross kindly; "but Sol maybe didn't think a boy that's a bigscholar, an' that kin read an' understand anything, would he as muchinterested in a real hair-raisin' fight as the rest o' us. "

Paul was mollified. He knew their minds now, and in a way it was anunconscious tribute that these wild borderers paid to him. 

"I'm with you to the end of it, " he said. And they, too, were satisfied. Then the entire party moved forward into the deep woods, watching andlistening for the slightest sign of the Shawnee advance. Tom Rossnaturally took command, but Henry Ware, as always, was first scout. Noother eye was so keen as his, nor any other ear. All knew it, and alladmitted it willingly. His form expanded again, and fierce joy surged upin his heart. As Ross truly said, the hunted had turned into the hunter. 

It was the purpose of the men to circle to the east, and to strike the warparty on the Hank. They knew that the Shawnees had already discovered thejunction of the fugitives with a larger force, but the warriors could notyet know that the new party intended to stand and fight. Ross, therefore, like the general of a great army going into battle, intended to seek thebest possible position for his force. 

They traveled in a half circle for perhaps two hours, and then Henrystruck a trail, calling at once to Ross. They examined it carefully, andjudged that it had been made by a force of about twenty warriors, undoubtedly the band that was following Henry and Paul. 

"We're behind 'em now, " said Henry. 

"But they'll soon be coming back on our trail, " said Ross. "They know thatthey are more than two to one, and they will follow hard. "

"I'm gittin' mighty tired ag'in, " said Shif'less Sol. "It 'pears to methar's a pow'ful good place fur us to rest over thar among all them bigtrees on that little hill. "

Ross and Henry examined the hill, which was not very high, but small, andcrowned with mighty beeches. The great tree-trunks would offer admirablecover for the wilderness fighter. 

"It does kinder invite us, " said Ross meaningly, "so we'll jest go overthar, Sol, an' set a while longer. "

A few minutes later they were on the hill, each man lying behind a tree ofhis own selection. Shif'less Sol had chosen a particularly large one, andluckily there was some soft turf growing over its roots. He stretchedhimself out luxuriously. 

"Now, this jest suits an easy-goin' man like me, " he said. "I could layhere all day jest a-dreamin', never disturbin' nobody, an' nobodydisturbin' me. Paul, you and me ain't got no business here. We wuz cut outfur scholars, we wuz. "

Nevertheless, lazy and luxurious as he looked, Shif'less Sol watched theforest with eyes that missed nothing. His rifle lay in such a positionthat he could take aim almost instantly. 

There was a long and tense silence, full of strangeness to Paul. He couldnever get used to these extraordinary situations. When preparing forcombat, as well as in it, the world seemed unreal to him. He did not seewhy men should fly at each other's throats; but the fact was before him, and he could not escape it. 

The little hill was so situated that they could see to a considerabledistance at all points of the compass, but they yet saw nothing. Shif'lessSol stretched himself in a new position and grumbled. 

"The wust thing about this bed o' mine here, " he said to Paul, "is thatsooner or later I'll be disturbed in it. A fellow never kin make peoplelet him alone. It's the way here, an' it's the way back in the East, too, I reckon. Now, I'm only occupyin' a place six feet by two, with the landrollin' away thousands o' miles on every side; but it's this very spot, six feet by two, that the Shawnees are a-lookin' fur. "

Paul laughed at the shiftless one's complaint, and the laugh greatlyrelieved his tension. Fortunately his tree was very close to Sol's, andthey could carry on a whispered conversation. 

"Do you think the Shawnees will really come?" asked Paul, who was alwaysincredulous when the forest was so silent. 

"Come! Of course they will!" replied Shif'less Sol. "If for no otherreason, they'll do it jest to make me trouble. I ought to be back thar inthe East, teachin' school or makin' laws fur somebody. "

Paul's eyes wandered from Sol to his comrade, and he saw Henry suddenlymove, ever so little, then fix his gaze on a point in the forest, three orfour hundred yards away. Paul looked, too, and saw nothing, but he knewwell enough that Henry's keener gaze had detected an alien presence in thebushes. 

Henry whispered something to Ross, who followed his glance and then noddedin assent. The others, too, soon looked at the same point, Jim Hartcraning his long neck until it arched like a bow. Presently from a denseclump of bushes came a little puff of white smoke, and then the stillnesswas broken by the report of a rifle. A bullet buried itself in one of thetrees on the hill, and Shif'less Sol turned over with a sniff of contempt. 

"If they don't shoot better'n that, " he said, "I might ez well go tosleep. "

But the forest duel had begun, and it was a contest of skill againstskill, of craft against craft. Every device of wilderness warfare known tothe red men was practiced, too, by the white men who confronted them. 

Paul at first felt an intense excitement, but it was soothed by the calmwords of Shif'less Sol. 

"I'd be easy about it, Paul, " said the shiftless one. "That wuz jest afeeler. They've found out that we're ready for 'em. There ain't no chanceof a surprise, an' they shot that bullet merely as a sort o' way o'tellin' us that they had come. Things won't be movin' fur some time yet. "

Paul found that Shif'less Sol was right. The long waiting customary insuch forest combats endured, but he was now becoming more of a stoic, andhe used the time, at least in part, for rest, although every nerve andmuscle was keyed to attention. It was fully an hour later when a shot camefrom behind a tree much nearer to them, and a bullet cut a fragment ofbark from the gigantic beech that sheltered Shif'less Sol. There was asecond report before the sound of the first had died away, and a Shawnee, uttering a smothered cry, fell forward from his shelter, and lay upon theground, quite still. Paul could see the brown figure, and he knew that theman was dead. 

"It was Tom Ross who did that, " said Shif'less Sol. "The savage leaned toofur forward when he fired at me, an' exposed hisself. Served him right furtryin' to hurt me. "

Then Sol, who had raised himself up a little, lay down again in hiscomfortable position. He did not seem disturbed at all, but Paul keptgazing at the figure of the dead warrior. Once more his spirit recoiled atthe need of taking life. Presently came a spatter of rifle fire--a dozenshots, perhaps--and bullets clipped turf and trees. The Shawnees had creptmuch nearer, and were in a wide semicircle, hoping thus to uncover theirfoes, at least in part, and they had a little success, as one man, namedBrewer, was hit in the fleshy part of the arm. 

Paul saw nothing but the smoke and the flashes of fire, and he was wiseenough to save his own ammunition--he had long since learned the bordermaxim, never to shoot until you saw something to shoot at. 

But the enemy was creeping closer, hiding among rocks and bushes, and asecond and longer spatter of rifle fire began. One man was hit badly, andthen the borderers began to seek targets of their own. Their long, slender-barreled rifles flashed again and again, and more than one bulletwent straight to the mark. The plumes of white smoke grew more numerous, united sometimes, and floated away in little clouds among the trees. 

Paul saw that his comrades were firing slowly, but with terrible effect, as five or six still, brown figures now lay in the open. Shif'less Sol, atthe next tree, only four feet away, was stretched almost perfectly flat onhis face on the ground, and every movement he made seemed to be slow anddeliberate. Yet no one was firing faster or with surer aim than he, andfaint gleams of satisfaction showed now and then in his eyes. Paul couldnot restrain speech. 

"It seems to me, Sol, that you are not tired as you said you were, " hesaid. 

"Perhaps not, " replied Sol slowly, "but I will be. "

The savages suddenly began to shout, and kept up a ferocious yelling, asif they would confuse and terrify their opponents. The woods echoed withthe din, the long-drawn, whining cry, like that of a wolf, and despiteall the efforts of a strong will, Paul shuddered as he had not shudderedat the sound of the rifle fire. 

"'Tain't no singin' school, " said Shif'less Sol, in a clear voice thatPaul could hear above the uproar, "but, then, yellin' don't hurt nobody, either. I'd be pow'ful tired ef I used my mouth that way. But jest youremember, Paul, that noise ain't bullets. "

It seemed to Paul that the Shawnees had come to the same conclusion, because all the yelling suddenly ceased, and with it the firing. Brownforms that had been flitting about disappeared, too, and all at once therewas silence in the wilderness, and nothing to be seen save the hunters andthe still, brown figures among the rocks and bushes. To Paul it waswonderful, this melting away of the battle, and this disappearance of thefoe, all in a flash. He rubbed his eyes, and could scarcely believe thatit was real. But there were the still, brown figures, and by a tree nearhim lay another still figure, in hunting shirt and leggings, with his faceupturned to the sky. One of the hunters had been shot through the heart, and had died instantly and without noise. Three others had been wounded, but they were not complaining. 

Presently a little hum of talk arose, and Shif'less Sol once more movedcomfortably. 

"Bit off more'n they could chaw, " he said reflectively. "Will wait awhile before takin' another bite. Guess I'll rest now. "

He stretched himself luxuriously, took out a piece of venison and began toeat it, at the same time handing a piece to Paul. 

"Atween fights I allus eat, " he said. "Better do the same, Paul. "

But Paul had no appetite. He crawled over to Henry, and asked him what heexpected to happen next. 

"They won't give up, " replied Henry, "that is sure. They know that theyoutnumber us two or three to one, and I've an idea that this is a band ofpicked warriors. "

"You think, too, they'll want to revenge their losses?"

"Of course. And they're likely to attack again before night. It's not noonyet, and they have lots of time. "

Paul crawled back to his tree, and, knowing that he would have to waitagain, forced himself to eat the venison that Shif'less Sol had given tohim. 

The Shawnees remained silent and hidden in the forest, and the white men, voiceless, too, lay waiting behind the trees. Between them stretched thefallen, their brown faces upturned to the red sun, which sailed peacefullyon in a sky of cloudless blue. 

CHAPTER VII

WHAT HAPPENED IN THE DARK

Shif'less Sol rose to a sitting position, and carefully cracked hisjoints, one by one. 

"I wuz a bit afeard, Paul, " he said, "that I had jest petrified, layin'thar so long. A tired man likes to rest, but thar ain't no sense inturnin' hisself into a stone image. "

Sol seemed so careless and easy that Paul drew an inference from hismanner. 

"You are not expecting anything more from them just now, Sol?"

His nod toward the forest indicated the "them. "

"No, not yet a while, " replied Shif'less Sol. "I guess they'll lay byuntil night. "

His face showed some apprehension as he spoke of night, but it was gonequickly. Shif'less Sol was not a man who took troubles to heart, else henever would have earned his name. 

"We'll jest chaw a little more venison, Paul, " he said. "I know you thinka drink o' water would go pow'ful well with it, an' so do I; but since itain't to be had, we'll jest do without it and say no more. "

The remainder of the day passed undisturbed, but as the first wan shade oftwilight appeared the men began to look closely to their arms. Horns wereheld up to the light in order that the powder line might show, bulletswere counted, and flints examined. Paul knew what it all meant. TheShawnees would attack in the darkness, and there would be all theconfusion of a midnight battle, when one might not be able to tell friendfrom friend nor foe from foe. The sense of weirdness and awe overcame himagain. They were but the tiniest of atoms in that vast wilderness, whichwould be just the same to-morrow and the next day, no matter who won. 

But Paul had in him the stuff of which heroes are made, and his strongwill brought his mind back to present needs. He, too, measured his powderand counted his bullets, while he strove also to forget the hot thirstthat tormented him. 

The sun sank in the forest, the wan twilight deepened into shadow, and theshadow darkened into night. The trees where the Shawnees lay hidden weregone in the dusk, which hung so close that Paul could see but the nearestof his comrades. Only the murmur of night insects and the faint rustle ofleaves came to his ears. The feeling of awe returned, and his blood grewchill. Then it was a relief to him to know that he had a comrade in thissensation. 

"Ef an owl would only hoot once or twice now, " whispered Shif'less Sol, "Ithink I'd jump right out o' my huntin' shirt. "

Paul laughed and felt better. 

"Now, Paul, " continued Shif'less Sol, very gravely this time, "lemme giveyou a piece o' mighty good advice. When the muss comes on, don't moveabout much. Lay close. Stick to me an' Henry, an' then thar ain't so muchchance to git mixed up with them that's lookin' fur you here. "

"I'll remember what you say, Sol, " replied Paul earnestly, as he girdedhis spirit for action. He knew that the attack would come very soon, asthe Indians would choose the darkest period before the moon rose. Nor washe wrong. The battle in the night began only a half hour later. 

Paul first saw a pink point appear in the darkness, but he knew that itwas the flame from a rifle shot. It came from a place not far away, towhich some Shawnee had crawled; but the hunters paid no attention to it, nor to a second, nor to a third, as all the bullets flew wild. Paul, forgetting for the moment that those bullets were sent to kill, becameengrossed in the spectacle of the fireworks. He was always wondering wherethe next spurt of blue or pink flame would break through the darkness, and the popping of the shots formed a not unpleasant sound in the night. 

"Comin' closer, comin' closer, Paul!" whispered Shif'less Sol. "One o'them bullets flyin' in the dark may hit somethin' putty soon. "

Sol was a prophet. A hunter not far away uttered a low cry. He was struckin the shoulder, but after the single cry he was silent. Henry was thefirst to see one of the creeping brown bodies and fired, and after thatthe shots on either side increased fast. It was all confused and terribleto Paul. The darkness, instead of thinning to accustomed eyes, seemed tohim to grow heavier. The pin points of light from the rifle firemultiplied themselves into hundreds, and the front of the foe shiftedabout, as if they were trying to curve around the defenders. 

Paul could not definitely say that he saw a single savage, but he firednow and then at the flashes of light, and also tried to obey Sol'sinjunction about sticking close to him and Henry. But he was not alwayssure that the figures near him were theirs, the darkness remaining sointense. He heard occasional low cries, the light impact of bullets, andthe shuffling sound of feet, but he was fast losing any ordered view ofthe battle. He knew now that the savages were very close, that the combatwas almost hand to hand, but he knew little else. The night enclosed allthe furious border conflict, and hid the loss or gain of either side fromall but the keenest eyes. 

Paul could never tell how long this lasted, but he felt confident that thearea of conflict was shifting. Having first faced one side, they were nowfacing another, as the savages wheeled about them. He rose to his feet inorder to keep with his friends. He had been loading and firing morerapidly than he knew, and the barrel of his rifle was hot to his touch. Hestood a moment listening for the savages, and then turned to twoindistinct figures near him. 

"Sol, " he said, "can you and Henry see them?"

The two indistinct figures suddenly became distinct, and sprang upon him. He was seized in a powerful grasp and hurled down so violently that hebecame unconscious for a little while. Why he was not killed he did notknow that night, nor ever after--probably they wished to show a trophy. When he gathered his scattered senses he was being dragged away, and hishands were bound. He was too dazed to cry aloud for rescue, but heremembered afterwards that the battle behind him was waning at the time. 

He was dragged deeper into the forest, and the shots on the hill becamefainter and fewer. His sight cleared, but the darkness was so great thathe could yet see little except the warrior who pulled him along. Paul madean effort and gained a better footing. It hurt his pride to be dragged, and now he walked on in the path that the warrior indicated. 

They stopped after a while in an open space in the forest. The moon wasclearing a little, and Paul saw other warriors standing about. Nearly allwere wounded. Hideous and painted they were, with savage eyes filled withrage and disappointment, and the looks they gave Paul made him considerhimself as one dead. 

As the moon cleared, more warriors drifted back into the glade. Some ofthese, too, bore wounds, and Paul's heart leaped up with fierce joy as hesaw that they had been defeated. The firing had ceased and the wildernesswas returning to silence, broken only by the low words of the savages andthe soft sound of their moccasins on the earth. 

Paul was still in a sort of daze. The warriors were grouped about him, their sole visible trophy of the battle, and they regarded him withvengeful eyes. But he had passed through so much that he was not afraid. His only feeling was that of dull stupefaction, and mingled with it a sortof lingering pride that his comrades had been the victors, although hehimself was a prisoner. He did not know whether they would kill him ortake him with them, and at that moment his mind was so dulled that he feltlittle curiosity about the question. 

A thin, sharp-faced warrior of middle years seemed to be the leader of theband, and he talked briefly to the others. They nodded toward Paul, andthen, with a warrior on each side of the prisoner, they started northward. Paul, his brain clearing, judged that they were taking him as a trophy, asa prize to show in their village before putting him to death. 

They marched silently through the forest, curving far to the left of thebattlefield. The warriors were about a score in number, and Paul thoughtthey must have lost at least half as many in battle. Their hideous paintand their savage faces filled him with repulsion. Their wild life and themystery of wild nature did not appeal to him as they had once appealed toHenry in a similar position. To Paul, the chief thing about the wildernesswas the magnificent home it would make in the future for a great whiterace. Spared for the present, he expected to live. Henry had saved himonce, and he and his comrades would come again to the rescue. 

He stumbled at first in their rapid flight from weakness, and the warriornext to him struck him a blow as a reminder. Paul would have struck back, but his hands were tied, and he could only guard himself against anotherstumble. Pride sustained him. 

They did not stop until nearly dawn, when they camped by the bank of acreek and ate. Paul's arms were unbound, and the hatchet-faced chieftossed him a piece of venison, which he ate greedily because he was veryhungry. Then, as the warriors seemed in no hurry to move, he sagged slowlyover on his side and went to sleep. Despite his terrible situation, he wasso thoroughly worn out that he could not hold up his head any longer. 

When Paul awoke the sun was high, and he was lying where he had sunk down. The warriors were about him, some sitting on the grass or lying fulllength, but the party seemed more numerous than it was the night before. He looked again. It was certainly more numerous, and there, too, sittingnear him, was a white youth of nearly his own age. Paul rose up, inspiredwith a feeling of sympathy, and perhaps of comradeship, and then, to hisutter amazement, he saw that the youth was Braxton Wyatt, one of the boyswho had come over the mountains with the group that had settled Wareville. 

Braxton Wyatt, a year or two older than Paul, had always been disliked atWareville. Of a sarcastic, sneering, unpleasant temperament, he habituallymade enemies, and did not seem to care. Paul disliked him heartily, but inthis moment of sudden meeting he felt only sympathy and fellowship. Theywere captives together, and all feeling of hostility was swept from hismind. 

"Braxton!" he exclaimed. "Have they got you, too?"

Wyatt rose up, came to Paul, and took his hand in the friendliest manner. 

"Yes, Paul, " he said. "I was out hunting, thinking that there were nosavages south of the Ohio, and I was taken last night by a band whichjoined yours this morning while you slept. "

"Why haven't they killed us?" asked Paul. 

"I suppose they'd rather show us to the tribe first, or maybe they thinkthey can adopt us, as Henry Ware was once. They haven't treated me badly. "

"That may be because you were taken without any loss to them, " said Paul. "We've had a big fight, and I'm the only one they got. Henry Ware, TomRoss, Shif'less Sol, and the others beat them off. "

"That was grand fighting!" said Braxton. "Tell me about it. "

Wyatt's fellowship and sympathy greatly cheered Paul, and he told indetail about the battle with the band, and all that preceded it. BraxtonWyatt listened with attention, but more than once expressed surprise. 

"How many did you say were left back there on the hill?" he asked at last. 

"We were ten when we began the fighting, " replied Paul. "One that I knowof was killed, and it is likely that one or two more were. Then I'm gone. Not more than six or seven can be left, but they are the best men in allthese woods. Twice their number of Indians cannot whip them. "

Paul said the last words proudly, and then he added:

"Henry and Ross and Shif'less Sol will come for me. They'll be sure to doit. And they'll rescue you, too. "

Braxton Wyatt looked thoughtful. 

"I think you're right, " he said; "but it'll be a very risky thing forthem, especially if the Shawnees expect it. Be sure you don't let theIndians think you are dreaming of such a thing. "

"Of course not, " said Paul. 

The sharp-faced chief now came up, and said something to Wyatt. Braxtonreplied in the Indian tongue. 

"I didn't know that you understood any Shawnee, " said Paul in surprise, asthe chief turned away. 

"I've picked it up, a word here and a word there, " replied Wyatt, "and Ifind it very useful now. The Chief--Red Eagle is his name--says that ifyou'll give 'em no trouble, he won't bind your hands again, for thepresent, anyway. I've followed that plan, and I've found it a heap easierfor myself. "

Paul pondered a little. Braxton Wyatt's advice certainly seemed good, andhe did not wish to be bound again. It would be better to go along indocile fashion. 

"All right, Braxton, " he said, "I'll do as you suggest. We won't make themany trouble now, but after a while we'll escape. "

"That's the best way, " said Wyatt. 

Red Eagle and another warrior, who seemed to be his lieutenant, weretalking earnestly. The chief presently beckoned to Wyatt, who went over tohim and replied to several questions. But Wyatt came back in a fewmoments, and took his seat again beside Paul. 

A half hour later they resumed the march, and Paul knew by the sun thatthey were going northward. Hence he inferred that they would make nofurther attack upon the white hunters, and were bound for what theycalled home. Refreshed by his rest and sleep, and relieved by the removalof the bandages from his wrists, he walked beside Wyatt with a springystep, and his outlook upon life was fairly cheerful. It was wonderful whatthe comradeship of one of his own kind did for him! After all, he hadprobably been deceived about Braxton Wyatt. Merely because his ways werenot the ways of Henry and Paul was not proof that he was not the rightkind of fellow. Now he was sympathetic and helpful enough, when sympathyand help were needed. 

The march northward was leisurely. The Shawnees seemed to have no furtherexpectation of meeting a foe, and they were not so vigilant. Paul andBraxton Wyatt were kept in the center of the group, but they werepermitted to talk as much as they pleased, and Paul was not annoyed by anyblow or kick. 

"Have you any idea how far it is to their village, Braxton?" Paul asked. 

"A long distance, " replied Wyatt. "We shall not be there under two weeks, and as the party may turn aside for hunting or something else, it may bemuch longer. "

"It will give Henry and Ross and the others more time to rescue us, " saidPaul. 

Braxton Wyatt shrugged his shoulders. 

"I wouldn't put much hope in that if I were you, Paul, " he said. "Thisband is very strong. Since the two parties joined it numbers fortywarriors, and our friends could do nothing. We must pretend to like them, to fall in with their ways, and to behave as if we liked the wild life aswell as that back in the settlements, and in time would like it better. "

"I could never do that, " said Paul. "All kinds of savages repel me. "

Braxton Wyatt shrugged his shoulders again. 

"One must do the best he can, " he said briefly. 

The leisurely march proceeded, and they camped the next afternoon in themidst of a magnificent forest of beech, oak, and hickory, building a greatfire, and lounging about it in apparently careless fashion. But Paul wasenough of a woodsman to know that some of the warriors were on watch, andhe and Braxton, as usual, were compelled to sit in the center of thegroup, where there was no shadow of a chance to escape. 

Hunters whom they had sent out presently brought in the bodies of twodeer, and then they had a great feast. The venison was half cooked instrips and chunks over the coals, and the warriors ate it voraciously, chattering to each other, meanwhile, as Paul did not know that Indiansever talked. 

"What are they saying, Braxton?" he asked. 

"I can't catch it very well, " replied Wyatt, "but I think they are talkingabout a stay near the Ohio--for hunting, I suppose. That ought to be agood thing for us, because they certainly will not decide about our fateuntil we get back to their village, and the more they are used to us theless likely they are to put us to death. "

Paul watched the warriors eating, and they were more repellent to him thanever. Savages they were, and nothing could make them anything else. Hisways could never become their ways. But the fresh deer meat looked verygood, and the pleasant aroma filled his nostrils. Braxton Wyatt noticedhis face. 

"Are you hungry, Paul?" he asked. 

"No, not hungry; merely starving to death. "

Wyatt laughed. 

"I'm in the same condition, " he said, "but I can soon change it. "

He spoke to Red Eagle, and the thin-faced chief nodded. Then Braxtonpicked up two sharpened sticks that the savages had used, and also twolarge pieces of venison. One stick and one piece he handed to Paul. 

"Now we also will cook and dine, " he said. 

Paul's heart warmed toward Braxton Wyatt. Certainly he had done him wrongin his thoughts when they lived at Wareville. But he was thinking thenext moment about the pleasant odor of the deer meat as he fried it overthe coals. Then he ate hungrily, and with a full stomach came peace forthe present, and confidence in the future. He slept heavily that night, stretched on the ground before the fire, near Braxton Wyatt, and he didnot awaken until late the next morning. 

The Indians were very slow and leisurely about departing, and Paulrealized now that, vigilant and wonderful as they were in action, theywere slothful and careless when not on the war path, or busy with thechase. He saw, also, that the band was entirely too strong to be attackedby Henry and his friends. 

They marched northward several days more, at the same dawdling pace, andthen they stopped a week at one place for the hunting. Half the warriorswould go into the forest, and the next day the other half would go, thefirst remaining. They brought in an abundance of game, and Paul neverbefore saw men eat as they ate. It seemed to him that they must be tryingto atone for a fast of at least six months, and those who were not huntingthat day would lie around the fire for hours like animals digesting theirfood. He and Braxton Wyatt were still treated well, and their handsremained unbound, although they were never allowed to leave the group ofwarriors. 

Paul was glad enough of the rest and delay, but the life of the Shawneesdid not please him. He was too fastidious by nature to like theiralternate fits of laziness and energy, their gluttony and lethargyafterwards, but he took care not to show his repulsion. He acted uponWyatt's advice, and behaved in the friendliest manner that he could assumetoward his captors. Wyatt once spoke his approval. "The Chief, Red Eagle, thinks of adopting you, if you should fall into their ways, " said Wyatt. 

"He may adopt me, but I'll never adopt him, " replied Paul sturdily. 

But Wyatt only laughed and shrugged his shoulders, after his fashion. 

A few days later they reached the Ohio. It was running bankful, and wherePaul saw it the stream was a mile wide, a magnificent river, cutting offthe unknown south from the unknown north, and bearing on its yellow bosomsilt from lands hundreds of miles away. The warriors took hidden canoesfrom the forest at the shore, and Paul thought they would cross at onceand continue their journey northward, but they did not do so. Instead, they dawdled about in the thick forest that clothed the southern bank, andate more venison and buffalo meat, although they did not kindle any fire. A day or two passed thus amid glorious sunshine, and Paul still could notunderstand why they waited. 

Meanwhile he still clung tenaciously to his great hope. He might escape, he might be rescued, and then Henry and he would resume their task whichwould help so much to save Kentucky. No matter what happened, Paul wouldnever lose sight of this end. 

CHAPTER VIII

AT THE RIVER BANK

The days dragged into a week, and the Shawnees still clung to the banks ofthe great river, occasionally hunting, but more often idling away theirtime in the deep woods near the shore. Paul's wonder at their actionsincreased. He could not see any purpose in it, and he spoke several timesto Braxton Wyatt about it. But Wyatt always shrugged his shoulders. 

"I do not know, " he said. "It is true they build no camp fires, at leastno big ones, and they do not seem to be much interested in hunting; but Icannot guess what they are about, and I should not dare to ask Red Eagle. "

Paul noticed that Red Eagle himself often went down to the bank of theriver, and would watch its surface with the keenest attention. But Paulobserved also that he always looked eastward--that is, up the stream--andnever down it. 

Paul and Wyatt were allowed an increasing amount of liberty, but they wereheld nevertheless within a ring through which they could not break; Paulwas shrewd enough to perceive it, and for the present he made no effort, thinking it a wise thing to appear contented with his situation, or atleast to be making the best of it. Braxton Wyatt commended his policy morethan once. 

On the morning of the seventh day the chief went down to the bank of theriver once more, and began to watch its surface attentively and long, always looking up the stream. Paul and Braxton Wyatt and some of thewarriors stood among the trees, not fifty feet away. They also could seethe surface of the river for a long distance, and Paul's eyes followedthose of the chief, Red Eagle. 

The Ohio was a great yellow river, flowing slowly on in its wide channel, the surface breaking into little waves, that crumpled and broke and roseagain. Paul could see the stream for miles, apparently becoming narrowerand narrower, until it ended in a yellow thread under the horizon. Eithershore was overhung with heavy forest red with autumn's touch. Wild fowloccasionally flew over the current. It was inexpressibly weird and lonelyto Paul, seemingly a silent river flowing on forever through silentshades. 

He saw nothing on the stream, and his eyes came back to the thin, hatchet-faced chief, who stood upon the bank looking so intently. RedEagle had begun to interest him greatly. He impressed Paul as being athorough savage of savages, fairly breathing cruelty and cunning, and Paulsaw now a note of expectation, of cruel expectation, in the fierce blackeyes of the Shawnee. And as he looked, a sudden change came over the faceof the chief. A gleam appeared in the black eyes, and the tall, thinfigure seemed to raise itself a little higher. Paul again looked up thestream, and lo! a tiny dark spot appeared upon its surface. He watched itas the chief watched it, and it grew, coming steadily down the river. Buthe did not yet know what it was. 

Now the spirit of action descended quickly upon the whole band. The chiefleft the shore and gave quick, low orders to the men, who sank back intothe forest, taking Paul and Braxton Wyatt with them. Two warriors, havingPaul between them, crouched in a dense thicket, and one of them tapped theunarmed boy meaningly with his tomahawk. Paul did not see Braxton Wyatt, but he supposed that he was held similarly by other warriors, somewherenear. In truth, he did not see any of the savages except the two who werewith him. All the rest had melted away with the extraordinary facilitythat they had for hiding themselves, but Paul knew that they were abouthim, pressed close to the earth, blurred with the foliage or sheltered bytree trunks. 

The boy's eyes turned back to the river, and the black blot floating onits surface. That blot, he knew, had caused this sudden disappearance of awhole band of Shawnees, and he wanted to know more. The black blot camedown the stream and grew into shape and outline, and the shape and outlinewere those of a boat. An Indian canoe? No; it rapidly grew beyond the sizeof any canoe used by the savages, and began to stand up from the water inbroad and stiff fashion. Then Paul's heart thumped, because all at once heknew. It was a flatboat, and it was certainly loaded with emigrants comingdown the Ohio, women and children as well as men, and the Shawnees hadlaid an ambush. This was what the crafty Red Eagle had been waiting for solong. 

It was the final touch of savagery, and the boy's generous and noble heartrebelled within him. He started up, propelled by the impulse to warn; butthe two warriors pulled him violently back, one of them again touching himsignificantly with his tomahawk. Paul knew that it was useless. Anymovement or cry of his would cause his own death, and would not besufficient to warn those on the boat. He sank back again, trembling inevery nerve, not for himself but for the unsuspecting travelers on theriver. 

The boat came steadily on, Paul saw a number of men, some walking aboutand others at the huge sweeps with which it was controlled. And--yes, there was a woman and a child, too; a little girl with long, yellow curls, who played on the rude deck. Paul put his hand to his face, and it cameback wet. 

Then he remembered, and his heart leaped up. The river was a mile wide, and the boat was keeping near the middle of the stream. No bullet from thesavages could reach it. Then what was the use of this ambush? It hadmerely been a chance hope of the savages that the boat would come nearenough for them to fire into it, but instead it would go steadily on! Paullooked exultantly at the two warriors beside him, but they were intentlywatching the boat, which would soon be opposite them. 

Then a ghastly and horrible thing occurred. A white face suddenly appearedupon the shore in front of Paul--the face of a white youth whom he knew. The figure was in rags, the clothing torn and tattered by thorns andbushes, and the hair hung in wild locks about the white face. Face andfigure alike were the picture of desolation and despair. 

The white youth staggered to the very edge of the water, and, lifting upa tremulous, weeping voice, cried out to those on the boat:

"Save me! Save me! In God's name, save me! Don't leave me here to starvein these dark woods!"

It was a sight to move all on the boat who saw and heard--this spectacleof the worn wanderer, alone in that vast wilderness, appealing tounexpected rescue. Fear, agony, and despair alike were expressed in thetones of Braxton Wyatt's voice, which carried far over the yellow streamand was heard distinctly by the emigrants. To hear was also to heed, andthe great flatboat, coming about awkwardly and sluggishly, turned hersquare prow toward the southern shore, where the refugee stood. 

Braxton Wyatt never ceased to cry out for help. His voice now ran thegamut of entreaty, hope, despair, and then hope again. He called upon themby all sacred names to help him, and he also called down blessings uponthem as the big boat bore steadily toward the land where two score fiercesavages lay among the bushes, ready to slay the moment they came withinreach. 

Paul was dazed at first by what he saw and heard. He could not believethat it was Braxton Wyatt who was doing this terrible and treacherousthing. He rubbed away what he thought might be a deceptive film beforehis eyes, but it was still Braxton Wyatt. It was the face of the youthwhom he had known so long, and it was his voice that begged and blessed. And there, too, came the boat, not thirty yards from the land now! In twomore minutes it would be at the bank, and its decks were crowded now withmen, women, and children, regarding with curiosity and pity alike thislone wanderer in the wilderness whom they had found in such a terriblecase. Paul heard around him a rustling like that of coiled snakes, theslight movement of the savages preparing to spring. The boat was only tenyards from the shore! Now the film passed away from his eyes, and hisdazed brain cleared. He sprang up to his full height, reckless of his ownlife, and shouted in a voice that was heard far over the yellow waters:

"Keep off! Keep off, for your lives! It is a renegade who is calling youinto an ambush! Keep off! Keep off!"

Paul saw a sudden confusion on the boat, a running to and fro of people, and a bucking of the sweeps. Then he heard a spatter of rifle shots, allthis passing in an instant, and the next moment he felt a heavyconcussion. Fire flashed before his eyes, and he sank away into a darknessthat quickly engulfed him. 

When Paul came back to himself he was lying among the trees where he hadfallen, and his head ached violently. He started to put up his hand tosoothe it, but the hand would not move, and then he realized that bothhands were bound to his side. His whole memory came back in a flash, andhe looked toward the river. Far down the stream, and near the middle ofit, was a black dot that, even as he looked, became smaller, anddisappeared. It was the flatboat with its living freight, and Paul'sheart, despite his own desperate position, leaped up with joy. 

From the river he glanced back at the Indian faces near him, and so far ashe could tell they bore no signs of triumph. Nor could he see any of thosehideous trophies they would have been sure to carry in case the ambush hadbeen a success. No! the triumph had been his, not theirs. He rolled intoan easier position, shut his eyes again to relieve his head, and when heopened them once more, Braxton Wyatt stood beside him. At the sight, allthe wrath and indignation in Paul's indomitable nature flared up. 

"You scoundrel! you awful scoundrel! You renegade!" he cried. "Don't youever speak to me again! Don't you come near me!"

Braxton Wyatt did not turn back when those words, surcharged withpassion, met him full in the face, but wore a sad and downcast look. 

"I don't blame you, Paul, " he said gently, "for speaking that way when youdon't understand. I'm not a renegade, Paul. I did what I did to save ourlives--yours as well as mine, Paul. The chief, Red Eagle, threatened toput us both to the most awful tortures at once if I didn't do it. "

"Liar, as well as scoundrel and renegade!" exclaimed Paul fiercely. 

But Braxton Wyatt went on in his gentle, persuading, unabashed manner:

"It is as true as I stand here. I could not take you, too, Paul, totorture and death, and all the while I was hoping that the people on theboat would see, or suspect, and that they would turn back in time. If youhad not cried out--and it was a wonderfully brave thing to do!--I thinkthat at the last moment I myself should have done so. "

"Liar!" said Paul again, and he turned his back to Braxton Wyatt. 

Wyatt looked fixedly at the bound boy, shrugged his shoulders a little, and said:

"I never took you for a fool before, Paul. "

But Paul was silent, and Braxton Wyatt went away. An hour or two later RedEagle came to Paul, unbound his arms, and gave him something to eat. AsPaul ate the venison, Braxton Wyatt returned to him and said:

"It is my influence with the chief, Paul, that has secured you this goodtreatment in spite of their rage against you. It is better to pretend tofall in with their ways, if we are to retain life, and ever to securefreedom. "

But Paul only turned his back again and remained silent. Yet with the foodand rest the ache died out of his head, and he was permitted to wash offthe blood caused by the heavy blow from the flat of a tomahawk. Then hecrossed the Ohio with the band. 

Paul was in a canoe with Red Eagle and two other warriors, and BraxtonWyatt was in another canoe not far away. But Paul resolutely ignored him, and looked only at the great river, and the thick forest on either shore. He was now more lonely than ever, and the Ohio that he was crossing seemedto him to be the boundary between the known and the unknown. Below it wasWareville and Marlowe, tiny settlements in the vast surroundingwilderness, it was true, but the abodes of white people, nevertheless. North of it, and he was going northward, stretched the forest that savagesalone haunted. The crossing of the river was to Paul like passing over agreat wall that would divide him forever from his own. All his vividimagination was alive, and it painted the picture in its darkest and mostsomber colors. 

They reached the northern shore without difficulty, hid the canoes forfuture use, and resumed their leisurely journey northward. Braxton Wyatt, who seemed to Paul to have much freedom, resumed his advances toward arenewal of the old friendship, but Paul was resolute. He could notovercome his repulsion, Braxton Wyatt might plead, and make excuses, andtalk about the terror of torture and death, but Paul remained unconvinced. He himself had not flinched at the crucial moment to undo what Wyatt wasdoing, and in his heart he could find no forgiveness for the one whom hecalled a renegade. 

Wyatt refused to take offense. He said, and Paul could not but hear, thatPaul some day would be grateful for what he was doing, and that it wasnecessary in the forest to meet craft with craft, guile with guile. 

The days passed in hunting, eating, resting, and marching, and Paul lostcount of time, distance, and direction. He had not Henry's wonderfulinstinct in the wilderness, and he could not now tell at what point of thecompass Wareville lay. But he kept a brave heart and a brave face, and ifat times he felt despair, he did not let anyone see it. 

They came at last to a place where the forest thinned out, and then brokeaway, leaving a little prairie. The warriors, who had previously beenpainting themselves in more hideous colors than ever, broke into a long, loud, wailing chant. It was answered in similar fashion from a pointbeyond a swell in the prairie, and Paul knew that they had come to theIndian village. The wailing chant was a sign that they had returned afterdisaster, and now all the old squaws were taking it up in reply. Paul wasfilled with curiosity, and he watched everything. 

The warriors emerged from the last fringe of the forest, their facesblackened, the hideous chant for their lost rising and falling, but neverceasing. Forward to meet them poured a mongrel throng--old men, oldsquaws, children, mangy curs, and a few warriors. Paul was with Red Eagle, and when the old squaws saw him, they stopped their plaintive howl andsent up a sudden shrill note of triumph. In a moment Paul was in a ring ofghastly old faces, in every one of which snapped a pair of cruel blackeyes. Then the old women began to push him about, to pinch him, and tostrike him, and they showed incredible activity. 

Thoroughly angry and in much pain, Paul struck at the hideous hags; butthey leaped away, jabbered and laughed, and returned to the attack. Whilehe was occupied with those in front of him, others slipped up behind him, jabbed him in the back, or violently twitched the hair on his neck. Tearsof pain and rage stood in Paul's eyes, and he wheeled about, only to havethe jeering throng wheel with him and continue their torture. At last hecaught one of them a half blow, and she reeled and fell. The othersshouted uproariously, and the warriors standing by joined in their mirth. 

One of the hags finally struck Paul a resounding smack in the face, and ashe turned to pursue her another from behind seized a wisp of hair andtried to tear it out by the roots. Paul whirled in a frenzy, and soquickly that she could not escape him. He seized her withered old throatin both his hands, and then and there he would have choked her to death, but the warriors interfered, and pulled his hands loose. But they alsodrove the old women away, and Paul was let alone for the time. As he stoodon one side, gasping as much with anger as with pain, Braxton Wyatt, whohad not been persecuted at all, came to him again with ironic words andderisive gesture. 

"It was just as I told you, Paul, " he said. "I gave you good advice. Ifyou had taken it, they would have spared you. What you have just got isonly a taste to what you may suffer. "

Paul felt a dreadful inclination to shudder, but he managed to controlhimself. 

"I'd rather die under the torture than do what you have done, yourenegade!" he said. 

This was the first time since they crossed the Ohio that he had replied toBraxton, but even now he would say no more, and Wyatt, following hiscustom, shrugged his shoulders and walked away. Then all, mingled in onegreat throng, went forward to the village. Paul saw an irregularcollection of buffalo-skin and deer-skin tepees, and a few pole wigwams, with some rudely cultivated fields of maize about them. A fine brookflowed through the village, and the site, on the whole, was well chosen, well watered, and sheltered by the little hills from cold winds. It wastoo far away from those hills to be reached by a marksman in ambush, andall about hung signs of plenty--drying venison and buffalo meat, and skinsof many kinds. 

When they came within the circle of huts and tents, Paul was againregarded by many curious eyes, and there might have been more attempts topersecute him, but the chief, Red Eagle, kept them off. Red Eagle was ableto speak a little English, but Paul was too proud to ask him about his ownfate. Not a stoic by nature, the boy nevertheless had a will that couldcontrol his impulses. 

He was thrust into a small pole hut, and when the door was tightlyfastened he was left alone there. The place was not more than six feetsquare, and only a little higher than Paul's head when he stood erect. Inone corner was a couch of skins, but that was its whole equipment. Some ofthe poles did not fit closely together, leaving cracks of a quarter of aninch or so, through which came welcome fresh air, and also the subdued humof the village noises. He heard indistinctly the barking of dogs, and thechatter of old squaws scolding, but he paid little heed to them because hefelt now the sudden rush of a terrible despair. 

The Ohio had been the great wall between Paul and his kind, and with thesteady march northward, through the forests and over the little prairies, still another wall, equally great, had been reared. It seemed to Paul thatHenry and Shif'less Sol and his other friends could never reach him here, and whatever fate the Shawnees had in store for him, it would be a hardone. Wild life he liked in its due proportion, but he had no wish tobecome a wild man all his days. He wanted to see the settlements grow andprosper, and become the basis of a mighty civilization. This was whatappealed to him most. His great task of helping to save Kentuckycontinually appealed to him, and now his chance of sharing in it seemedslender and remote--too slender and remote to be considered. 

The boy lay long on his couch of skins. The hum of the village life stillcame to his ears, but he paid little heed to it. Gradually his couragecame back, or rather his will brought it back, and he became consciousthat the day was waning, also that he was growing hungry. Then the doorwas opened, and Red Eagle entered. Behind him came a weazened old warriorand a weazened old squaw, hideous to behold. Red Eagle stepped to oneside, and the old squaw fell on Paul's neck, murmuring words ofendearment. Paul, startled and horrified, pushed her off, but she returnedto the charge. Then Paul pushed her back again with more force. Red Eaglestepped forward, and lifted a restraining hand. 

"They would adopt you in place of the son they have lost, " he said in hisscant and broken English. 

Paul looked at Red Eagle. It seemed to him that he saw on the face of thechief the trace of a sardonic grin. Then he looked at the weazened andrepulsive old pair. 

"Put me to the torture, " he said. 

Now the sardonic grin was unmistakable on die face of the chief. 

"Not yet, " he said, "but maybe later. "

Then he and the old pair left the hut, and presently food was brought toPaul, who, worn out by his trials, ceased to think about his future. Whenhe had finished eating he threw himself on the couch again, and sleptheavily until the next day. 

CHAPTER IX

A CHANGE OF PLACES

Now came a time which Paul did not wholly understand, but which seemed tohim a period of test. The repulse of the old couple was not permanent. They came back again and again, inviting him to be their son, andpatiently endured all his rebuffs until he began to feel a kind of pityfor them. After that he was always gentle to them, but he remained firm inhis resolve that he would not become a savage, either in reality orpretense. 

After a week he was allowed to walk in the village and to look uponbarbaric life, but he saw not the remotest chance of escape. The placecontained perhaps five hundred souls--men, women, children, andpapooses--and at least fifty mangy curs, every one of whom, including thepapooses and curs, seemed to Paul to be watching him. Black eyes followedhim everywhere. Nothing that he did escaped their attention. Every stepwas noted, and he knew that if he went a yard beyond the village he wouldbring a throng of warriors, squaws, and dogs upon him. But he was gratefulfor this bit of freedom, the escape from the confinement of close walls, and the forest about them, glowing with autumnal foliage, looked cool andinviting. He saw nothing of Braxton Wyatt, but Red Eagle told him one daythat he had gone northward with a band, hunting. "He good boy, " said RedEagle. Paul shuddered with disgust. 

More than two weeks passed thus, and it seemed to Paul that he was notonly lost to his own world, but forgotten by it. Kentucky and all hisfriends had dipped down under the horizon, and would never reappear. Henryand Ross and Shif'less Sol would certainly have come for him if theycould, but perhaps they had fallen, slain in the night battle. His heartstood still at the thought, but he resolutely put it away. It did not seemto him that one of such strength and skill as Henry Ware could be killed. 

Paul sat on a rock about the twilight hour one day, and watched the sunsinking into the dark forest. He was inexpressibly lonely, as if forsakenof men. Savage life still left him untouched. It made no appeal to himanywhere, and he longed for Wareville, and his kind, which he was now surehe would never see again. Behind him rose the usual hum of thevillage--the barking of dogs, the chatter of squaws, and the occasionalgrunt of a warrior. In their way, these people were cheerful. Unlike Paul, they were living the only life they knew and liked, and had no thoughts ofa better. 

The lonely boy rose from the rock and walked back toward the pole hut, inwhich they fastened him every night. It had become a habit with him now, and he knew that it saved useless resistance and a lot of trouble. Had hetaken a single step toward the forest instead of his own prison hut, ascore of watchful eyes would have been upon him. 

The twilight melted into the dark, and fires gleamed here and there in thevillage. Dusky figures passed before and behind the fires--those of squawscooking the suppers. Paul's eyes wandered, idle and unobserving, over thesavage scene, and then he uttered a little cry of impatience as a hulkingwarrior lurched against him. The man seemed to have tripped upon a root, an unusual thing for these sure-footed sons of the forest, and Paul drewback from him. But the savage recovered himself, and in a low voice said:

"Paul!"

Paul Cotter started violently. It was the first word in good English thathe had heard in a time that seemed to be eternity--save those of BraxtonWyatt, whom he hated--and the effect upon him was overpowering. It waslike a voice of hope coming suddenly from another world. 

"Paul, " continued the voice, now warningly, "don't speak. Go on to yourhut. Friends are by. "

Then the hulking and savage figure walked away, and Paul knew enough totake no apparent notice, but to continue on as if that welcome voice Hadnot come out of the darkness. Yet a thousand little pulses within him werethrobbing, throbbing with joy and hope. 

But whose was the voice? In his excitement he had not noticed the toneexcept to note that it was a white man's. He glanced back and saw thehulking form near the outskirts of the village, but the light was too dimto disclose anything. Henry? No, it was not Henry's figure. Then who wasit? A friend, that was certain, and he had said that other friends wereby. 

Paul walked with a light step to his prison hut, sedulously seeking tohide the exultation in his face. He was not forgotten in his world! Hisfriends were ready to risk their lives for him! His heart was leaping ashe looked through the dusk at the smoking camp fires, the dim huts andtepees, and the shadowy figures that passed and repassed. He would soon beleaving all that savage life. He never doubted it. 

He came to his prison hut, went calmly inside, and a few minutes later, the regular time being at hand, the door was fastened on the outside byRed Eagle or some of his people. He might perhaps have forced the door inthe night, but he had not considered himself a skillful enough woodsman toslip from the village unobserved, and accordingly he had waited. Now hewas very glad of his restraint. 

Paul lay down on the couch of skins, but he was not seeking sleep. Insteadhe was waiting patiently, with something of Indian stoicism. He sawthrough the cracks in his hut the Indian fires, yet burning and smoking, and the dim figures still passing and repassing. There was also the fainthum to tell him that savage life did not yet sleep, and now and then amongrel cur barked. But all things end in time, and after a while thesenoises ceased; even the cure barked no more, and the smoking fires sanklow. 

The Indian village lay at peace, but Paul's heart throbbed withexpectation. Nor did it throb in vain. A muffled sound appeared in time athis door. It was some one at work on the fastenings, and Paul listenedwith every nerve a-quiver. Presently the noise ceased, a shaft of palenight light showed, and then was gone. But the door had been opened, andthen closed, and some one was inside. 

Paul waited without fear. He could barely see a dark, shapeless outlinewithin the dimness of his hut, but he was sure it was the figure of theslouching warrior who had bumped against him. The man stood a moment ortwo, seeking to pierce the dusk with his own eyes, and then he said in alow voice:

"Paul! Paul! Is it you?"

"Yes, " replied Paul, in the same guarded tone, "but I don't know who youare. "

The figure swayed a little and laughed low, but with much amusement. 

"It 'pears to me that we are forgot purty soon, " it said. "An' I've workedhard fur a tired man. "

Then Paul knew the familiar, whimsical tone. The light had burst upon himall at once. 

"Shif'less Sol!" he exclaimed. 

"Jest me, " said Sol; "an' ain't I about the purtiest Shawnee warrior youever saw? Why, Paul, I'm so good at playin' a loafin' savage from someother village that nary a Shawnee o' them all has dreamed that I am what Iain't. If ever I go back thar in the East, I'm goin' to be a play-actor, Paul. "

"You can be anything on earth you want to be, Sol!" said Paul jubilantly. "It was mighty good of you to come. "

"You'd a-thought Henry would a-come, " whispered Sol; "but we decided thathe was too tall an' somehow too strikin'-lookin' to come in here ez acommon, everyday Injun, so it fell to me to loaf in, me bein' atired-lookin' sort o' feller, anyway. But they're out thar in the woodsa-waitin', Henry an' Tom Ross an' that ornery cuss, Jim Hart. "

"I knew that you fellows would never desert me!" exclaimed Paul. 

"Why, o' course not!" said Sol. "We never dreamed o' leavin' you. Now, Paul, we've got to git through this village somehow or other. Lucky it'spurty dark, an' you'll have to do your best to walk an' look like a Red. Maybe we kin git fur enough to make a good run fur it, and then, with thewoods an' the night helpin' us, we may give them the slip. Here, takethis. "

He pressed something cold and hard into Paul's hand, and Paul slipped thepistol into his belt, standing erect and feeling himself much of a man. 

"It's time to be goin', " said Shif'less Sol. 

"I'm ready, " said Paul. 

But neither took more than a single step forward, stopping together asthey heard a light noise at the door. 

"Thunder an' lightnin'!" said Shif'less Sol, under his breath. "Somebody'ssuspectin'. "

"It looks like it, " breathed Paul. 

"Lay down on the skins and pretend to be asleep, " said Shif'less Sol. 

Paul lay down on the couch at once, in the attitude of one who slumbers, and closed his eyes--all but a little. Shif'less Sol shoved himself intothe corner, and blotted out his figure against the wall. 

The door opened and Braxton Wyatt stepped in. What decree of fate hadcaused him to be spying about that night, and what had caused him to findthe door of Paul's prison hut unfastened? He stood a few moments, tryingto accustom his eyes to the dark, and he plainly heard the regularbreathing of Paul on the bed of skins. Presently he saw the dim, recumbentfigure also. But he was still suspicious, and he took a step nearer. Thena big form, projected somewhere from the dark, hurled itself upon him, andhe was thrown headlong to the earthen floor. Strong fingers compressed histhroat, and he gasped for breath. 

"Here, Paul, " said Sol, "tear off a piece o' that skin an' stuff it intohis mouth. "

Paul, who had leaped to his feet, obeyed at once. 

"An' cut off some stout strips o' the same with this knife o' mine, " saidShif'less Sol. 

Paul again obeyed at once, and in three minutes Braxton Wyatt lay boundand gagged on the earthen floor. Shif'less Sol Hyde and Paul Cotter stoodover him, and looked down at him, and even in the dark they saw the terrorof all things in his eyes. 

"The Lord has been good to us to-night, Paul, " said Shif'less Sol, with acertain solemnity, "an' He wuz best o' all when He sent this hound herea-spyin'. "

"You know what he is?" said Paul. 

"Ef I don't know, I've guessed. "

Then the two stood silent for a little space, still gazing down at BraxtonWyatt, bound and gagged. Paul had never before seen such stark dread inthe eyes of any one, and he shuddered. Despite himself, he felt a certainamount of pity. 

"He would have lured a boat-load of our people into the hands of thesavages, " he said. 

"I'll put this knife in his foul heart, Paul, " said Shif'less Sol. 

The bound figure quivered in its bonds, and the eyes became wild andappealing. 

"No, not that, " replied Paul; "I couldn't bear to see anyone helpless putto death. "

"It was just the thought uv a moment, " said Shif'less Sol. "We've got abetter use fur him. It's the one that the Lord sent him here fur. Now, Paul, help me strip off his huntin' shirt. "

They took off Braxton Wyatt's hunting shirt, leggins, and cap, and Paulput them on, his own taking their place on the form of the gagged youth. 

"Now, Paul, " said Shif'less Sol, "you're Braxton Wyatt--for a littlewhile, at least, you've got to stand it--an' he's you. Help me roll him upthar on your bed o' skins, an' he kin sleep in calm an' peace until theybring him his breakfast in the mornin'. "

They put Wyatt on the couch, and his eyes glared fiercely at them. Hestruggled to speak, but they did not care to hear him. Sol took theweapons from his belt and gave them to Paul. 

"Good-night, Braxton, " said Shif'less Sol pleasantly. "Fine dreams to you. We're glad you came. You happened in jest in time. "

Wyatt quivered convulsively on his bed of skins. Paul was filled withrepugnance, but he would not exult. His nature would not permit him. Shif'less Sol opened the door, and the two stepped out into the open airand a dark night. No one was about, and the shiftless one deliberatelyfastened the doors on the outside in the usual manner. Then he and Paulstrolled away through the village. 

"Remember that you are Braxton Wyatt, " whispered Shif'less Sol. "Walk eznear like him ez you kin. You've seen him often enough to know. "

The two sauntered lazily forward. An old squaw, crouched by a low andsmoking fire, gave one glance at them, but no more. She went on dreamingof the days when she was young, and when the braves fought for her. Amangy cur barked once, and then lay down again at the foot of a deer-skinlodge. A warrior, smoking a pipe in his own doorway, looked up, but sawnothing unusual, and then looked down again. 

The coolness of Shif'less Sol was something wonderful to see. He merelyloafed along, as if he had no object in the world but to pass away thetime, and there was nothing in the course he chose to indicate that hemeant to reach the forest. Now and then he spoke apparently casual wordsto Paul, and the boy, in the faint light, wearing Braxton Wyatt's clothes, might easily pass for Braxton Wyatt himself, even to the keen eyes of theShawnees. 

Presently they reached the northern end of the village, the one nearest tothe forest, and it was here that Shif'less Sol intended to make theescape. Paul kept close to him, and he noticed with joy that all the timethe light, already faint, was growing fainter. The friendly forest seemedto curve very near. Paul's heart throbbed with painful violence. 

Shif'less Sol passed the last wigwam, and he took a step into the openspace that divided them from the forest. Paul stepped with him, but agaunt and weazened figure rose up in their path. It was that of the oldsquaw who wished a new son, and she stared for a few moments at theclothes of Braxton Wyatt, and the figure within them. Then she knew, andshe uttered a shrill cry that was at once a lament and a warning. At thesame time she flung her arms around Paul in a gesture that was intendedalike for affection and detention. 

"Run, Paul, run!" exclaimed Shif'less Sol. 

Paul attempted to throw off the old woman, but she clung to him like awild cat, showing marvelous strength and tenacity for one so little andweazened and old. Shif'less Sol saw the difficulty and, seizing her in hispowerful grasp, tore her loose. 

"Don't hurt her, Sol!" cried Paul. 

Shif'less Sol understood, and he cast her from them, but not withviolence. Then the two ran with utmost speed and desperate need toward theforest, because the village behind them was up and alive. Lights flared, dogs barked, men shouted, and before the friendly trees were reachedrifles began to crack. 

"Jumpin' Jehoshaphat!" cried Shif'less Sol, as a bullet whistled past hisear. "Ef that don't put life into a tired man, I don't know what will. "

He ran with amazing swiftness, and Paul, light-footed, kept beside him. But the alert Shawnee warriors, ever quick to answer an alarm, werealready in fleet pursuit, and only the darkness kept their bullets fromstriking true. Paul looked back once--even in the moment of haste anddanger he could not help it--and he saw three warriors in advance of theothers, coming so fast that they must overtake them. He and Sol might beatthem off, but one cannot fight well and at the same time escape from amultitude. His heart sank. He would be recaptured, and with him thegallant Shif'less Sol. 

Flashes of fire suddenly appeared in the forest toward which they ran, anddeath cries came from the two warriors who pursued. Shif'less Sol utteredan exultant gasp. 

"The boys!" he said. "They're thar in the woods, a-helpin'. "

Daunted by the sudden covering fire, the pursuing mob fell back for a fewmoments, and the two fugitives plunged into the deep and friendly shadowsof the woods. Three figures, all carrying smoking rifles, rose up to meetthem. The figures were those of Henry Ware, Tom Ross, and Jim Hart. Henryreached out his hand and gave Paul's a strong and joyous grasp. 

"Well, Sol has brought you!" he said. 

"But Sol's not goin' to stop runnin' yet for a long time, tired ez he is, "gasped the shiftless one. 

"Good advice, " said Henry, laughing low, and without another word the fiveran swiftly and steadily northward through the deep woods. Henry had onhis shoulder an extra rifle, which he had brought for Paul, so confidentwas he that Sol would save him; but he said nothing about it for thepresent, preferring to carry the added weight himself. They heard behindthem two or three times the long-drawn, terrible cry with which Paul wasso familiar, but it did not now send any quiver through him. He was withthe ever-gallant comrades who had come for him, and he was ready to defyany danger. 

Henry Ware, after a while, stopped very suddenly, and the others stoppedwith him. 

"I think we'd better turn here, " he said, unconsciously assuming hisnatural position of leader. "It's not worth while to run ourselves todeath. What we've got to do is to hide. "

"Them's blessed words!" gasped Shif'less Sol. "I wuz never so tired in allmy born days. Seems to me I've been chased by Shawnees all over this herecontinent of North Ameriky!"

Paul laughed low, from pure pleasure--pleasure at his escape and pleasurein the courage, loyalty, and skill of his comrades. 

"You may be tired, Sol, " he said, "but there was never a braver man thanyou. "

"It ain't bravery, " protested the shiftless one. "I get into these thingsafore I know it, an' then I've got to kick like a mule to get out o' 'em. "

But Paul merely laughed low again. 

Henry turned from the north to the west, and led now at a pace that waslittle more than a walk. Paul and Sol drew deep breaths, as they felt theheavenly air flowing back into their lungs and the spring returning totheir muscles. They went in Indian file, five dusky figures in the shadow, a faint moonlight touching them but wanly, and all silent. Thus theymarched until past midnight, and they heard nothing behind them. Thentheir leader stopped, and the others, without a word, stopped with him. 

"I think we've shaken 'em off, " said Henry, "and we'd better rest andsleep. Then we can make up our plans. "

"Good enough, " said Shif'less Sol. "An' ef any man wakes me up afore nextweek, I'll hev his scalp. "

He sank down at once in his buckskins on a particularly soft piece ofturf, and in an incredibly brief space of time he was sound asleep. JimHart, doubling up his long, thin figure like a jackknife, imitated him, and Paul was not long in following them to slumberland. Only Henry andRoss remained awake and watchful, and by and by the moonlight came out andsilvered their keen and anxious faces. 

CHAPTER X

THE ISLAND IN THE LAKE

When Paul awoke the others were munching the usual breakfast of driedvenison, and Henry handed him a piece, which he ate voraciously. Henry wassitting on the ground, with his back against a fallen log, and he regardedPaul contemplatively. 

"Paul, " he said, in the dryest possible tones, "I don't see how you couldhave been so hard-hearted. "

Paul looked at him, startled. "Why, what do you mean?"

"To tear yourself away, as you did, from a loving father and mother. Why, Sol, here, tells me that you actually threw your mother from you. "

"Truth, Gospel truth, " put in Shif'less Sol. "I never seen sech a cruel, keerless person. He gives her jest one fling into the south, an' then hebolts off into the north, like an arrow out o' the bow. I follows himlickety-split to bring him back, but he runs so fast I can't ketch him. "

Paul smiled. 

"I've one father and mother already, " he said, "and so I have no use fortwo. Rather than cause embarrassment, I came away as quickly as I could. "

"You did come fast, " said Henry dryly. 

"It was mighty fine of all of you to come after me, " said Paul earnestly, "and to risk your lives to save me from the Shawnees. But I knew you'd doit. "

"Uv course, " said Tom Ross simply. "The rest uv our party would hev come, too, but they were needed back thar in Kentucky. Besides, we could spare'em, ez it took cunnin' an' not numbers to do what we had to do. "

"What's our next step?" asked Paul, who was in the highest of spirits--hisimagination, with its usual vivid rebound, now painted everything inglowing colors. 

"We are going northward, " said Henry. 

"Northward?"

"Yes, it's necessary. There's some great movement on foot among thetribes. It's not the Shawnees alone, but the Miamis and Wyandots andothers as well, though the Shawnees are leaders. War belts are passingbetween all the tribes, and we think they are joining together to destroyall the white settlements in Kentucky. "

"An' some renegades are helpin' 'em, " said Tom Ross. "They may hev betterluck than they did when they attacked Wareville. "

"Yes, an' there's Braxton Wyatt, " said Shif'less Sol sorrowfully, "He'scunnin' an' revengeful, an' he'll do us a power o' harm. Paul, you oughtto a-let me put a knife in atween his ribs when I had the chance. I mighta-saved some good lives an' a power o' sufferin'. "

Paul did not reply, but he was not sorry that he had interfered. He couldnot see a bound youth killed. 

"I think we'd better be goin' now, " said Tom Ross. "We've got to keep tothe north, to throw the Shawnees off the track, an' then we'll come backan' spy on 'em. "

"An' me with only ten hours o' rest got to git up an' start to runnin'ag'in, " said Shif'less Sol plaintively. 

"Wa'al, no, you needn't run, " said Tom Ross, grinning. "You can jest walkfor about forty hours without stoppin'!"

Shif'less Sol heaved a deep sigh, but made ready. Jim Hart undoubledhimself, cracked his joints, and said deliberately:

"Ef I wuz ez lazy ez Shif'less Sol Hyde, I'd a-stayed back thar in theEast, whar a feller might jest sleep hisself to death, an' no Injuns totorment him. "

"Ef I wuz es mean an' onchristian ez Jim Hart, I'd go an' join BraxtonWyatt an' become a renegade myself, " rejoined Shif'less Sol. 

Paul smiled. He enjoyed the little spats of Sol and Jim, but he knew thatthe two were as true as steel, and the best of friends to each other. Moreover, he was about to take up again the mission which Fate seemed soconstantly to interrupt. The scene of action had been shifted to the greatnorthern woods, and it now seemed to Paul that perhaps Fortune had beenkind in bringing him there. If a league of the tribes were being attemptedfor a new attack upon the settlements, the powder for Marlowe might wellrest, for the present, in its hiding-place in the woods, while hiscomrades and he undertook more important action elsewhere. 

Before they started, Henry and Ross took stock of their ammunition, ofwhich they had a plentiful supply, replenished more than once from theirenemies, and also gave an abundance to Paul. The extra rifle given to him, one of those taken from the two warriors that Henry had slain, was a fineweapon, carrying far and true, and he was perfectly satisfied with it. 

Then they started, and they traveled all day northward, through a finerolling country, with little prairies and great quantities of game. It wasfully equal to Kentucky, but Paul knew they were in the heart of thechosen home of the northern Indians, and it behooved them to be cautious. But there were no signs of pursuit, and they went on all day undisturbed. 

Late in the afternoon they entered a dense forest, and walked through itabout two hours, when Paul saw an opening among the trees. It was a greatflash of silver that all at once greeted his eyes. But as he looked itturned to gold under the late sun. 

"Another of those little prairies, " he said. 

Henry laughed. 

"No, Paul, " he said, "that's not a prairie. The sun and the sky togetherhave fooled you. It's a lake, and we're going to live in it for a littlewhile. "

"A lake, " echoed Paul, "and we're going to live in it? Come on, I want tosee it!"

Kentucky was not a country of lakes, and Paul did not know much aboutthem. Hence, as he hastened forward, he was thinking more of the lakeitself than of Henry's somewhat enigmatic words, "We're going to live init. "

They soon reached its margin, and Paul uttered a little cry of delight. Itwas a splendid sheet of water, shaped like a half moon, seven miles long, perhaps, and two miles across at the center. But at the widest part stooda gem of a wooded island, covered with giant trees. High hills, clothedwith magnificent forest, rose all around the lake. 

The beauty of the scene penetrated the souls of all. Uneducated men likeShif'less Sol and Jim Hart felt it as well as Paul. The five stood insilence, gazing at the lake and the gem of a wooded island. The light fromthe sinking sun gleamed in red and gold flame across the silver waters, and on the wooded island the boughs of the trees seemed to be touched withfire. 

"That's where we are to stay, " said Henry, pointing to the little island. "No Indian will ever trouble us there. "

"Why?" asked Paul, looking at him questioningly. 

"Wait and you'll see, " replied Henry. 

Henry led the way along the shore, and from a dense thicket at the water'sedge he took a light canoe. 

"I captured this once, " he said; "brought it across the woods and hid ithere, thinking it might be useful some day, and now you see I am right. Get in! Light as it is, it will hold us all. "

Henry and Ross took the paddles, and they pushed out into the lake. Shif'less Sol uttered a long and deep sigh of satisfaction. 

"Now, this jest suits a tired man, " he said. "Henry, you an' Tom canpaddle jest ez long ez you please. I'd like to do all my travelin' thisway. "

"An' you'd get so lazy you'd want somebody to come an' feed you with aspoon, " said Jim Hart. 

"An' it would jest suit me to have you do it. That's jest the kind uv ajob you're fit fur, Jim Hart. "

"Shet up, you two, " said Ross. "You hurt my ears, a-buzzin' an'a-buzzin'. "

Shif'less Sol sank back a little and closed his eyes. An expression ofheavenly luxury and ease came over his face, but it could not last longbecause in a few minutes the boat reached the wooded island. Shif'less Solopened his eyes, to find that the sun was almost gone, and that theshadows had come among the great trees. 

"Cur'us kind o' place, " he said. "Gives me a sort o' shiver. "

Paul had felt the same sensation, but he said nothing. Before them lay thelittle island, a solid, black blot, its trees blended together, and behindthem the lake shone somberly in the growing darkness. 

"All out!" said Henry cheerfully. "This is home for a while, and we needrest. "

They sprang upon the narrow beach, and Henry and Ross dragged the canoeinto some thick bushes, where they hid it artfully. Paul meanwhile waslooking about him, and trying to keep down the ghostly feeling that wouldassail him at times. The island, so far as he could judge, was perhaps twohundred yards long, half as broad, and thickly covered with forest. But hecould see nothing of the interior. 

"Come, " said Henry Ware, in the same tone of cheerful confidence, as heled the way. 

The others followed, stepping lightly among the great tree trunks, andHenry did not stop until he came to a small, open space in the very centerof the island, where a spring bubbled up among some rocks, and flowed awayin a tiny brook in a narrow channel to the lake. The open space was almostcircular, and the great trees grew so thickly around that they looked likea wall. 

"Here is the place to rest, " said Henry. "There is no need for anybody towatch. "

They lay down upon the ground, disposing themselves on the softest spotsthat they could find. Paul stared up for a few moments at the greatcircular wall of trees, and the weird, chilly sensation came again, but hewas too tired and sleepy to think about it long. In fifteen minutes heslumbered soundly, and so did all the others. They lay with their facesshowing but faintly in the dusk, and as they lay in the sheltered cove asoft wind breathed gently over them. 

All were up early in the morning, and Paul was surprised to see Henrylighting a fire with flint and steel. 

"Why do you do that, Henry?" he said. "Will not the smoke give warning toour enemies that we are here?"

"We shall send up but little smoke, " replied Henry; "but if they shouldsee it, they will not come. "

He went on with the fire, and Paul, although mystified, would not askanything more, too proud to show ignorance, and confident that anyhow hewould soon learn the cause of these strange proceedings. The fire waslighted, and burned brightly, but cast off little smoke. Then Henry turnedto Paul. 

"Let's go up to the north end of the island, " he said. 

It was a walk of but a few minutes, and Henry, stopping before theyreached the margin of the lake, said:

"Look up, Paul!"

Paul did so, and saw many dark objects in the forks of trees about him, ortied to the boughs. They looked like shapeless bundles, and he did notknow what they were. 

"A burying ground, " said Henry, in answer to his inquiring look. 

Paul felt the same weird little shiver that had assailed him the nightbefore. 

"A burying ground!"

"Yes, but by some old, old tribe before the Shawnees or Miamis. What yousee are only bundles of sticks and skeletons. No bodies have been lefthere in a long time, and the Indians think the island is haunted by theghosts of those who died and were left here long, long ago. That is why weneeded to keep no watch last night. I discovered this place on a huntingtrip, and I've always kept it in mind. 

"Let's go back, " said Paul, who did not like to look at this buryingground in the air. 

Henry laughed a little, but he did willingly as Paul requested, and whenthey returned to the fire they found that Jim Hart, falling easily intohis natural position, had already cooked the venison. Paul's spirits atonce went up with a bound. The bright fire, the pleasant odor of thevenison, the cheerful faces of his comrades, and assured safety appealedto his vivid imagination, and made the blood leap in a sparkling torrentthrough his veins. 

"Graveyard or no graveyard, I'm glad I'm here, " he said energetically. 

They laughed, and Shif'less Sol, who, as usual, had found the softestplace and had stretched himself upon it, said, with drawling emphasis:

"You're mighty right, Paul, an' I'm a'gin' movin' from here afore coldweather comes. I'm pow'ful comf'table. "

"If you don't git up an' stir aroun', how do you expect to eat?" said JimHart indignantly. "We ain't got venison enough for more'n ten more meals. "

"Henry an' Tom will shoot it, an' you'll cook it fur me, " said Solcomplacently. 

Jim Hart growled, but Henry and Ross were already discussing this questionof a food supply, and Paul listened. 

"The Indians don't come about the lake much, " said Henry, "and it will beeasy enough to find deer, but we must hunt at night. We mustn't let thesavages see us, as it might break the island's spell. "

"We'll take the canoe and go out to-night, " said Ross. 

"And this lake ought to be full of fish, " said Paul. "We might draw on it, too, for a food supply. "

"Looks likely, " said Ross. "But we'd best not try that, either, tilldusk. "

But they worked in the course of the day at the manufacture of their rudefishing tackle, constructed chiefly of their clothing, the hooks beingnothing more than a rough sort of pin bent to the right shape. This done, they spent the rest of the day in loafing and lolling about, although Paultook a half hour for the thorough exploration of the island, whichpresented no unusual features beyond those that he had already seen. Afterthat he came back to the little cove and luxuriated, as the others weredoing. It was the keenest sort of joy now just to rest, to lie at one'sease, and to feel the freedom from danger. The old burying ground was abetter guard about them than a thousand men. 

But when night came, Henry and Ross took out the canoe again, and Paulasked to go with them. 

"All right, " said Henry, "you come with us, and Sol, you and Jim Hart cando the fishing and the quarreling, with nobody to bother you. "

"Jest my luck, " said Shif'less Sol, "to be left on a desert island with anornery cuss like Jim Hart. "

Henry, setting the paddle against the bank, gave the canoe a great shove, and it shot far out into the lake. Paul looked back. Already their islandwas the solid dark blot it had been the night before, while the watersmoved darkly under a light, northern wind. 

"Sit very quiet, Paul, " said Henry. "Tom and I will do the paddling. "

Paul was more than content to obey, and he remained very still while theother two, with long, sweeping strokes, sent the canoe toward a pointwhere the enclosing bank was lowest. 

"Don't you think we'd better stay in the boat, Henry?" said Ross. 

"Yes; game must be thick hereabouts, and if we wait long enough we're sureto find a deer coming down to drink. "

They cruised for a while along the shore, keeping well in the darkestshadow until they reached a point where the keen eyes of Henry Ware saw, despite the darkness, that many hoofs had trampled. 

"This is a favorite drinking place, " he said. "Back us into those bushes, Tom, and we'll wait. "

Ross pushed the canoe into some bushes until it was hidden, though theoccupants could see through the leaves whatever might come to the water todrink, and they took up their rifles. They lay a little to the north ofthe drinking place, and the wind blew from the south. 

"I don't think we'll have to wait long, " said Henry. 

Then they remained absolutely silent, but within fifteen minutes theyheard a heavy trampling in the woods. It steadily grew louder, and wasmingled with snortings and puffings. Whatever animal made it--and it wasundoubtedly a big one--was coming toward them. Paul was filled withcuriosity, but he knew too much to do more just now than breathe. 

A huge bull buffalo stumbled from the trees to the edge of the lake, wherethe moonlight had just begun to come. He was a monstrous fellow, and Paulknew by his snapping red eyes that he was in no good humor. Henry shookhis head to indicate that he was no game for them, and Paul understood. Whatever they killed they intended to put in the canoe, and then clean anddress it on the island. The angry monster, an outcast from some herd, wassafe. 

The buffalo drank, puffing and snorting between drinks, and then stampedhis way back into the forest. Still the hunters waited in ambush. Someother animal, with a long, sinuous body, crept down to the margin andlapped the water. Paul did not know what it was, and he could not breakthe silence to ask the others; but after drinking for a few minutes itdrew its long, lithe body back through the undergrowth, and passed out ofsight. Then nothing came for a while, because this was a ferocious beastof prey, and to the harmless creatures of the wilderness the air about thedrinking place was filled for a space with poison. 

But as the wind continued to blow lightly from the south, the dread odorpassed away and the air became pure and fresh again. Back in the deeps ofthe forest the timid creatures found courage once more, and they creptdown to the water's edge to slake their thirst. But they were small, andthe ambushed marksmen in the boat still waited, silent and motionless. Paul saw them sometimes, and sometimes he did not. Then his eyes wouldwander to the surface of the lake, now pale, heaving silver in themoonlight, and to the wall of black forest that circled it round. 

A heavier step came again, and a light puff! puff! Paul knew now that agreat animal was approaching, and that the timid little ones would give itroom. He looked with all his eyes, and a magnificent stag stepped into themoonlight, antlers erect, waiting and listening for a moment before hebowed his head to drink. Paul almost leaped up in the boat as a riflecracked beside him, and he saw the stag spring into the air and fall dead, with his feet in the water. 

Henry and Ross promptly shoved the boat from the bushes, and the three ofthem lifted the body into it, disposing it in the center with infinitecare. Then, with food enough to last for days, they rowed back across thelake to the haunted island. Shif'less Sol and Jim Hart, with their rudetackle, had succeeded in catching four fish, of a species unknown to Paul, but large and to all appearances succulent. 

"We'll eat the fish to-morrow, because they won't keep, " said Sol, "butJim Hart here kin jerk the venison. It will give him somethin' to do, an'Jim is a sight better off when he has to work. He ain't got no time furfoolishness. "

"An' you can tan its hide, " growled Jim Hart, "although your own needstannin' most. "

A few minutes later the two were amicably dressing the body of the stag, but Paul was already asleep. He assisted the next morning at a conference, and then he learned what Henry and Ross intended to do. The powder forMarlowe, as Paul had surmised, must be left for the present in its hiddenplace while they spied upon the great northern confederacy, now beingformed for the destruction of the white settlements, and they would dowhat they could to impede it. Henry, Ross, and Sol would leave that nighton an expedition of discovery, while Paul and Jim Hart held the hauntedisland. Paul, in this case, did not object to being left behind, becausehe had, for the present at least, enough of danger, and he knew that hewas better suited to other tasks than the one on which the three greatwoodsmen were now departing. 

Jim Hart was to row them over to the mainland, and they were to signaltheir return with three plaintive, long-drawn cries of the whip-poor-will. They departed at the first coming of the dusk with short good-bys, leavingPaul alone on the island. He stood near the margin under the foliage of agreat beech and watched them go. The boat, as it left a trailing wake ofmelting silver, became a small black dot at the farther shore, and thenvanished. 

Paul turned back toward the center of his island, inexpressibly lonely forthe while. Again he was a solitary being in the vast, encirclingwilderness, and, in feeling at least, no one was nearer than a thousandmiles away. He walked as swiftly as he could to the cove, where the supperfire still smoldered, and he sought companionship in the light and warmththat came from the bed of coals. No amount of hardship, no amount ofexperience could change Paul's vivid temperament, so responsive to theinfluences of time and place. He sat there, his knees drawn up to hischin, and the ring of darkness came closer and closer; but out of itpresently arose the tread of footsteps, and all the brightness andcheeriness returned at once to the boy's face. 

Jim Hart walked into the rim of the firelight, and his long, thin, saplinglike figure looked very consoling to Paul. He doubled into hisusual jackknife formation and, sitting down by the fire, looked into thecoals. 

"Well, Paul, " he said, "I've seen 'em off, an' a-tween you and me, I'drather be right here on this here haunted islan', a-hobnobbin' with Injunghosts an' havin' a good, comfortable, easy time, than be dodgin' braves, an' feelin' every minute to see ef my scalp is on out thar among the Injunvillages. "

"You don't think they'll be taken?" asked Paul, in some alarm. 

Long Jim Hart laughed scornfully. 

"Them fellers be took?" he said. "Why, they are the best three woodsmen inNorth Ameriky, an', fur that, in the hull world. Nobody can take 'em, an'if they wuz took, nobody could hold 'em. You could have Henry Ware tied tothe stake, with fifty Shawnees holdin' him an' a thousand more standin'aroun', an' he'd get away, certain sure. "

Paul smiled. It was an extravagant statement, but it restored hisconfidence. 

"And meanwhile we are safe here, protected by ghosts, " he said. "Do youbelieve in ghosts, Jim?"

Jim Hart looked up at the black rim of the forest, and then edged a littlecloser to the fire. 

"No, I don't, " he said, "but sometimes I'm afeard of 'em, jest the same. "

Paul laughed. 

"That's about the way I feel, too, " he said, "but they're mighty handyjust now, Jim. They're keeping us safe on this island. You won't denythat?"

"No, I won't, " said Jim; "but at night time I'm goin' to leave 'em all bythemselves in the trees over at their end uv of the island. "

"So am I, " said Paul; and ten minutes later both were sound asleep. 

CHAPTER XI

A SUDDEN MEETING

Paul and queer, long Jim Hart spent a week together on the island, andthey were pleasant days to the boy. He was sure that Henry, Ross, and Solcould take care of themselves, and he felt little anxiety about them. Heand Hart stayed well in the woods in the day, and they fished and huntedat night. Hart killed another deer, this time swimming in the water, butthey easily made salvage of the body and took it to land. They also shot abear in the edge of the woods, near the south end of the lake, and Hartquickly tanned both deerskins and the bearskin in a rude fashion. He saidthey would need them as covers at night, and as the weather turned alittle colder, Paul found that he could use one of the skins quitecomfortably. 

They built of sticks and brushwood a crude sort of lean-to against one ofthe stony sides that enclosed the cove, and when a rain came they wereable to keep quite dry within its shelter. They also found rabbits on theisland, some of which they killed, and thus added further to theirlarder. These labors of house-building and housekeeping kept them busy, and Paul was surprised to find how well content he had become. Hart didall the cooking, but Paul made amends in other directions, and at night, when they were not fishing or hunting, they would sit by the little fireand talk. Once about the noon hour they saw a smoke far to the south, andboth regarded it speculatively. 

"Think likely it's an Injun huntin' party, " said Jim Hart, "an' they don'tdream o' any white men bein' about. That's why they are so careless abouttheir fire, because the different tribes o' these parts are all at peacewith one another. "

"How far away would you say that smoke is?" asked Paul. 

"Three or four miles, anyway, an' I'm pow'ful glad this is a hauntedislan', so they won't come over here. "

"So am I, " said Paul devoutly. 

He lay on his back on the soft turf, and watched the smoke rising away ina thin spire into the heavens. He could picture to himself the savageparty as it sat about the fire, and it gave him a remarkable feeling ofcomfort and safety to know that he was so well protected by the ghoststhat haunted the little island. 

The smoke rose there all the morning, but Paul ceased by and by to pay anyattention to it, although he and Jim Hart kept well within the cove, busying themselves with additions to their lean-to. Paul had found greatstrips of bark shed by the trees, and he used these to patch the roof. More pieces were used for the floor, and, with the bearskin spread overthem, it was quite dry and snug. Then he stood off and regarded it with acritical and approving eye. 

"You haven't seen a better house than that lately, have you, Jim?" hesaid, in a tone of pride. 

"Considerin' the fact that I ain't seen any other uv any kind in a longtime, I kin truthfully say I haven't, " replied Jim Hart sardonically. 

"You lack appreciation, Jim, " said Paul. "Besides, your imagination isdeficient. Why don't you look at this hut of ours and imagine that it is amagnificent stone castle?"

Jim Hart gazed wonderingly at the boy. 

"Paul, " he said, "you always wuz a puzzle to me. I can't see nomagnificent stone castle--jest a bark an' brush hut. "

Paul shook his head reprovingly. 

"I am sorry for you, Jim, " he said. "I not only see a magnificent stonecastle, but I see a splendid town over there on the mainland. "

"You talk plumb foolish, Paul, " said Jim Hart. 

"They are all coming, " said Paul. 

But Jim Hart continued to see only the bark and brush hut on the island, and the vast and unbroken wilderness on the mainland. His eyes roved back, from the mainland to the hut. 

"Now, ef I had an ax an' a saw, " he said regretfully, "I could make thatlook like somethin'. I'm a good cook, ef I do say it, Paul, but I'd liketo be a fust-class carpenter. Thar ain't no chance, though, out here, wharthar ain't nothin' much but cabins, an' every man builds his own hisself. "

"Never mind, Jim, " said Paul, "your time will come; and if it doesn't cometo you, it will come to your sons. "

"Paul, you're talkin' foolisher than ever, " said Jim indignantly. "Youknow that I ain't a married man, an' that I ain't got no sons. "

Paul only smiled. Again he was dreaming, looking far into the future. 

The spire of smoke was still on the horizon line when the twilight came, but the next morning it was gone, and they did not see it again. Severaldays more passed in peace and contentment, and, desiring to secure moregame, Paul and Hart took out the canoe one evening and rowed to themainland. 

They watched a while about the mouth of the brook, the favorite drinkingplace of the wild animals, but they saw nothing. It seemed likely to Paulthat a warning had been sent to all the tenants of the forest not to drinkthere any more, as it was a dangerous place, and he expressed a desire togo farther into the forest. 

"All right, Paul, " said Jim Hart, "but you kain't be too keerful. Don'tgit lost out thar in the woods, an' don't furgit your way back to thisspot. I'll wait right here in the boat and watch fur a deer. One may comeyet. "

Paul took his rifle and entered the woods. It was his idea that he mightfind game farther up the little stream, and he followed its course, takingcare to make no noise. It was a fine moonlight night, and, keeping wellwithin the shadow of the trees, he carefully watched the brook. He was somuch absorbed in his task that he forgot the passage of time, and did notnotice how far he had gone. 

Paul had acquired much skill as a hunter, and he was learning to observethe signs of the forest; but he did not hear a light step behind him, although he _did_ feel himself seized in a powerful grasp. This particularwarrior was a Miami, and he may have been impelled by pride--that is, adesire to take a white youth alive, or at least hold him until hiscomrades, who were near, could come and secure him. To this circumstance, and to a fortunate slip of the savage, the boy undoubtedly owed his life. 

Paul was strong, and the grasp of the Indian was like the touch of fire tohim. He made a sudden convulsive effort, far greater than his naturalphysical powers, and the arms of the warrior were torn loose. Bothstaggered, each away from the other, and while they were yet too close forPaul to use his rifle, he did, under impulse, what the white man oftendoes, the red man never. His clenched fist shot out like lightning, andcaught the savage on the point of the jaw. 

The Miami hit the earth with a thud, and lay there stunned. Paul turnedand ran with all his might, and as he ran he heard the war cry behind him, and then the pattering of feet. But he heard no shots. He judged that thedistance and the darkness kept the savages from firing, and he thanked Godfor the night. 

He had sufficient presence of mind to remember the stream, and he keptclosely to its course as he ran back swiftly toward the canoe. 

"Up, Jim, up! The warriors have come!" he shouted, as he ran. 

But Jim Hart, an awkward bean pole of a lion-hearted man, was alreadycoming to meet him, and fired past him at a dusky, dancing figure thatpursued. The death yell followed, the pursuit wavered for a moment, andthen Jim Hart, turning, ran with Paul to the canoe, into which both leapedat the same time. But Hart promptly undoubled himself, seized the paddle, and with one mighty shove sent the boat out into the lake. Paul graspedthe other paddle, and bent to the same task. Their rifles lay at theirfeet. 

"Bend low, Paul, " said Jim Hart. "We're still within range of the shore. "

Paul almost lay down in the canoe, but he never ceased to make long, frantic sweeps with the paddle, and he was glad to see the water flashingbehind him. Then he heard a great yell of rage and the crackle of rifles, and bullets spattered the surface of the lake about them. One chipped asplinter from the edge of the canoe and whistled by Paul's ear, singing, as it passed, "Look out! Look out!" But Paul's only reply was to use hispaddle faster, and yet faster. 

The boy did not notice that Jim Hart had turned the course of the canoe, and that they were running northward, about midway between the island andthe mainland; but the rifle fire ceased presently, and Jim Hart said tohim:

"You can take it easier now, Paul. We're out uv range, though not uvsight. "

Paul straightened up, laid his paddle in the boat, and gasped for breath. 

"Look over thar, Paul, ef you want to see a pleasant scene, " said Jim Hartcalmly. 

Paul's gaze followed the long man's pointing finger, and he saw at leasttwenty warriors gathered on the bank, and regarding them now in deadsilence. 

"Mad!" said Jim Hart. "Mad clean through!"

"They've chased us on land, and now they are chasing us on water. I wonderwhere they will chase us next, " said Paul. 

"Not through the air, 'cause they can't fly, nor kin we, " said Jim Hartsagely. 

Paul looked back again at the ferocious band gathered on the shore, and, while he could not see their faces at the distance, he could imagine theevil passions pictured there. As he gazed the band broke up, and many ofthem came running along the shore. Then Paul noticed that the prow oftheir canoe was not turned toward the island, but was bearing steadilytoward the north end of the lake, leaving the island well to the left. Heglanced at Jim Hart, and the long man laughed low, but with deepsatisfaction. 

"Don't you see, Paul, " he said, "that we kain't go to the islan' an' showto them that we've been livin' thar? That might wipe out all the spell uvthe place. We got to let 'em think we're 'fraid uv it, too, an' that wedassent land thar. We'll paddle up to the head uv the lake, come down onthe other side, an' then, when it's atween us an' them, we'll come acrossto our islan'. "

They were still abreast of the island, and yet midway between it and themainland. Paul saw the Indians running along the shore, and now and thentaking a shot at the canoe. But the bullets always fell short. 

"Foolish! Plumb foolish, " said Jim Hart, "a-wastin' good powder an' goodlead in sech a fashion!"

"That one struck nearer, " said Paul, as a little jet of water spurted upin the lake. "Keep her off, Jim. A bullet that is not wasted might comealong directly. "

Hart sheered the boat off a little toward the island, and then took a longlook at a warrior who had reached a projecting point of land. 

"That thar feller looks like a chief, " he said, "an' I kain't say that hislooks please me a-tall, a-tall. I don't like the set uv his figger onelittle bit. "

"What difference does it make?" said Paul. "You can't change it. "

"Wa'al, now, I was a-thinkin' that maybe I could, " drawled Jim Hart. "Hold the boat steady, Paul. "

He laid down his paddle and took up his rifle, which he had reloaded. 

"Them Injuns have guns, but they are not generally ez good ez ours, " hesaid. "They don't carry ez fur. Now jest watch me change the set uv thatsavage's figger. I wouldn't do it, but he's just a-pinin' fur our bloodan' the hair on top uv our heads. "

Up went the long Kentucky rifle, and the moonlight fell clearly along itspolished barrel. Then came the flash, the spurt of smoke, the reportechoing among the hills about the lake, and the chief fell forward withhis face in the water. A yell of rage arose from the others, and againbullets pattered on the surface of the lake, but all fell short. Jim Hartcalmly reloaded his rifle. 

"That'll teach 'em to be a little more keerful who they're a-follerin', "he said. "Now, Paul, let's paddle. "

They sent the boat swiftly toward the north end of the lake, and Paul nowand then caught glimpses of the Miamis trying to keep parallel with it, although out of range; but presently, as they passed the island, and couldswing out into the middle of the lake, the last of them sank permanentlyfrom sight. But the two kept on in the canoe. The moonlight faded alittle, and soon the hills on the shore could be seen only as a blackblur. 

"This is jest too easy, Paul, " said Jim Hart, "With them runnin' aroun'that big outer circle, they couldn't keep up with us even ef they couldsee us. Let's rest a while. "

Both put their paddles inside the canoe and drew long breaths. Each had afeeling of perfect safety, for the time at least, and they let the boatdrift northward under the gentle wind from the south that rippled thesurface of the lake. 

"Water and darkness, " said Paul. "They are our friends. "

"The best we could have, " said Jim Hart. "Are you rested now, Paul?"

"I'm fresh again. "

They resumed the paddles, and, curving about, came down on the westernside of the lake until they were opposite the island. Then they paddledstraight for their home, and the word "home, " in this case, had its fullmeaning for Paul. It gave him a thrill of delight when the prow of thecanoe struck upon the margin of the little island, and the gloom of thegreat trees was friendly and protecting. 

"We must hide the canoe good, " said Jim Hart. 

They concealed it in a thick clump of bushes, and then Hart carefullyreadjusted the bushes so that no one would notice that they had ever beendisturbed, and they took their way to the hut in the glen. They did notlight a fire, but they sat for a little while on the stones, talking. 

"You're sure they won't come over to the Island?" said Paul. 

"They'll never do it, " replied Jim Hart confidently. "Besides, they ain'tgot the least suspicion that we've come here. Likely, they think we'velanded at the north end uv the lake, an' they'll be prowlin' aroun' tharthree or four days lookin' fur us. Jest think, Paul, uv all the workthey'll hev fur nothin'. I feel like laughin'. I think I _will_ laugh. "

He kept his word and laughed low; but he laughed long, and with the mostintense pleasure. 

"Jest to think, Paul, " he continued, "how we're guarded by dead Injunstheirselves!"

Presently the two went into the hut, and slept soundly until the nextmorning. They did not light a fire then, but ate cold food, and went downamong the trees to watch the lake. They saw nothing. The water rippled andglowed in alternate gold and silver under the brilliant sunshine, and thehills about it showed distinctly; but there was no sign of a human beingexcept themselves. 

"Lookin' fur us among the hills, " said Jim Hart. "You an' me will jestkeep close, Paul, an' we won't light no fire. "

The whole day passed without incident, and the following night also, butabout noon the next day, as they watched from the shelter of the trees, they saw a black dot on the lake, far to the south. 

"A canoe!" said Jim Hart. 

"A canoe? How did they get it?" said Paul--he took it for granted that itsoccupants were Miamis. 

"Guess they brought it across country from some river, and thar they are, "replied Jim Hart. "They've shore put a boat on our lake. "

His tone showed traces of anxiety, and Paul, too, felt alarm. The Miamis, after all, might defy their own superstition and land on the island. Presently another canoe appeared behind the first, and then a third and afourth, until there was a little fleet, which the two watched with silentapprehension. Had Henry Ware been mistaken? Did the Miamis really believeit was a haunted island?

On came the canoes in a straight black file, enough to contain more than ascore of warriors, and the man and the boy nervously fingered theirrifles. If the Indians landed on the island, the result was sure. The twomight make a good fight and slay some of their foes, but in any eventthey would certainly be taken or killed. Their lives depended upon theeffect of a superstition. 

The line of canoes lay like a great black arrow across the water. Theywere so close together that to the watchers they seemed to blend andbecome continuous, and this arrow was headed straight toward the island. Paul's heart went down with a thump, but a moment later a light leapedinto his eyes. 

"The line is turning!" he exclaimed. "Look, Jim, look! They are afraid ofthe island!"

"Yes, " said Jim Hart, "I see! The ghosts are real, an' it's pow'ful luckyfur us that they are. The Miamis dassent land!"

It was true. The black arrow suddenly shifted to the right, and the lineof canoes drew into the open water, midway between the island and theeastern mainland. 

"Lay close, Paul, lay close!" said Jim Hart. "We mustn't let 'em catch aglimpse uv us, an' they're always pow'ful keen-eyed. "

Both the man and the boy lay flat on their stomachs on the ground, andpeered from the shelter of the bushes. No human eye out on the lake couldhave seen them there. The canoes were now abreast of the island, but weregoing more slowly, and both could see that the occupants were lookingcuriously at their little wooded domain. But they kept at a healthydistance. 

"I think they're lookin' here because the place is haunted, and notbecause we are on it, " said Jim Hart. 

It seemed that he spoke the truth, as the Miamis presently swung nearer tothe mainland and began to examine the shores long and critically. 

"I guess they've been huntin' us all through the woods, an' think now wemay be hid somewhar at the edge uv the lake, " said Jim Hart. 

It seemed so. The two lay there for hours, watching the little fleet ofcanoes as it circled the lake, keeping near the outer rim, and searchingamong all the hills and hollows that bordered the shores. Once, when itwas on the western side, the fleet turned its head again toward theisland, and again apprehension arose in the hearts of the boy and the man, but it was only for a fleeting moment. The line of canoes was quicklyturned away, and bore on down the open water. Paul and Jim Hart wereprotected by Manitou. 

The circumnavigation of the lake by the Miamis lasted throughout theremainder of the day, and when the twilight came, the canoes were lost inits shade toward the southern end of the sheet of water. 

"We're safe, " said Jim Hart, "but we've still got to keep close. They mayhang about here fur days. "

"What about Henry and Ross and Sol?" asked Paul anxiously. "On their wayback they may run right into that wasp's nest. "

"'Tain't likely, " replied Jim Hart. "Our boys know what they're a-doin'. But I wish them Miamis would go away so's I could light a fire an' cooksome fresh meat. "

CHAPTER XII

THE BELT BEARERS

Paul and Jim Hart waited several days, never once venturing from theprotecting shadows of the woods, and they found the burden very great. Thelittle island was like a cage, and Jim Hart groaned, moreover, because hecould not exercise his skill in the art of cooking. 

"These cold victuals, " he said, "besides bein' unpleasant to the inside, are a disgrace to me. I jest got to cook somethin'. "

Finally, he built up a bed of coals on a very dark night, when it wasimpossible for anyone to see either their sheltered glow or the smoke theysent out, and he broiled juicy steaks from the body of a deer that theyhad hung up in a tree. 

"Isn't it fine, Paul?" he said, as they ate hungrily. 

"Fine's no name for it, " replied Paul. "It's great, splendid, grand, magnificent, surpassing, unapproachable! Are those the terms, Jim?"

"I don't know jest what all uv 'em mean, " replied Jim Hart, "but theyshorely sound right to me. "

They saw the Indian canoes on the lake once more, but the Miamis seemed tobe fishing, and did not come anywhere near the island. Paul appreciatedthen how great had been their continual need of caution. 

A day or two later there was a magnificent thunder storm, despite thelateness of the season. The heavenly artillery roared grandly, and lakes, hills, and forest swam at times in a glare that dazzled Jim Hart. Afterthat it rained hard, and they clung to the shelter of their hut, which wasfortunately water-tight now. The rain ceased by and by, but the cloudsremained in the sky, and night came very thick and dark. Jim Hartsuggested that it would be a good time to do a little fishing, and Paulwas ready and willing. 

They paddled out silently a short distance from the island, where thewater was not too shallow, and let down the lines. 

They waited some time and received no bites; but as this was nothingunusual, owing to the crudity of their fishing tackle, they persistedpatiently. The night deepened and darkened, and they could not see thesurface of the lake fifty yards away. The water, moved by a light wind, bubbled faintly against the sides of the canoe. Neither spoke, but sat insilence, waiting hopefully for a pull on the lines. 

Presently Paul heard a faint, wailing sound, coming from the mainland, butat first he paid little attention to it. Then he noticed that Jim Hart hadraised his head and was listening intently. Naturally Paul then listened, too, with the same eager attention, and the faint wailing sound, singularly weird and strange in the night, came a second, and presently athird time. But after that it was not repeated. Long Jim Hart looked atthe boy. 

"You know what that is?" he said. 

"The cry of the whip-poor-will. "

"The cry of the whip-poor-will, given three times! The signal! The boysare thar, an' we must go fur 'em. "

"Of course, " said Paul. "Do we need to return to the island for anything?"

"No; we have our rifles an' ammunition with us. We got to start right now, an' Paul, don't you splash any water with your paddle. "

Paul understood as well as Jim Hart the need of extreme caution, as theMiamis might be abroad, and he made every stroke steady and sure. Jim Hartemitted the lonesome cry of the whip-poor-will once in return--signal forsignal--and then they cut their way in silence through the dark. 

They laid their course, according to agreement, for the drinking place atthe mouth of the brook, and Paul's heart beat with relief and gladness. His comrades had come back, safe and sound. It did not occur to him thatany one of them might have fallen in the venture. Half way to the mainlandJim Hart stopped the canoe, and listened a moment. 

"I thought I heard somethin' down the lake that sounded like a splash, " hesaid. 

But he did not hear it again, and they resumed their progress. Paul nowsaw the loom of the land, a darker outline in the darkness, and his heart, already beating fast, began to beat faster. Suppose there should be sometrick in the signal! Suppose they should find the Miamis, and not theircomrades, waiting for them! He sought hard to pierce the darkness and seewhat might be there on the land before him. 

The outline of the shore rose more distinctly out of the darkness, and theprow of the boat struck softly on the margin. Then Paul saw a figure risefrom the bushes, and after it another, and then a third, and then no more. He could not see their faces, but it was the right number, and a vastrelief surged up. The three figures came down confidently to the canoe, and then the welcome voice of Henry Ware said in a low tone:

"You are here, Paul! You and Jim are on time to the minute!"

"An' mighty glad I am, too, " said Shif'less Sol, in the same tone. "I wuznever so tired before in all my life. I think I must have trotted athousan' miles, an' now I'm willin' to let Jim Hart paddle me the rest o'the way in a canoe. "

Tom Ross said nothing, merely showing his white teeth in a smile. 

"The Miamis are about, " said Paul. "They have been around the lake, and onit, for days, looking for something. "

"We know it, " said Henry. "In fact, we've seen some of them not so longsince, though none of them saw us. There are big doings afoot, Paul, andwe must have our part in them. "

"Should we go back to the island, then?"

"For the present, yes. We need a base, and the island is safest and best. "

The five got cautiously into the canoe, disposing their weight carefully, and Shif'less Sol, who had taken the paddle from Paul, raised it for thefirst sweep. But it did not come down into the water. Instead, he stoppedit in its fall, and he and all the others listened. The same splash thatJim Hart thought he had heard came now to their ears, and it was repeated. Paul knew that it was made by paddles sweeping through water, and it wascoming nearer. 

"Push back into the bushes, " whispered Henry. 

They gently shoved the canoe far among the bushes in the shallow water, and waited. They were completely hidden, but even if seen they couldspring instantly to the land. They waited, and the splashing steadily grewlouder. Paul felt the pressure of Henry's hand on his arm, and he lookedwith all his eyes. The Miami navy was abroad that night! A canoe, a longone with seven or eight warriors in it, was abreast of them, and behind itcame five others. They were not twenty yards away, and Paul, in fancy atleast, saw the savage eyes and the painted faces. What had brought themout on the lake, what suspicion or precaution, Paul never knew, but therethey were. All were brave hearts in the hidden canoe, but they held theirbreath while that silent file passed by. Then, when the last had gone andwas lost in the darkness, they pushed out a little and listened, with allthe keenness of forest-bred ears. Hearing no splash, they paddled in astraight course for the haunted island. 

"I think they've gone toward the north end of the lake, and as they arelikely to keep on their way, now is our time, " said Henry. 

They pushed farther into the lake, Ross and Shif'less Sol now handlingthe paddles with wonderful dexterity. They went very slowly, not wishingto make the faintest splash, and meanwhile the darkness thickened anddeepened again. It felt very damp to the face, and Paul saw now that fogfrom the rain of the day was mingled with it. They could not see thefaintest outline of the island, but held their course from memory. 

They had been out about ten minutes when Ross and Sol, as if bysimultaneous impulse, ceased paddling, and Henry whispered; "Don't anybodymake any noise; it's for our lives!"

They heard that faint splash, which Paul had learned to hate, coming back. The Miami navy, from some unknown cause, had turned in its course. HowPaul blessed the thick, fog-charged darkness!

"It's all chance now, " whispered Henry, ever so low, and Paul understood. 

Then they held their breath, and the Miami canoes steadily drew nearer. Would they come directly upon the white canoe or would they pass? Theypassed, but they passed so near that Paul could hear the Indians in theboats talking to each other. He also heard his heart beating in his bodyas the invisible file went by, and the loud beat did not cease until nomore splashing of the paddles was heard. 

"Is all my hair gray?" whispered Shif'less Sol. 

Paul wanted to laugh in a kind of nervous relief, but he did not dare. Instead he whispered back:

"I can't see, Sol, but I'm sure mine is. "

Ross and Shif'less Sol took up the paddles again, and now they reached theisland without interruption. The boat was hidden again, and soon all werein the hut in the sheltered cove. Henry spoke with approval of theindustry and forethought of Paul and Jim in their absence. 

"This hut is a mighty good place on a raw night like this, " he said. "Now, I'm going to sleep, and I'd advise you to do the same, Paul. I'll tell youto-morrow all that we've done and have seen and know. "

While the others slept, Jim Hart, long-legged and captious, but brave, faithful, and enduring, watched. He saw the fog and the darkness clearaway, and the moonlight came out, crisp and cold. A light wind blew anddead leaves fell from the trees, rustling dryly as they fell. Autumn waswaning and cold weather would soon be at hand. When pale dawn showed, Jimroused his comrades, and they ate breakfast, though no fire was lighted. Then Henry talked. 

"It's true, " he said, "about a great league of all the tribes being formedto destroy forever the white settlements in Kentucky. They are alarmedabout their hunting grounds, and they think they must all strike togethernow, and strike hard. We've spied upon several of their villages, and weknow. Some renegades are with them, pointing the way, and among them isBraxton Wyatt, the most venomous of them all. I don't see how one who isborn white can do such a thing. "

But Paul had read books, and his mind was always leaping forward to newknowledge. 

"It is the bad blood of some far-off ancestor showing, " he said. "It iswhat they call a reversion. You know, Henry, that Braxton was always meanand sulky. I never saw anybody else so spiteful and jealous as he is, andmaybe he thinks he will be a big man among the Indians. "

"That's so, " said Henry. "I can understand why anybody should love a lifein the forest. Ah, it's such a glorious thing!"

He expanded his chest, and the light leaping into his eyes told that HenryWare was living the life he loved. 

"But, " he added, "I can't see how anybody could ever turn against his ownpeople. "

"It's moral perversity, " said Paul. 

"Moral perversity, " said Jim Hart, stumbling over the syllables. "Themwords sound mighty big, Paul. Would you mind tellin' us what they mean?"

"They mean, Jim, " put in Shif'less Sol, "that you won't be what you oughtto be, an' that you won't, all the time. "

"That's a good enough explanation, " laughed Paul. 

"Whatever is the reason, " said Tom Ross, who used words as rarely as ifthey were precious jewels, "the tribes are comin' together to destroy thewhite settlements. Braxton is givin' them all kinds uv useful information, an' we've got to hinder these doin's, ef we kin. "

The others agreed once more, and talked further of the new league. Theydid not go into much detail about their adventures while spying on thevillages, rather looking now to the future. 

"I told you, Paul, we ought to a-put a knife in that Braxton Wyatt when wehad the chance, " growled Shif'less Sol. 

"I couldn't do it, Sol, " replied Paul. 

Later they held a conference beside a bed of coals that threw out nosmoke, and Paul listened with absorbed attention while Henry stated thecase fully. 

"The Shawnees were somewhat daunted by their repulse at Wareville lastyear, " he said, "but they hope yet to crush the white settlement before wegrow too strong. They are seeking to draw the Miamis, Wyandottes, and allthe other tribes up here into a league for that purpose, and they want tohave it formed and strike while our people are not expecting it. Wareville, owing to her victory of last year, thinks she's safe, and it isnot the custom of Indians to raid much in winter. See, cold weather is notfar away. "

Henry looked up, and the eyes of the others followed. The trees were stillclothed in leaves, but the blazing reds and yellows and the dim mist onthe horizon showed that Indian summer was at hand. 

"Any day, " continued Henry, "a cold wind may strip off all these leaves, and winter, which can be very cold up here, will come roaring down. Now, the Shawnees are more than willing to cross the Ohio again to attack us, but the Miamis, while ready enough to take white scalps up here, have notyet made up their minds to go south on the war trail. The Shawnees aresending war belts to them, because the Miamis are a powerful tribe andhave many warriors. The first thing for us to do is to take the messengerswith the war belts. "

"An' to do that, " said Shif'less Sol, "we've got to git off this islan' ezsoon ez we kin, an' shake off the band o' Miamis. Thar is always work fura tired man to do. "

Paul laughed at his tone of disgust. The boy's spirits were high now; infact, he was exuberant over the safe return of his comrades, and theentire enterprise appealed with steadily increasing force to him. Tohinder and prevent the Indian alliance until the white settlements werestrong enough to defy all the tribes! This was in truth a deed worthwhile! It was foresight, statesmanship, a long step in the founding of agreat state, and he should have a part in it! Already his vivid mindpainted the picture of his comrades and himself triumphant. 

"We must go to-night, if it is dark, " said Henry. 

"That's so, " said Tom Ross emphatically. 

The three had captured fresh supplies of ammunition while they were gone, and they replenished the powder-horns and bullet pouches of Paul and JimHart. Moreover, they had taken blankets, of a fine, soft, light but warmmake, probably bought by the Indians from European traders, and they gaveone each to Paul and Jim Hart. 

"It's getting too cold now, " said Henry, "to sleep in our clothes only onthe ground in the forest. "

They made up the blankets in tight little rolls, which they fastened ontheir backs, and Paul and Jim Hart put in a tanned deerskin with each oftheirs. 

"They're pow'ful light, an' they may come in mighty handy, " said Long Jim. 

The night fortunately was dark, as they had hoped, and about eleveno'clock they embarked in the canoe, paddling straight for the westernshore. Paul looked back with some regret at the island, which at times hadbeen a snug little home. The ancient, mummified bodies in the trees hadprotected them, as if with a circle of steel, and he was grateful to thosedead of long ago. 

They saw no sign of the Indian canoes, and both Henry and Ross werecertain that they were in camp somewhere on the eastern shore. The littleparty reached the dense woods on the west without incident whatever, andthere they partly sank the canoe in shallow water among dense bushes. Thenthey plunged into the forest, and traveled fast. Shif'less Sol spoke aftera while, and apparently his groaning voice was drawn up from the verybottom of his chest. 

"Oh, that blessed canoe!" he said. "I wuz so happy when I wuz a-ridin' init, an' somebody else wuz a-paddlin'. Now I hev to do all my own work. "

"You wouldn't be truly happy, Sol Hyde, " said Jim Hart, "'less you wuzridin' in a gilt coach drawed by four white horses, right smack throughthe woods here. "

"That's heaven, " said the shiftless one, with a deep sigh. "I don't everdream o' sech a thing ez that, and please don't call it up to my mind, JimHart; the contras' between that an' footin' it ez I am now is too cruelan' too great. "

Paul smiled. The little by-play between those two good friends amused andbrightened him, but nothing else was said for a long time. Then it wasHenry who spoke, and he called a halt. 

"The big Miami village is not more than a dozen miles away, " he said, "andthe warriors there are expecting messengers from the Shawnees, with warbelts. The messengers will pass near here, and we'll wait for them. Therest of you will go to sleep, and Tom and I will watch. "

Paul, Jim Hart, and Shif'less Sol rolled themselves in their blankets andlay down under a tree, the shiftless one murmuring, "Now, this is what Ilike, " and the others saying nothing. Paul was devoutly grateful for theblanket, because the air was now quite cold, but in five minutes allemotions were lost in deep and dreamless sleep. 

When Paul awoke from his slumber he started up in horror. Three powerful, painted Shawnees stood over him. He was so much overwhelmed by thecatastrophe that he could only utter a kind of gasp. But the blood flowedback from his heart into his veins when he heard the dry laugh of LongJim Hart. 

"Paul, " said Jim, "I'd like to introduce you to the three new Shawneewarriors that you used to know, when they were white, an' that you calledthen Henry Ware, Tom Ross, and Sol Hyde. "

"Why, what has happened?" asked Paul, still in the depths of astonishment. 

Then Henry spoke, and he spoke gravely. 

"Sol did not sleep long, Paul, " he said, "and when he awoke he joined us. Then we went to meet the three Shawnee messengers, carrying war belts andpeace belts, for the Miamis to choose. It was not a business for you, Paul. We met them, there was a fight--well, they will never appear in theMiami village, and we are here in their place. "

Paul understood, and he shuddered a little at the deadly conflict thatmust have raged out there in the forest while he slept. Then he lookedcuriously at the three. He never would have known any one of themanywhere. They were savages in every aspect--painted and garbed like them, and with their hair drawn up in the defiant scalp lock. 

"What are you going to do?" he asked. 

"Deliver the belts at the Miami village, " replied Henry Ware, "but theywill be peace belts, not war belts. "

"It is death, " said Paul in protest. 

"It is not death, " replied Henry. "We will come back safely, and it is fora great stake. You and Jim must remain here in the woods, waiting for usagain, and we'll trust to your skill and caution not to be caught. If thewarriors become too thick around here you might retreat to the island. Anyway, the signal will be as before--three wails of the whip-poor-will. "

Paul was impressed by his words, which were spoken with gravity andemphasis. 

"Yes, it's in a great cause, Henry, " he said, "and we'll wait, expectingyou to come back. "

Five minutes later the three newly made warriors took their path throughthe forest, and they never looked back. Yet Henry Ware felt emotion. Although he regarded Paul Cotter almost as a younger brother, he respectedhim as a high type of one kind of being, and they were comrades true assteel. Moreover, he knew that he and Ross and Sol were engaged upon themost dangerous of tasks, and the chances were that they would not comeback. Yet he faced them with a high heart and dauntless courage. 

The three walked swiftly and silently in single file, and neither Shawneenor Miami eye would have known that they were not Indian. They walked, toes in, as Indians do, and they had every trick of manner or gesturethat the red men have. All trace of civilization was gone. Henry Ware, Thomas floss, and Solomon Hyde had disappeared. In their places were BigFox, Brown Bear, and The Bat, Shawnee warriors who bore belts to the Miamivillage, and who would talk about the war to be made upon the whiteintruders far to the south of the Ohio. 

Shortly before noon Big Fox, Brown Bear, and The Bat approached the Miamivillage, pitched in a pleasant valley, where wood and water were inplenty. Then they uttered the long whoop of the Shawnees, and it wasanswered from the Miami village; but Big Fox, Brown Bear, and The Bat, assured of a welcome, never stopped, keeping straight on for the village. Squaws and children clustered around them, and openly spoke theiradmiration of the three stalwart, splendidly proportioned warriors who hadcome from the friendly tribe; but Big Fox, Brown Bear, and The Bat, inaccordance with the Indian nature, took no notice. It was only warriorsand chiefs to whom they would condescend to speak, and they were silentand expressionless until the right moment should come. They passedstraight through the swarm of old men, women, children, and dogs, towardthe center of the village, where a long, low cabin of poles stood. Anancient and reverend figure stood in the doorway to meet them. It was thatof Gray Beaver, head chief of the Miamis, an old, old man, gray with yearsand wise like the beaver, from which he took his name. 

"My Shawnee brethren are welcome to the Council House, " he said. "You havecome far, and you shall rest, and the squaws shall bring you food beforewe talk. "

"It is sufficient to us to see the great and wise chief, Gray Beaver, "said Henry. "Though we come from a long journey, it makes us strong andbrave again. "

The old chief bowed, but his grave features did not relax. Nevertheless, he was pleased in his secret soul at the gallant bearing and polite wordsof the young warrior who addressed them. He led the way into the CouncilHouse, and a half dozen underchiefs followed them, hiding their interestbeneath their painted masks of faces. 

The Council House was large--fifty warriors could have sat in it--androbes of the buffalo, beaver, and other animals were spread about. BigFox, Brown Bear, and The Bat sat down gravely, each upon a mat of skins, and were served by the warriors with food and drink, which the squaws hadbrought to the door, but beyond which they could not pass. The threeShawnee belt bearers ate and drank in silence and dignity, and theyappreciated the rest and refreshment so needful to those who had traveledfar. Neither did anyone else speak. The venerable Gray Beaver sat on acouch of skins a little higher than the others, and his eyes restedsteadily on the belt bearers. The subchiefs, silent and motionless ontheir mats of skins, also watched the belt bearers. At one end of thegreat room, in a kind of rude chimney, smoldered the council fire, a bedof coals. 

More than half an hour passed, and when the guests had eaten and drunksufficiently, the venerable chief waved his hands, and the remains of thefood and drink were taken away. Then Gray Beaver drew from beneath hisrobe a beautifully ornamented pipe, with a curved horn stem and a carvenbowl. He pressed into the bowl a mixture of tobacco and aromatic herbs, which he also drew from beneath his robe, and lighted it with a coal whichone of the chiefs brought from the fire. Then he took three whiffs andgravely and silently passed the pipe to the chief of the Shawnee beltbearers, Big Fox. It was a curious fact, but no one had said that Big Foxwas the chief of the three. Something in his manner made all take it forgranted, and Big Fox, too, unconsciously accepted it as a matter ofcourse. 

The magnificent young warrior took three whiffs at the pipe of peace, andpassed it to Brown Bear, who, after doing the same, handed it in his turnto The Bat. Then it was passed on to all the subchiefs, and everyonesmoked it in gravity and silence. The smoke circled up in rings againstthe low roof, and every man sat upon his mat of skins, painted, motionless, and wordless. The young chief, Big Fox, waited. Though hiseyes never turned, he saw every detail of the scene, and he was consciousof the tense and breathless silence. He was conscious, too, of the immensedangers that surrounded his comrades and himself, but fear was not in hisheart. 

"My brethren have come to the Miami village with a message from theirfriends, the Shawnees, " said the ancient chief at last. 

"It is so, " said Big Fox. 

"The hearts of the Shawnees are filled with hatred of the white men, whohave come into the hunting grounds beyond the Ohio, and who cut down treesand build houses there. "

"It is so. "

Big Fox's gaze never wavered. He continued to look straight at the councilfire, and the tense silence came again. Big Fox was conscious that the airin the Council House was heavy, and that all were watching him with black, glittering eyes. 

"The Shawnees would destroy the white villages, and would seek the helpof all the tribes that know them, " continued Gray Beaver. 

Then Big Fox spoke. 

"It is true, " he said gravely and slowly, "that the Shawnees would wishthe white settlements destroyed, every house burned, and every warrior, squaw, and child killed, that the forest might grow again where they live, and the deer roam again unafraid. "

Big Fox paused, and for the first time looked away from the council fire. His piercing gaze swept the circle of the Miamis, and every man among themdrew a deep breath. There was something extraordinary in this belt bearer, a majesty and magnetism that all of them felt, and they hung upon hiswords, listening intently. 

"The Shawnees are warriors, " resumed Big Fox, "and they do not fearbattle. They went last year against the white settlements, and they wentalone. The Miamis know that. "

There was a deep murmur of assent. 

"The Shawnees are wise as well as brave, " resumed Big Fox. "Their oldchiefs have talked over it long. It is a great war trail upon which wewould go, and he who would travel far and long should prepare well. Thewhite men are brave. From their wooden walls last year they beat us off, and many Shawnees fell afterwards in the battle with them in the forest. "

Big Fox paused, and swept the circle again with his glittering eyes. Asbefore, every man among them drew a deep breath when that hypnotic gazefell upon him. But they were hearing words that they had not expected tohear, and after the tremendous gaze had passed there came a faint murmurof surprise. But Big Fox did not seem to notice it. Instead he continued:

"The winter is at hand. Already the dead leaves fall, and soon the bitterwinds will sweep the forests and the prairies. The warrior would go forthto battle, chilled and stiff. The gun would fall from his frozen hands. "

Again he paused and looked straight at Gray Beaver. The old chief stirredin his furred robe beneath that piercing gaze. 

"We would not go forth to war until we are ready for war, until the seasonis ripe for war, " resumed Big Fox. "When we would strike, we would strikewith all the strength of all the allied tribes, that nothing of the whiteman might be left. We would send to Canada for more rifles, more powder, and more bullets, and to do all these things it must be long before we goon the great war trail. So I bring you, for the present, peace. "

He took from beneath his robe the peace belts, message of the Shawneenation, and handed them to the old, old chief, Gray Beaver. The murmurfrom the Miamis became deep and long, but Big Fox gazed once more at thefire, painted, silent, and immovable. 

"It was war when I was in the Shawnee village, a moon ago, " said a chief, Yellow Panther, "and it was war belts that we expected. Why have theShawnees changed their minds?"

Murmurs of approval greeted his words, but Big Fox never stirred. 

"The old men, the wise men of the Shawnees have so decided, " he replied. "It is not for the bearer of the belts to question their wisdom. "

"If the Shawnees wish to wait long to prepare, the Miamis must wait, too, "said the chief, Gray Beaver, in whose veins flowed the cold and languidblood of old age. 

The younger chiefs murmured again. Big Fox was conscious that a powerfulfaction of the Miamis wished to go on a winter war path, and strike thesettlements at once. But Big Fox was still unafraid. He was a forestdiplomatist as well as a forest warrior, and he played for the mostprecious of all stakes, the lives of his people. 

"The great chiefs of the Shawnees have lived long, " he said. "Their headsare heavy with age and with wisdom. It is not well to waste our strengthwith a blow which will not reach the mark, but it is good to wait until wecan strike true. "

The chief, Yellow Panther, arose. He was a tall and ferocious savage, witha cunning countenance. 

"The Shawnees change their minds quickly, " he said, in tones of subtle andinsulting insinuation. "There is one here who came from their village butthree days since, and then they looked not so kindly upon the peace belts. It is well to bring him to this council of the Miamis. "

He glanced at Gray Beaver and the ancient chief nodded. Then YellowPanther stepped from the Council House. 

The heart of Big Fox stirred within him ever so slightly. What did YellowPanther mean by "one who had come but three days since"? A new factor wasentering the terrible game. But he showed no emotion, nor did hiscomrades, the other two belt bearers, Brown Bear and The Bat. Neither ofthe latter had spoken since he entered the Council House. 

The murmurs ceased, and all sank back on their skin mats. Silence resumedabsolute sway in the long room. The little eddies of smoke still curledagainst the roof, and the air was surcharged with suspense. 

The buffalo robe over the entrance was lifted, and Yellow Pantherreturned. Behind him came a second figure. 

The eyes of Big Fox turned slowly from the council fire, and lookedstraight into those of Braxton Wyatt. 

CHAPTER XIII

BRAXTON WYATT'S ORDEAL

The blood of Big Fox leaped for a moment in his veins, but it did not showunder the paint of his face. His figure never quivered. He still knew allthe danger, and he knew, moreover, how it had increased since the entranceof Braxton Wyatt, but he said, in slow, cold tones, full of deadlymeaning:

"It is the white youth who left his own people to come to our village andjoin our people. We have received him, but the eyes of the warriors arestill upon him. "

The insinuation was evident. The renegade could not be trusted. Already, with the first words spoken, Big Fox was impeaching his character. 

Braxton Wyatt stood with his back to the buffalo robe, which had fallenagain over the entrance, and looked around at the circle of chiefs who hadresumed their seats on the skin mats. Then his eyes met the stern, accusing gaze of Big Fox, the Shawnee belt bearer, and were held there asif fascinated. But Braxton Wyatt was not without courage. He wrenched hiseyes away, turned them upon the ancient chief, Gray Beaver, and said:

"I have been long in the Shawnee lodges, great chief of the Miamis, but Ido not know these belt bearers. "

There was a murmur, and a stir on the skin mats. 

Big Fox scorned to look again at Braxton Wyatt. He gazed steadily at thecouncil fire, and said in tones of indifference:

"The white youth who left his own people has been in the lodges, where theold men and women stay; we have been on the war trail with the warriors. The day we returned to the village we were chosen to bring the peace beltsto our good friends, the Miamis. "

"The belt bearers are Big Fox, Brown Bear, and The Bat, " said YellowPanther, looking at Braxton Wyatt. "You have heard of them? The Shawneevillages are full of their fame. "

"I never saw them, and I never heard of them before, " replied BraxtonWyatt, in a tone of mingled anger and bewilderment, "but I do know thatall the Shawnees wish the Miamis to go south with them at once, on thegreat war trail against the white settlements. "

The old chief, Gray Beaver, looked from the belt bearers to Braxton Wyattand from Braxton Wyatt to the belt bearers. His aged brain was bewilderedby the conflicting tales, but he put little trust in the white youth. Already Big Fox had sowed in his mind the seeds of unbelief in the wordsof Braxton Wyatt. 

"Scarcely a moon ago the Shawnees, as we all know, wished to go on thegreat war trail at once, " said Yellow Panther, "but now three come, whosay they are from them, bearing peace belts. Moreover, here is another whosays that the Shawnees would send war belts. What shall the Miamis think?"

There was another murmur, and then silence. The surcharged air was heavyin the great lodge. But Big Fox merely shrugged his shoulders slightly, and answered in tones of lofty indifference:

"Big Fox, Brown Bear, and The Bat were sent by the old chiefs of theShawnees to deliver peace belts to the chiefs of the Miamis, and they havedelivered them. "

Brown Bear and The Bat nodded, but said nothing. Yellow Panther looked atBraxton Wyatt, who was shaken by varying emotions. As he truly said, hehad long been in the Shawnee villages, but he had never seen or heard ofthe three warriors who now sat calmly before him--Big Fox, Brown Bear, and The Bat. Yet he could not say that no such men existed, because smallparties had roved far and long on the hunt or the war trail. He gazed atthem before answering. He, too, was struck by the splendid figure and poseof Big Fox, and he was impressed, moreover, by a sense of somethingfamiliar, though he could not name it. It haunted him and troubled him, but remained a mystery. He collected his shrewd wits and said:

"As I told you, the warriors who bring the peace belts are strangers tome. Yet the Shawnees, when I left the head village, but a few days ago, wished war at once against the white settlements, and the Shawnees do notchange their minds quickly. "

"Is the word of a renegade, of one who would slay his own people, to beweighed against that of a warrior?"

Big Fox spoke with lofty contempt, not gazing at Braxton Wyatt, butstraight into the eyes of Gray Beaver. The old chief felt the power ofthat look, and wavered under it. 

"It is true, " he said, "that the Shawnees, a moon ago, were for war; butBig Fox, Brown Bear, and The Bat have come, bearing peace belts from them, and what our eyes see must be true. "

There was a murmur again, but it was very faint now. The authority ofGray Beaver, in his time a mighty warrior, and now wise with years andexperience, was great, and the under chiefs were impressed--all but YellowPanther, whose eyes flashed vindictively at the belt bearers. Angry bloodalso flushed Braxton Wyatt's face, and he did not know at the moment whatto say or do. 

"It is true that I was born white, " he said, "but I have become one of theShawnees, and I shall be faithful to them. I have spoken no lies. TheShawnees were for war, and I believe they are so yet. "

"The Shawnees from whom I have come, " said Big Fox, in his grave tones, wholly ignoring Braxton Wyatt, "expect peace belts in return. Will themessengers depart with them to-morrow?"

He spoke directly to Gray Beaver, and his powerful gaze still rested uponhim. The withered frame of the old chief trembled a little within hisfurred robe, and then he yielded to the spell. 

"The Miami messengers will start to-morrow with peace belts for theShawnees, " he said. 

A thrill of triumph ran through the frame of Big Fox, but he said nothing. The eyes of both Braxton Wyatt and Yellow Panther flashed vindictively, but they, too, said nothing. Big Fox judged that they were not yet whollybeaten, but he had accomplished much; if each tribe received peace beltsfrom the others, it would take a long time to untangle the snarl, andunite them for war. Meanwhile, the white settlements were steadily growingstronger. 

"Our Shawnee brethren, the belt bearers, will stay with us a while, " saidthe crafty Yellow Panther. "They have traveled far, and they need rest. "

Big Fox knew that it would not do to be too hasty; a desire to depart atonce would only arouse suspicion, and he and his comrades, moreover, hadfurther work to do in the Miami village. So he gravely accepted the offerof hospitality, and he and Brown Bear and The Bat were conducted to alodge in the center of the village, where they ate again, and reclinedluxuriously upon buffalo robes and deerskins. Yellow Panther followed themthere, and was very solicitous for their comfort. All his attentions theyreceived with grave courtesy, and when there was nothing more that hecould do or say he withdrew, letting the covering of the lodge door fallbehind him. Then the three belt bearers, putting their ears against theskin walls of the lodge, listened intently. Nothing was stirring without. If any person was at hand, or listened there, they would have known it; sothey spoke to each other in low tones. 

"Your plan seems to have worked so far, Henry, " said Ross, "even ifBraxton Wyatt did come. "

"Yes--so far, " replied Henry Ware; "but Braxton is sure that something iswrong, and so is that cunning wolf, Yellow Panther. They want to hold ushere in the village until they find out the truth; but we are willing tostay, that we may checkmate what they do. I can work on old Gray Beaver, whose age makes him favor caution and peace. "

"An' while you are thinkin' it over, " said Shif'less Sol, "jest rememberthat I'm a belt bearer who has traveled a long way, an' that I'm pow'fultired; so I guess I'll take a nap. "

He rolled over on the softest of the skins, and was as good as his word. In five minutes he was sound asleep. Tom Ross leaned back against the skinwall and meditated. Henry Ware arose and walked in the village; but themoment he stepped from the lodge, all trace of the white youth was gone, and he was again Big Fox, the chief of the belt bearers from the Shawnees. 

The village was the scene of an active savage life. It had been a seasonof plenty. Game and fish abounded, and, according to the Indian nature, they ate and overate of that plenty, thinking little of the morrow. Hencethis life, besides being active, was also happy in its wild way. Big Foxnoticed the fact, with those keen eyes of his that nothing escaped. 

And all in their turn noticed Big Fox here, as he had been noticed in theCouncil House. Old and young alike admired him. They thought that no suchsplendid warrior had ever before entered their village. Surely theShawnees were a nation of men when they could produce such as he. Hisheight, his straight, commanding glance, the wonderful, careless strengthand majesty of his figure, all impressed them. He looked to them like onewithout fear, and moreover, with such strength and quickness as his, heseemed one who had little to fear. But as he walked there, Yellow Panthercame again, and spoke to him with sly, insinuating manner:

"The belt bearer is not weary, though he has traveled far. "

"No, " replied Big Fox. "Manitou has been kind to me, and has given mestrong limbs and muscles that do not tire. "

"Did Big Fox, in his journey from the Shawnee village, hear of white men?It is said that a band of them have been in this region about the lake, there to the southward. One of our warriors was slain, but we could notfind those whom we pursued. "

Big Fox wondered if it was a chance shot, but he looked straight into theeyes of Yellow Panther, which fell before the gaze of his, and replied:

"I came bearing belts, and I thought only of them. If there are white menin the Miami woods, the Miamis are warriors enough to take them. "

Yellow Panther turned aside, but he followed the tall figure with a lookof the most vindictive hate. Like Braxton Wyatt, he felt that somethingwas wrong, but what it was he did not yet know. Big Fox mingled freely inthe village life throughout the day, and never once did he make a mistake. All the Indian ways were familiar to him, and when he talked with thewarriors about the Northwestern tribes, he showed full knowledge. Old GrayBeaver was delighted with him. The deference of this splendid youngwarrior was grateful to his heart. 

That night the three belt bearers, calm and unconcerned, lay down in thegreat lodge that had been assigned to them, and slept peacefully. Far inthe darkness, Yellow Panther and Braxton Wyatt crept to the side of thelodge and listened. They heard nothing from within, and at last the Miamicarefully lifted the buffalo hide over the entrance. His sharp eyes, peering into the shadows, saw the three belt bearers lying upon theirbacks and sleeping soundly. Apparently they were men without fear, menwithout the cause of fear, and Yellow Panther, letting the tent flap fallsoftly back, walked away with Braxton Wyatt, both deeply disappointed. 

They did not know that a pair of hands had lifted the tent flap ever solittle, and that a pair of keen eyes were following them. The wonderfulinstinct of Henry Ware had warned him, and he had awakened the moment theylooked in. But his eyes had not opened. He had merely felt their presencewith the swish of cold air on his face, and now, after they haddisappeared among the lodges, he wished to deepen the impression the beltbearers had made. Then he and his comrades must go back to Paul and JimHart, who lay out there in the forest, patiently waiting. 

The next morning Big Fox, Brown Bear, and The Bat saw three Miami beltbearers depart with peace belts for the Shawnee village, but as forthemselves, they would remain a while longer, enjoying the Miamihospitality. 

In an open space just north of the village, Miami boys were practicingwith the bow and arrow, shooting at the bodies of some owls tied on thelow boughs of trees. Warriors were looking on, and the belt bearers, BigFox, Brown Bear, and The Bat, joined them. By and by some of the warriorsbegan to take a share in the sport and practice, using great war bows andsending the arrows whistling to the mark. At last the chief, YellowPanther, himself handled a bow and surpassed all who had preceded him inskill. Then, turning with a malicious eye to Big Fox, he said:

"Perhaps the Shawnee belt bearers would like to show how well they can usethe bow. Surely they are not less in skill than the Miamis?"

His look was full of venom. Shawnees, though armed now with rifles, weregood bowmen, and whatever he suspected might be confirmed by the failureof the belt bearers to show skill, or not to shoot at all. He held in hishand the great bow that he had used, and, barring the malice of his eyes, his gesture was full of politeness. 

Big Fox did not hesitate a moment. He stepped forward, took the bow andarrow from the hand of Yellow Panther, glanced at the great owl at whichthe chief had shot, and then walked back fifteen yards farther from it. Amurmur of applause came from the crowd. He would shoot at a much greaterdistance than Yellow Panther had shot, and the chief and Braxton Wyatt, too, who had drawn near, frowned. 

Big Fox glanced once more at the body of the great owl, and then, fittingthe arrow to the string, he bent the bow. An involuntary cry of admirationcame from a people who valued physical strength and skill when they sawthe ease and grace with which he bent the tough wood. Not in vain hadnature given Big Fox a figure of power and muscles of steel! Not in vainhad nature given him an eye the like of which was not to be found on allthe border! Not in vain had he achieved surpassing skill with the bow inhis life among the Northwestern Indians!

There was silence as the bow bent and the arrow was drawn back to thehead. Then that silence was broken only by the whizz of the featheredshaft as it shot through the air. But a universal shout arose as the arrowstruck fairly in the center of the owl, pierced it like a bullet, and flewfar beyond. 

Big Fox turned and handed back the bow to Yellow Panther. 

"Is it enough?" he asked gravely. "Can the Shawnee belt bearers use thebow and arrow?"

"It is enough, " replied the chief, seeking in vain to hide his chagrin. 

"It wuz great luck, " whispered The Bat to Brown Bear, a little later, "that the challenge to the bow an' arrow should a-been made to perhaps theonly white in all the West who could a-done sech a thing. "

The belt bearers spent a second night in the same lodge, and on themorning of the third day they announced that they must depart for theirown village. Gray Beaver hospitably, and Yellow Panther craftily, urgedthem to stay longer, but Big Fox replied that the Shawnees were going on agreat hunt into the Northwest before the winter came, and the belt bearerswould be needed. Braxton Wyatt knew nothing of the projected hunt, but forthe present he was silent. Throughout the contest he had shown at adisadvantage against the diplomacy of Big Fox. Now the belt bearerscourteously invited him to return home with them, but he declined, replying that he would not depart for some days. He did not say it aloud, but nothing could have induced him to go with the belt bearers. 

Big Fox noticed that neither Yellow Panther nor Braxton Wyatt made anyopposition to their going, and it was a fact that he did not forget, drawing from it his own inference. His power to read the faces of men wasscarcely inferior to his wonderful skill in reading every sign of theforest. 

Gray Beaver, and behind him a rabble, accompanied the Shawnee belt bearersto the edge of the woods, and there the aged chief said graciously to BigFox:

"My son, my heart is warm toward you, and I am glad to have seen you inthe lodges of the Miamis. "

"Farewell, Gray Beaver, " said Big Fox. 

Then he and his two comrades turned, and disappeared like phantoms in theforest, so swiftly they went. 

Autumn had made further advance. The dying leaves were falling fast, andthe wilderness was more open. A crisp wind blew in the faces of the threebelt bearers--now belt bearers no longer, but Henry Ware, Tom Ross, andSolomon Hyde, white of skin and white of heart. They sped forward on fleetfoot many miles, and it was Shif'less Sol who spoke first. 

"Shall we stop at this spring, " he said, "an' wash the paint off ourfaces? I want to look like a white man agin, jest ez I am. I don't feelnat'ral at all ez an Injun. "

"Neither do I, " said Tom Ross, "I don't like to change faces, an' righthere I wash mine. "

The three stooped down to the spring, and as they rubbed off the paintthey felt their right natures returning. 

"I'm thankful I wuz born white, " said Shif'less Sol. "Why, what is it, Henry?"

Henry Ware had raised his head in the attitude of one who listens. Hiseyes were intent and nostrils distended like those of a deer that suspectsan enemy. 

"We're followed, " he said. "I thought we would be. "

"Yellow Panther, uv course!" said Tom Ross, with emphasis. 

"Of course! And like as not Braxton Wyatt is among those who are withhim. "

Sol Hyde looked at Henry. There was a queer light in the eyes of theshiftless one. 

"Do we want 'em to ketch us?" he asked. 

"I think we'd better wait and see. "

It was in no tone of boasting that either spoke. Three borderers such asthey could shake off the pursuit of any men who lived. 

"S'pose we lead 'em on a while, " said Tom Ross. 

Henry nodded, and the three ran in a sort of easy trot toward thesoutheast. They took no trouble to hide their trail, and as the forest atthis point was free from undergrowth, they were visible at a considerabledistance. This easy trot they kept up for hours, and the extraordinarypowers, or intuition, of Henry Ware told him that the Miamis were alwaysthere, a quarter of a mile, perhaps, behind. But the three men were nevertroubled. There was no fear in their minds. This was only sport to them. 

They crossed brooks and little creeks, and at last, when they came to oneof the latter a little larger than the others, Henry Ware said:

"I think it's time to bother 'em now. We'll wade here. "

They entered the creek, which had a hard, pebbly bed, and walked rapidlyagainst the stream for at least a quarter of a mile. Then they emerged indense undergrowth, and turned backward in a course parallel to that bywhich they had come. But before going far they sank down in a densethicket, and lay quite still. Then they saw the Miami band pass--fifteenor sixteen warriors, led by Yellow Panther, with Braxton Wyatt trailing atthe rear. "The renegade!" said Shif'less Sol savagely, under his breath. 

The band passed on, but the three borderers did not stir. They knew thatthe trail would be lost presently, and some, at least, of the warriorswould come back seeking it. 

Fifteen minutes, a half hour, passed, and then they heard distantfootsteps. Henry Ware, peering above the bushes, saw a face that belongedto a white youth, and suddenly a daring project formed itself in his mind. Braxton Wyatt was alone! Other members of the Miami band must be near, butthey were not in sight, and, above all, Braxton Wyatt was for the presentalone! Only a few minutes were needed!

"Watch what I do!" whispered Henry Ware to his comrades--he knew thattheir keen minds would need no other hint. 

Braxton Wyatt came back, looking on the ground, his rifle lying looselyacross his shoulder. He dreamed of no danger. The three suspected beltbearers must be fleeing fast. Moreover, Yellow Panther and his Miamifriends were near. He walked on, and the fiend he served gave him nowarning. 

He came to a dense clump of bushes, and turned to go around it. There wasa sudden rustling in those bushes, and he looked up. A terrifying formthrew itself upon him and bore him to the ground. A heavy hand was clappedupon his mouth, and the cry that had risen to his lips died in his throat. He looked up and saw the face of Henry Ware. Beside him stood two otherswhom he knew--Tom Ross and Shif'less Sol. He became blue about the lips, and expected a quick death. 

"Listen!" said Henry Ware, and every word that he said was burned intoBraxton Wyatt's wretched soul. "You are not to die, not at this time. Butyou are to do what we say. Go back there, under those trees by the bigrock, and when Yellow Panther and the other Miamis come up, tell them thatyou have lied! We were the belt bearers, and you are to say to YellowPanther that you knew us as real Shawnees, but you were so anxious forthe war that you denied us. Tell it as if it were true. Don't tremble!Don't look once at these bushes! Our three rifles will be aimed at you allthe time, and if you say a single word that will make them suspect, wefire, and you know that no one of us ever misses. Do as we say!"

He was released, the heavy hand was taken away from his mouth, and hiscaptors disappeared so suddenly and silently in the bushes that it wasalmost unbelievable. Then Braxton Wyatt rose to his feet and trembledviolently. Though he could not see them now, he must believe. He couldfeel that powerful grasp yet upon his arms, and that heavy hand yet uponhis mouth. He knew, too, as well as he knew that he was living, that theunseen muzzles were there, trained upon him. As Henry Ware truly said, noone of the three ever missed, and he had no chance. 

He stopped his trembling with an effort of the will and walked to the rockunder the trees, thirty or forty yards away. Already he saw Yellow Pantherand the other Miamis coming, and he rebelled at the deadly menace from thebushes. But the love of life was strong within him. He looked at YellowPanther, who was approaching with five or six warriors, and then he triedto form a rapid plan. He would talk with the chief, saying at first whathis terrible enemies wished, and then, gradually drawing him away, hewould tell the truth, and thus achieve the destruction of the three whomhe hated and feared so horribly. 

Braxton Wyatt raised one hand and wiped the perspiration from his face. Then, when a deadly fear struck him, he composed his features. Henry Warehad said he must tell a tale that seemed true. There must be no suspicion. The fatal muzzles were trained on him, he well knew, and the sharpest ofeyes and ears were watching. He longed to cast one look at the bushes, only one, but he dared not for his life. It was forbidden!

Yellow Panther was at hand now, plainly showing annoyance. The lost trailcould not be found, and wrath possessed him. He looked at the renegade, and uttered his discontent. 

Braxton Wyatt longed more than ever to tell; they were there so near, itseemed he must tell; but the deadly rifles held him back. No one of theirbullets would miss!

"Yellow Panther, " he said, and his voice faltered, "let us abandon thetrail and go back. "

Yellow Panther looked at him, astonished by words and manner alike. 

"Go back!" he said. "Did you not tell me that they were false, that therewere no such warriors in the Shawnee village?"

Braxton Wyatt trembled, and the cold sweat came again on his forehead. Ifonly those rifles were not there in the thicket! A mighty power seemed todraw him about for one look, only one! But he did not dare--it wasdeath!--and with a supreme effort he wrenched himself away. 

"I was wrong, " he said. "I was eager for war, eager to see the Shawneesand Miamis go together against the white settlements in the south--soeager that I forgot the men. But I remember them now. "

"Have you a crooked tongue?" asked Yellow Panther. 

"No, no!" cried Braxton Wyatt, in mortal terror of the three rifles. "Ihad, but I have not now! I am telling you the truth! As I live I am, Yellow Panther! I was anxious for the war, anxious as you are, and itbrought a cloud before my eyes. I could not remember then, but I remembernow! The men were true Shawnees, and the Shawnee nation does not wish togo on the great war trail this year. "

Yellow Panther looked at him with indignation and contempt, and hesitated. Braxton Wyatt trembled once more. Would the chief believe? He mustbelieve! He must make him believe, or he would die!

"I wished to tell you before we started, Yellow Panther, " he said, "but Ifeared then your just anger. Now we have lost the trail, and I must saveyou from further trouble. Why should I tell you this now if it is nottrue? Why else should I avow that I have spoken false words?"

Yellow Panther looked at the unhappy figure and face, and believed. 

"It is enough, " he said. "We will go back to our own village. Come!"

He spoke to his warriors, and they returned swiftly on their own tracks tothe Miami village. Braxton Wyatt went with them, and he dared not lookback once at that fateful clump of bushes. 

When they were gone far beyond sight, Henry Ware, Tom Ross, and Shif'lessSol rose up, looked at each other, and laughed. 

"That wuz well done, Henry, " said Shif'less Sol lazily. "I never knowed apurtier trick to be told. He's clean caught in his own net. If he wuz totell the truth now to the chief, Yellow Panther wouldn't believe him. "

"And if he were to believe him, Yellow Panther, in his anger, wouldtomahawk him, " said Henry Ware, "No, Braxton Wyatt will not dare totell. "

"And now we may take it easy, " said Tom Ross. "But I wouldn't like to bein your place, Henry, ef ever you wuz to fall into the hands uv YellowPanther an' that renegade. "

"I'll take care that I don't have any such bad luck, " said Henry. "And nowwe must find Paul and Jim. "

Serenely satisfied, they resumed their journey, but now they went at aslower gait. 

CHAPTER XIV

IN WINTER QUARTERS

The three walked slowly on for a long time, curving about gradually to theregion in which Paul and Jim Hart remained hidden. They did not say much, but Shif'less Sol was slowly swelling with an admiration which was boundto find a vent some time or other. 

"Henry, " he burst out at last, "this whole scheme o' yours has been workedin the most beautiful way, an' that last trick with Braxton Wyatt wuz thefinest I ever saw. "

"There were three of us, " said Henry briefly and modestly. 

"It's a great thing to use your brain, " said the shiftless one sagely. "I'm thinkin' o' doin' it hereafter myself. "

Tom Ross laughed deeply and said:

"I'd make a beginning before it wuz too late, ef I wuz you, Sol. "

"How long do you think it will take the Shawnees an' the Miamis tostraighten out that tangle about the great war trail?" asked theshiftless one of Henry. 

"Not before snow flies, " replied the youth; "and then there will be somuch mutual anger and disgust that they will not be able to get togetherfor months. But we must stop up here, Sol, and watch, and egg on themisunderstanding. Don't you think so, Tom?"

"Of course!" replied Ross briefly, but with emphasis. "We've got to hangon the Injun flanks. "

Late in the afternoon they reached familiar ground, or at least it was soto the sharp eyes of these three, although they had seen it but once. Herethey had left Paul and Jim Hart, and they knew that they must be somewherenear. Henry gave forth the whip-poor-will cry--the long, wailing note, inexpressibly plaintive and echoing far through the autumn woods. It wasrepeated once and twice, and presently came the answering note. 

The three walked with confidence toward the point from which the answerhad come, and soon they saw Paul and Jim Hart advancing joyously to meetthem. 

Paul listened with amazement to the story of their wonderful adventure, told in a few brief phrases. Not many words were needed for him. His vividimagination at once pictured it all--the deadly play of words in theCouncil House, the ambushing of Braxton Wyatt, and the triumphant result. 

"That was diplomacy, statesmanship, Henry, " he said. 

"We're going to stay up here a while longer, Paul, " said Henry. "We thinkour presence is needed in these parts. "

"I'm willing, " said Paul, wishing to have assurances, "but what about thepowder for Marlowe, and what will our people at Wareville think has becomeof us?"

"As long as we can keep back these tribes, Marlowe will not need thepowder, and some of the buffalo hunters have taken word to Wareville thatwe have come into the North. "

"I purpose, " said Shif'less Sol, "that so long ez we're goin' to stay inthese parts that we go back to the haunted islan' in the lake. It's in theheart o' the Injun country, but it's the safest spot within five hundredmiles o' us. "

"I think with Sol, " said Henry. "We can prepare there for winter quarters. In fact, we've got a hut already. "

"An' I won't have nothin' to do, " said the shiftless one, "but lay aroun'an' hev Jim Hart cook fur me. "

"You'll hev to be runnin' through the frozen woods all the time fur gamefur me to cook, that's what you'll hev to do, Sol Hyde, " retorted JimHart. 

The idea of going into winter quarters on the island appealed to Paul. Hehad grown attached to the little hollow in which he and Jim Hart had builtthe hut, and he thought they could be very snug and warm. So he favoredSol's proposition with ardor, and about twilight they brought the hiddencanoe again from the bushes, paddling boldly across the lake for theisland. The place did not now have an uncanny look to Paul. Instead, itbore certain aspects of home, and he forgot all about the mummies in thetrees, which were their protection from invasion. 

"It's good to get back again, " he said. 

They landed on the island, hid the canoe, and went straight to the hollow, finding everything there absolutely undisturbed. 

"We'll sleep to-night, " said Henry, "and in the morning we'll plan. "

Paul noticed, when he rose early the next day, that the whole earth wassilver with frost, and he felt they were particularly fortunate in havingfound some sort of shelter. The others shared his satisfaction, and theyworked all day, enlarging the hut, and strengthening it against the windand cold with more bark and brush. At night Henry and Ross took the canoe, went to the mainland, and came back with a deer. The next day Jim Hart andShif'less Sol were busy drying the venison, and Paul spent his timefishing with considerable success. 

Several days passed thus, and they accumulated more meat and more skins. The latter were particularly valuable for warmth. Paul draped them abouttheir hut, arranging them with an artistic eye, while Jim Hart andShif'less Sol, with a similar satisfaction, watched their larder grow. 

"This is the finest winter camp in all the wilderness, " said Shif'lessSol. 

"You couldn't beat it, " said Jim Hart. 

These were happy days to Paul. Knowing now that a message had been senthack to Wareville, he was released from worry over the possible anxiety ofhis people on his account, and he was living a life brimful of interest. Everyone fell almost unconsciously into his place. Henry Ware, Ross, andShif'less Sol scouted and hunted far and wide, and Paul and Jim Hart werefishermen, house builders, and, as Paul called it, "decorators. "

The hut in the hollow began to have a cozy look. Henry and Ross brought inthree buffalo skins, which Jim promptly tanned, and which Paul then usedas wall coverings. Wolfskins, deerskins, and one beautiful panther hidewere spread upon the floor. This floor was made mainly of boughs, brokenup fine, and dead leaves, but it did not admit water, and the furs andskins were warm. In one corner of the place grew up a store of driedvenison and buffalo meat, over which Jim Hart watched jealously. 

All of the cooking was done at night, but in the open, in a kind of rudeoven that Jim Hart built of loose stones, and never did food taste betterin the mouth of a hungry youth than it did in that of Paul. The air wasgrowing much colder. Paul, who was in the habit of taking a dip in thelake every night, found the waters so chill now that he could not stay inlong, although the bath was wonderfully invigorating. Whenever the windblew the dead leaves fell in showers, and Paul knew he would soon bedeeply thankful they had the hut as a retreat. 

About ten days after their return Henry came back from a scout around theMiami village, and he brought news of interest. 

"Braxton Wyatt is still there, " he said, "and he is so mixed up that hedoes not know just what to do for the present. After saying one thing andthen denying himself, he is in the bad graces of both parties of theMiamis. For the same reason he doesn't dare to go back for a while to theShawnees, so he is waiting for things to straighten themselves out, whichthey won't do for a long time. The Miami belt bearers have not yetreturned from the Shawnee village, and then belts will have to go back andforth a dozen times each before either tribe can find out what the othermeans. "

"An' if we kin keep 'em misunderstandin' each other, " said Shif'less Sol, "they can't make any attack on the white settlements until away nextspring, an' by that time a lot more white people will arrive from over themountains. We'll be at least twice ez strong then. "

"That's so, " said Henry; "and the greatest work we five can do is to stayhere and put as many spokes as we can in the Indian alliance. "

"And I am glad to be here with all of you, " said Paul earnestly. It seemedto him the greatest work in the world, this holding back of the tribesuntil their intended victim should acquire strength to beat them off, andhis eyes shone. Besides the mere physical happiness that he felt, therewas a great mental exhilaration, an exaltation, even, and he lookedforward to the winter of a warrior and a statesman. 

Paul's body flourished apace in the cold, nipping air and the wild life. There were discomforts, it is true, but he did not think of them. Helooked only at the comforts and the joys. He knew that his muscles weregrowing and hardening, that eye, ear, all the five senses, in truth, weregrowing keener, and he felt within him a courage that could dare anything. 

Henry made another expedition, to discover, if he could, whether theMiamis suspected that the haunted island harbored their foes. They did notask him what means he used, how he disguised himself anew, or whether hedisguised himself at all, but he returned with the news that they had nosuspicion. The island was still sacred to the spirits--a place where theydare not land. This was satisfying news to all, and they rested for awhile. 

Three or four days after Henry's return a strong wind stripped the lastleaves from the trees. All the reds and yellows and browns were gone, andthe gusts whistled fiercely among the gray branches. The surface of thelake was broken into cold waves, that chased each other until they diedaway at the shore. 

The next day heavy rolling clouds were drawn across the sky, and all theworld was somber and dark. Paul stood at the entrance to the hut, and now, indeed, he was thankful that they had that shelter, and that they had fursand skins to reinforce their clothing. As he looked, something cold andwet came out of the sky and struck him upon the face. Another came, andthen another, and in a few moments the air was full of flakes whirled bythe wind. 

"The first snow, " said Paul. 

"Yes, " said Henry, "and let us pray for snows--many, hard, and deep. Thefiercer the winter the easier it will be to hold back the allied tribes. "

It was not a heavy snow, but it gave an earnest of what might come. Thebare boughs were whipped about in the gale, and creaked dismally. Theground was covered with white to the depth of about two inches, and dark, rolling waves, looking very chill, chased one another across the lake. JimHart and Paul had managed to build of stones, in one corner of their hut, a rude oven or furnace, with an exterior vent. They had plastered thestones together with mud, which hardened into a sort of cement, and inthis furnace they kindled a little fire. They did not dare to make itlarge, because of the smoke, but they had enough coals to give out a warmand pleasant glow. 

All of them retreated for a while to the "mansion, " as Paul rather proudlycalled it, and Henry. Ross, and Shif'less Sol busied themselves withmaking new and stout moccasins of deerskin, fastened with sinews andlined with fur. Shif'less Sol was especially skillful at this work; infact, the shiftless one was a wonderfully handy man at any sort of task, and with only his hunting knife, a wooden needle of his own manufacture, and deer sinews, he actually made Paul a fur-lined hunting shirt, whichseemed to the boy's imaginative fancy about the finest garment ever wornin the wilderness. All of them also put fur flaps on their raccoon-skincaps, and Shif'less Sol even managed to fashion an imitation of gloves outof deerskin. 

"I wouldn't advise you to try to use your hands much with these gloveson, " he said; "leastways, not to shoot at anything till you took 'em off;but I do say that so long ez your hands are idle, they'll be pow'fulwarmin' to the fingers. "

"We don't have to go out very much just now, " said Paul, "and if we onlyhad two or three books here, we could pass the time very pleasantly. "

"That's so, " said Shif'less Sol musingly. "You an' me, Paul, wuz intendedto be eddicated men. Ez fur Jim Hart here, he's that dull he'd take morepride in cookin' in a stone furnace than in writin' the finest book in theworld. "

"When I cook I git's somethin' that I kin see, " said Jim Hart. "I neverread but one book in my life, an' I didn't find it very sustainin'. Iguess if you wuz starvin' to death here in the wilderness, you'd rutherhev a hot hoe cake than all the books in the world. "

"'Tain't worth while, Paul, to talk to Jim Hart, " said Shif'less Solsadly. "He ain't got no soul above a hoe cake. I've allus told you, Paul, that you an' me wuz superior to our surroundings. Ef Jim Hart wuz lockedup in a schoolhouse all his life he'd never be an eddicated man, while ezfur me, I'm one without ever gittin' a chance, jest because it's in mynatur'. "

Paul laughed at them both, and drew a little closer to the bed of redcoals. The warmth within and the cold without appealed to all the elementsof his vivid and imaginative nature. Not for worlds would he have missedbeing on this great adventure with these daring men. 

"I'm a-thinkin', " said Ross, as he lifted the buffalo robe over their doorand looked out, "that ez soon ez the wind dies the lake will freeze over. "

"An' it will be harder than ever then, " said Paul, "to catch fish. "

"I guess we kin do about ez well through holes in the ice, " said Ross. 

Ross's prediction soon came true. When they awoke on the morning two daysafterwards the lake curved about them in a white and glittering sheet, reflecting back a brilliant sun in a million dazzling rays. 

"I'm glad all of our party are here on the island together, " said Henry, "because the ice isn't thick enough to support a man's weight, and itisn't thin enough to let a canoe be pushed through it. We're clean cut offfrom the world for a little while. "

"An' this is whar poor old Long Jim becomes the most vallyble uv us all, "said Jim Hart. "It's a lucky thing that I've got a kind uv stove an'buffalo meat an' venison an' other kinds uv game. I'm jest willin' to betthat you four hulkin' fellers will want to lay aroun' an' eat all thetime. "

"I wouldn't be surprised, Jim, if we didn't get hungry once in a while, "said Henry, with a smile. 

Two more days passed, and the ice on the lake neither melted nor grewthicker, and they were as well shut in and others were as well shut out asif they had been on a lone island in the Pacific Ocean. Once they saw athin column of smoke, only a faint blue spire very far away, which Henrysaid rose from an Indian camp fire. 

"It's several miles from here, " he said, "and it's just chance that theyare there. They don't dream that we are here. "

Nevertheless, they did not light the fire in their furnace again for twodays. Then, when the skies grew too dark and somber for a faint smoke toshow against its background, they kindled it up again, and once moreenjoyed warm food. 

"Ef I jest had a little coffee, an' somethin' to b'il it in, I'd bepow'ful happy, " said Jim Hart. "I'd jest enjoy b'ilin' a gallon or twoapiece fur you fellers an' me. "

"Wa'al, ez you ain't got any coffee an' you ain't got anythin' to b'il itin, I reckon we'll hev to be jest ez happy without it, " said Shif'lessSol. 

The night after this conversation Paul was awakened by a patter upon theirskin and thatch roof. It must have been two or three o'clock in themorning, and he had been sleeping very comfortably. He lay on furs, andthe soft side of a buffalo robe was wrapped close about him. He could notremember any time in his life when he felt snugger, and he wanted to goback to sleep, but that patter upon the roof was insistent. He raisedhimself up a little, and he heard along with the patter the breathing ofhis four comrades. But it was pitch dark in the hut, and, rolling over tothe doorway, he pulled aside a few inches the stout buffalo hide thatcovered it. Something hard and white struck him in the face and stung likeshot. 

It was hailing, pouring hard and driven fiercely by the wind. Moreover, itwas bitterly cold, and Paul quickly shut down the buffalo flap, fasteningit tightly. "We're snowed in and hailed in, too, " he murmured to himself. Then he drew his buffalo robe around his body more closely than ever, andwent back to sleep. The next morning it rained on top of the hail forabout an hour, but after that it quickly froze again, the air turningintensely cold. Then Paul beheld the whole world sheathed in glitteringice. The sight was so dazzling that his eyes were almost blinded, but itwas wonderfully beautiful, too. The frozen surface of the lake threw backthe light in myriads of golden sheaves, and every tree, down to the lasttwig, gleamed in a silvery polished sheath. 

"It 'pears to me, " said Shif'less Sol lazily, "that we ain't on an islan'no longer. The Superior Powers hev built a drawbridge, on which anythingcan pass. "

"That's so, " said Paul. "The ice must be thick enough now to bear a warparty. "

"Ef that war party didn't slip up an' break its neck, " said Shif less Sol. "All that meltin' stuff froze hard, an' it's like glass now. Jest you tryit, Paul. "

Paul went out in the hollow, and at his very first step his feet flew fromunder him and he landed on his back. Everywhere it was the same way--icelike glass, that no one could tread on and yet feel secure. 

"We have our drawbridge, " said Paul, "but it doesn't seem to me to be verysafe walking on it. "

Nevertheless, Henry and Ross slipped away two nights later, and were goneall the next day and another night. When they returned they reported thatthe Miami village was pretty well snowed up, and that the hunters evenwere not out. Braxton Wyatt was still there, and they believed he wouldsoon be up to some sort of mischief--it was impossible for him to remainquiet and behave himself very long. 

"Meanwhile what are we to do?" asked Paul. 

"Just stay quiet, " said Henry. "We'll wait for Braxton and his savages toact first. "

But the ice did not remain long, all melting away as the ficklenorthwestern weather turned comparatively warm again, and the five oncemore began to move about freely. 

CHAPTER XV

WORK AND PLAY

Henry and Ross were gone to the mainland, and Paul, Shif'less Sol, and JimHart were left on the island. Shif'less Sol stood at the edge of thehollow, hands on hips, admiring the hut. 

"Paul, " he said, "I think that thar house is jest about the finest I everbuilt. "

"You built!" exclaimed Jim Hart indignantly. "Mighty little you had to dowith it, Sol Hyde, but eat in it an' sleep in it, which two things you arewillin' enough to do any time! It's me an' Paul who have reared that gran'structure. "

"It appeals to my instincts as an eddicated man, " went on Sol, calmlydisregarding Jim. "We've got up the house without sp'ilin' thesurroundin's. It jest blends with rock an' bush, an' we've helped natur'without tryin' to improve it. "

"I believe you've got the truth of it, Sol, " said Paul. "I'm getting fondof this place. How long do you think we'll stay here, Sol?"

Shif'less Sol cocked up his weather eye, and a look of surpassing wisdomcame over his face. 

"When the ground hog come out o' his hole in the fall an' saw his shadder, he went right back ag'in, " he replied, "an' that means a hard winter. Besides, we're pretty far north, an' all the hunters say they have lot o'snow hereabouts. We're goin' to have cold an' snow right along. That's theopinion o' me, Solomon Hyde. Jim Hart may say somethin' else, but he ain'tworth listenin' to. "

"I said this mornin' that it wuz goin' to be a hard winter, " growled JimHart. "You heard me sayin' so, an' that's the reason you're sayin' sonow. "

"Oh, Jim, Jim! Whatever will become o' you?" exclaimed Shif'less Solsadly. "An' I've always tried to teach you that the truth wuz the rightthing. "

Paul laughed. 

"Sol, " he asked, "did you ever see a game of chess?"

"Chess? What's that? Is it a mark you shoot at?"

"No; you play it on a board with little figures made of wood, if youhaven't got anything else. My father has a set of chessmen, and he playsoften with Mr. Pennypacker, our school teacher. He's played with me, too, and I can show you how to make the things and to play. "

A look of interest came into Sol's eyes. 

"We've got lots o' time, " he said. "S'pose you do it, Paul. I know I kinlearn. I ain't so sure o' Jim Hart thar. "

Jim was also interested, so much so that he forgot to reply to Shif'lessSol. 

"How'll you do it?" he asked. 

Paul's reply was to begin at once. He cut a big square piece of whitefanned deerskin, and upon this he marked the little squares withcoal-black. Then the three of them went to work with their sharp huntingknives, carving out the wooden figures. The results were crude, but theyhad enough shape for identification, and then Paul began to teach the gameitself. 

Sol and Jim were really men of strong intellect, and they had plenty ofpatience. Paul was surprised at their progress. They were soon thinkingfor themselves, and when Paul himself did not want to play, the two wouldfight it out over the deerskin. 

"It's a slow game, but good, " said Shif'less Sol. "It 'pears to me that aman to be at the head o' 'em all in this would hev to do nothin' else allhis life. "

"That is so, " said Paul. 

"Jim, thar ain't no earthly chance for you, " said Shif'less Sol. 

"I guess I've got you this time, anyhow, " said Jim, with a deep chuckle ofsatisfaction. "Jest look at that thar board, Sol Hyde. Ef you ain't druvinto a corner so you can't move this way nor that, then you can hev thehuntin' shirt right off my back. "

Shif'less Sol examined the deerskin square attentively. 

"Blamed ef it ain't so, " he said in a tone of deep disgust. "It wuz anaccident, nuthin' but an accident, or else I've been talkin' too much. "

"That's what you're always doin', Sol Hyde--talkin' too much. "

"Then we'll jest try it over ag'in, an' I'll show you what it is to playag'inst a real smart man. "

They were deep in a fresh game a few moments later, and Paul went outside. He was glad to see them so interested, because he knew that otherwise thecurse of dullness might fall upon them. 

The air was raw and chill, and, although the snow and ice were gone, thelake and the hills beyond looked singularly cold. But Paul was neitheruncomfortable nor unhappy. He was clothed warmly, and he had food inabundance and variety. Trusty comrades, too, surrounded him. Life atpresent seemed very pleasant. 

He strolled up the island toward the trees that contained the Indianbodies, and after a while returned toward the home in the hollow. A warm, mellow light gleamed from its rude window, and Paul's heart throbbed withsomething of the feeling that one has only toward "home. "

He opened the door and entered, just in time to hear Shif'less Sol's cryof triumph:

"Thar, Jim Hart, ef that don't settle you, I'd like to know what will!Now, who's doin' too much talkin'?"

"I can't see jest how it happened, " said Jim Hart ruefully. 

"No, an' you never will. Them things are too deep fur you. It's onlyeddicated men, like me an' Paul, that kin see to the bottom o' 'em. "

"You're even, as it's game and game, " said Paul, "so let's rest now. Henryand Tom ought to be coming pretty soon. "

"An' they'll be ez hungry ez a hull pack uv wolves, " said Jim Hart, "so Iguess I'd better be cookin'. Here, Sol, give me them strips uv deer meatan' buffalo. "

"I shorely will, " said Shif'less Sol. "Thar is one thing, ef it is onlyone, that you kin do well, Jim Hart, an' it's cook. "

The two, in the most friendly fashion, went about preparing the supper. They had many kinds of game to choose from, and once Ross had brought abag of ground corn, perhaps taken by stealth from an Indian village, andnow and then Jim made from it a kind of bread. He was to bake someto-night, in honor of the returning two, and soon the place was filledwith pleasant odors. 

Twilight was deepening, the supper was almost ready, and Paul went forthto see if Henry and Tom were yet in sight. Presently he saw themcoming--two black figures against the setting sun, with the body of a deerthat they had killed and dressed. He hastened to meet them and give them ahelping hand, and together they approached the house. 

First they swung the body of the deer from a bough, and then they openedthe door. Deep silence reigned within. No friendly voice greeted them. Theheads of Jim Hart and Shif'less Sol almost touched over a square ofdeerskin, at which both were looking intently. With the supper ready, andnothing else to do, they had got out the chessmen, and were playing therubber. So absorbed were they that they neither heard nor saw. 

"Now what under the sun is this?" exclaimed Tom Ross. 

"It's a game I taught 'em while you and Henry were gone, " explained Paul. "It's called chess. "

Shif'less Sol and Jim sprang up, but Sol quickly recovered his presence ofmind. 

"I jest about had him cornered, an' your comin' saved him, " he said. 

"Cornered!" said Jim Hart. "He ain't even seed the day when he kin beatme!"

The chessmen were put aside for the time, and five hungry beings ate asonly borderers could eat. Then Tom Ross demanded a look at the game. Afterthe look he asked for instruction. 

"I saw a set uv them fellers once when I wuz at Fort Pitt, " he said, "butI never thought the time would come when I'd play with 'em. Push up thefire thar a little, will you, Jim, so I kin see better. "

Paul and Henry looked at each other and smiled. Soon Tom himself, thesenior of the party, was absorbed in the new game, and it was a happythought of Paul's to introduce it, even with the rude figures which werethe best that they could make. 

Paul brought up again the next morning the subject of their weatherprospects, and Tom and Henry agreed with the others in predicting a greatdeal of snow and cold. 

"All signs show it, " said Henry. "The rabbits are burrowing deeper thanusual under the bushes, and I notice that the birds have built their nestsuncommonly thick. I don't understand how they know what's coming, but theydo. "

"Instinct, " said Paul. 

"We know that a hound kin follow by smell the track of a man who haspassed hours before, " said Shif'less Sol, "when no man in the world kinsmell anything at all o' that track. So it ain't any more strange thatbirds an' beasts kin feel in their bones what's comin' when we can't. "

"Ef you'll imitate them squirrels an' rabbits an' birds an' things, " saidJim Hart, "an' lay up lots uv things good to eat fur the winter, it'llgive me pleasure to cook it ez it's needed. "

"I've noticed something besides the forethought of the animals, " addedHenry. "The moss on the north side of the trees seems to me to be thickerthan usual. I suppose that nature, too, is getting ready for a long, hardwinter. "

"When nature and the animals concur, " said Paul, "it is not left to man todoubt; so we'd better be providing the things Jim promises to cook sowell. "

They had learned the border habit of acting promptly, and Henry Ross andSol were to depart the very next morning for the mainland on a hunt fordeer, while Long Jim was to keep house. Paul otherwise would have beenanxious to go with the hunters, but he had an idea of his own, and whenHenry suggested that he accompany them, he replied that he expected tomake a contribution of a different kind. 

All these plans were made in the evening, and then every member of thefive, wrapping himself in his buffalo robe, fell asleep. The fire in JimHart's furnace had been permitted to die down to a bed of coals, and theglow from them barely disclosed the five figures lying, dark and silent, on the floor. They slept, clean in conscience and without fear. 

Henry, Shif'less Sol, and Ross were off at dawn, and Paul, using a rudewooden needle that he had shaped with his own pocketknife, and the tendonof a deer as thread, made a large bag of buckskin. Then he threw ittriumphantly over his shoulder. 

"Now what under the sun, Paul, are you goin' to do with that?" asked JimHart. 

"I'm going to add variety to our winter store. Just you wait, Jim Hart, and see. "

Bearing the bag, he left the house and took his way to the north end ofthe island. He had not been above learning more than one thing from thesquirrels, and he had recalled a grove of great hickory trees growingalmost to the water's edge. Now the ground was thickly covered with thenuts which had fallen when the severe frosts and the snow and ice came. There were several varieties, including large ones two inches long, andthe fine little ones known to boys throughout the Mississippi Valley asthe scaly bark. Paul procured two stones, and, cracking several of them, found them delicious to the taste. Already in his Kentucky home he hadbecome familiar with them all. The hogs of the settlers, running throughthe forest and fattening upon these nuts and acorns, known collectively as"mast, " acquired a delicious flavor. Boys and grown people loved the nuts, too. 

The nuts lay about in great quantities, and the thick, barky coverings, known to the boys as "hulls, " almost fell off at a touch. Soon the groundwas littered with these hulls, while the big buckskin bag was filled withthe clean nuts. Then, lifting it to his shoulder, Paul marched off proudlyto the house. 

"Now, why didn't I think uv that?" said Jim Hart, as Paul threw down thebag before him and disclosed its contents. "An' all them hick'ry nuts jestlayin' thar on the ground an' waitin' fur me. "

"It's because you had so much else to do, Jim, " said Paul; "and as I'midle a good deal of the time, the thought occurred to me. "

"You shorely do have the gift uv sayin' nice things, an' makin' a fellerfeel good, Paul, " said Jim admiringly. 

Paul laughed. Jim's words pleased him. 

"I told nothing but the truth, " he said. "Now, Jim, I'm going back formore, and I'd like to do this job all by myself. I think I can gather atleast six bagfuls, and we'll heap them here by the wall. "

"An' mighty good seas'nin' they'll be to deer an' buffalo an' b'ar meat, "said Jim Hart. "It wuz a good thought uv yours, Paul. "

Paul worked the whole morning, and when he had gathered all the nuts inthe house he estimated the quantity at several bushels. Although he soughtto conceal his pride, he cast more than one triumphant look at the greatheap by the wall. 

He and Jim went forth together in the afternoon with rude spades, made ofwood and hardened at the edges in the fire, to dig for Indian turnip. 

"It ain't much of a veg'table, " said Jim, "but we might find it useful togive a new taste to our meat, or it might be uv some help doctorin', incase any uv us fell sick. "

They found two or three of the roots, and the remainder of the afternoonthey devoted to strengthening their house. They did this with huge slabsof bark lying everywhere on the ground, fallen in former seasons. Somethey put on the roof, thatching in between with dry grass and leaves, andothers they fastened on the sides. 

"It ain't purty, " said Jim, "but it turns rain an' snow, an' that's whatwe're after. "

"I take another view, " said Paul. "It does look well. It blends with thewilderness, and so it has a beauty of its own. "

The three hunters were not to return that night, and Paul and Jim kepthouse. Jim slept lightly, and just before the dawn he rolled over in hisbuffalo robe and pushed Paul's shoulder. 

Paul awoke instantly, and sat up. 

"What is it, Jim?" he asked anxiously. It was his natural thought thatsome danger threatened, and it was so dark in the cabin that he could notsee Jim's face. 

"Do you hear that hoo-hooing sound?" asked Jim Hart. 

Paul listened and heard faintly a low, mellow note. 

"What is it, Jim?" he asked. 

"The call of the wild turkey. "

"What, Indians again?"

"No, it's the real bird, talkin'. An old gobbler is tellin' his hens thatday is comin'. It's a plumb waste on his part, because they know ittheirselves, but he must jest let 'em know what a smart bird he is. An'it's that pride uv his that will be his ruin. Git up, Paul; we must havehim an' one uv his hens to eat. "

"Where do you think they are?" asked Paul. 

"In the hick'ry grove. I guess they lighted thar fur the night, whenflyin' 'cross the lake. "

The two hurried on their clothes, took their rifles, and stole out. Afaint tinge of light was just showing under the horizon in the east, butthe air was not yet gray. It was very cold at that early hour, and Paulshivered, but he soon forgot it in the ardor of the chase. 

"Slip along softer nor a cat, Paul, " said Jim. "We don't want to give oldMr. Gobbler any warnin' that his time hez come. Thar, hear him? The tarnalfool! He's jest bound to show us where he is. "

The mellow call arose again, very clear and distinct in the silent air, and as they approached the edge of the hickory grove, Jim pointed upward. 

"See him thar on the limb, " he said, "the big feller with the feathers allshinin' an' glistenin'? That's the gobbler, an' the littler ones with thegray feathers are the hens. I'm goin' to take the gobbler. He may be old, but he's so fat he's bound to be tender; an' s'pose, Paul, you take thathen next to him. When I say 'Now, ' fire. "

The two raised their guns, took careful aim, and Jim said "Now. " Theyfired together, aiming at the necks or heads. The big gobbler fell like astone from the bough and lay still. The hen fell, too, but she flutteredabout on the ground. The rest flew away on whirring wings. Paul ranforward and finished his bird with a stick, but Jim lifted the greatgobbler and looked at him with admiring eyes. 

"Did you ever see a finer turkey?" he said. "He must weigh all uv fortypounds, an' he's as fat as he can be with the good food uv the wilderness. An' he's a beauty, too! Jest look at them glossy blue-black feathers. Nowonder so many hens wuz in love with him. I could be pop'lar with thewomen folks, too, ef I wuz ez handsome ez Mr. Gobbler here. "

They picked and cleaned the turkeys, and then hung the dressed bodies fromthe boughs of a tree near the hut, where they would be frozen, and thuskeep. 

The hunters returned that afternoon with two deer, and were delighted withJim and Paul's zeal and success. 

"Ef things go on this swimmin' way, " said Shif'less Sol, "we'd be able tofeed an army this winter, ef it wuz needed. "

It was very cold that evening, and they built the fire higher than usual. Great mellow rays of heat fell over all the five, and lighted up the wholeinterior of the cabin with its rich store of skins and nuts and dressedmeats, and other spoil of the wilderness. The five, though no one of themever for a moment forgot their great mission of saving Kentucky, had afeeling of content. Affairs were going well. 

"Paul, " said Shif'less Sol, "you've read books. Tell us about some o' themold fellers that lived a long time ago. I like to hear about the bigones. "

"Well, " said Paul, "there was Alexander. Did you ever hear of him, Sol?"

Shif'less Sol shook his head and sighed. 

"I can't truly call myself an eddicated man, " he replied, "though I havethe instincks o' one. But I ain't had the proper chance. No, Paul, me an'Alexander is strangers. "

"Then I'll make you acquainted, " said Paul. He settled himself morecomfortably before the fire, and the others did likewise. 

"Alexander lived a long, long time ago, " said Paul. "He was a Greek--thatis, he was a Macedonian with Greek blood in him--I suppose it comes to thesame thing--and he led the Greeks and Macedonians over into Asia, andwhipped the Persians every time, though the Persians were always twenty toone. "

"Who writ the accounts o' them thar battles?" asked Shif'less Sol. 

"Why, the Greeks, of course. "

"I thought so. Why, Jim Hart here must be a Greek, then. To hear him tellit, he's always whippin' twenty men at a time. But it ain't in natur' forone man to whip twenty. "

"I never said once in my life that I whipped twenty men at a time, "protested Jim Hart. 

"We'll let it pass, " said Paul, "and Sol may be right about the Greekspiling it up for themselves; but so they wrote it, and so we have to takeit. Well, Alexander, although he wasn't much more than a boy, kept onwhipping the Persians until at last their king, Darius, ran away with hiswives. "

Shif'less Sol whistled. 

"Do you mean to tell me, Paul, " he said, "that any white man ever had morethan one wife! I thought only Injun chiefs had 'em?"

"Why, it was common a long time ago, " replied Paul. 

"What a waste!" said Shif'less Sol. "One man havin' a lot uv wives, an'Jim Hart here ain't ever been able to get a single one. "

"An' you ain't, either, Sol Hyde, " said Jim Hart. 

"Oh, me!" replied Shif'less Sol carelessly. "I'm too young to marry. "

"Let him go on about Alexander, the fightin' feller, " interrupted TomRoss. 

"Alexander conquered all Asia, " resumed Paul, "but it didn't agree withhim. The more he conquered the more he wanted to conquer. "

"Jest like a little boy eatin' turkey, " said Shif'less Sol. "Can't holdenough to suit him. Stummick ain't ez big ez his appetite, an' he hez tocry about it. I don't think your Alexander wuz such a big man, after all. "

"He was not, from one point of view, Sol, but he was certainly a general. After conquering all the world, he fell to drinking too much, andquarreling with his best friends. One day he got raging drunk, which madehim hot all over, and he jumped into an icy river to cool off. That gavehim a fever, and he died right away. He was only thirty-two. "

Shif'less Sol sniffed in disgust. 

"Dead at thirty-two!" he said. "Now, I call him a plumb failure. Withfightin' goin' on all the time, an' fevers layin' aroun' fur you, I callit somethin' jest to live, an' I mean to stay in these parts till I'm ahundred. Why, that Alexander never had time, Paul, to think over what he'ddone. I wouldn't change places with him, I think I'm a heap sight betteroff. "

"I agrees with Sol ag'in, " said Tom Ross, who had been in deep thought. "In dang'rous times it's doin' a heap jest to live, an' a man who diesoff at thirty-two, all through his own foolishness, ain't much to bragabout. "

Henry laughed. 

"Paul, " he said, "you'll have to bring out better examples of greatness tosatisfy Sol and Tom. "

Paul laughed, too. 

"I just tell things as they are, " he said. "Maybe they are right. "

Henry went to the door and looked out. The air was full of raw chill, andhe heard the leafless boughs rustling in the winter wind. All around himwas the dark wilderness, and, natural hunter and warrior though he was, hewas glad to have the shelter, the fire, and his comrades. He turned backand closed the door tightly, in order to shut out any stray gust thatmight be of an unusually penetrating quality. 

"I'm thinking that we'd better start away hunting again very early in themorning, " he said. "The big snows are bound to come soon. That firstlittle one was only a taste of what we're going to get. "

They were off again at daybreak, and this time Paul went with them. Theparty turned to the southward, in order to avoid the chance of meetingShawnees or Miamis, and soon had the luck to run into a small buffaloherd. They killed only what they could carry, and then returned with ittoward the island. Henry continually watched the skies as they traveled, and he uttered an exclamation of relief when they landed. The heavens allthe while had been leaden and somber, and there was no wind stirring. 

"See, " he said, "the great snow comes!"

The sullen skies opened, and big white flakes dropped down as they hurriedwith their fresh supplies to the cabin. 

CHAPTER XVI

NOEL

The snow fell three days and nights without ceasing, and they rejoicedgreatly over their foresight in preparing so well for it, because it was abig snow, a very big snow. "It ain't jest snowin', " said Shif'less Sol;"the bottom o' the sky hez dropped out, an' all the snow's tumblin' down. "

The great flakes never ceased for a moment to fall. The sun did not get asingle chance to shine, and as fast as one cloud was emptied, another, huge and black, was drawn in its place across the sky. The island ceasedto be an island, because the snow heaped up on the frozen surface of thelake, and it was impossible to tell where land ended and water began. Theboughs of the trees bent and cracked beneath their load, and some fell tothe ground. At times the sound of snapping boughs was like stray rifleshots. 

Paul watched the snow deepen before their door. First an inch, then two, then four, then six, and on and on. The roof began to strain and creakominously beneath the great weight. All rushed forth at once into thestorm, and with poles and their rude shovels they thrust the great mass ofaccumulated snow from the roof. This task they repeated at intervalsthroughout the three days, but they had little else to do, except cook, eat, and sleep. They had recourse again to the chessmen and Paul'sstories, and they reverted often to their friends and relatives atWareville. 

"At any rate, " said Henry, "Kentucky is safe so long as this great snowlasts. What holds us holds the Shawnees and the Miamis, too; they can't gosouth through it. "

"That's so, " said Paul, with intense satisfaction, as he ran over all thechances of success or failure in their great task. 

At the end of the third day the snow ceased. It lay three feet deep on thelevel, and deeper in the hollows and gullies. Then all the clouds floatedaway, the sun came out, and the whole world was a dazzling globe of white, so intense that it hurt Paul's eyes. 

"We've got to guard against snow-blindness, " said Shif'less Sol, "an' I'mthinkin' o' a plan that'll keep us from sufferin'. "

He procured small pieces of wood, and fitted them together so there wouldbe only a narrow slit between. These were placed over the eyes likespectacles, and fastened with deerskin string, tied behind the head. Therange of vision was then very narrow, but all the glare from the snow wasshut out. Shif'less Sol unconsciously had imitated a device employed bythe Esquimaux of the far north to protect their eyesight. Sets were madefor all, and they used them a few days until their eyes grew accustomed tothe glare. 

All had a great sense of coziness and warmth. The snow pushed from theroof had gone to reinforce that on the ground, and it now lay heaped upbeside the house to a depth of five or six feet, adding to the snugnessand security of their walls. They had gathered an ample supply offirewood, and a deep bed of coals always threw out a mellow and satisfyingglow. 

They did not spend their time in idleness. The narrow confines of theirhouse would soon grow irksome to five able-bodied boys and men, and everyone of them knew it. They went forth with rude wooden shovels, and beganto clear paths in the snow--one to a point among the trees where thefallen brushwood lay thickest, another to the edge of the lake, where theybroke holes in the ice and caught pickerel, and two or three more tovarious points around their little domain. This task gave them healthyoccupation for two or three days, and on the fourth day, while Henry, Ross, and Jim Hart were fishing, Paul and Shif'less Sol sat together inthe house. 

"This snow is goin' to last a long time, Paul, " said Sol, "an' we've gotto stay here till at least most o' it's gone. The warriors won't bemovin', nor will we. While we're idlin', I wish we had three or four o'them books that your father an' Mr. Pennypacker brought over the mountainswith 'em. "

"So do I, " said Paul, with a sigh. He was thinking of an interminableromance, translated from the French of a certain Mademoiselle de Scudéry, which his teacher, Mr. Pennypacker, had among his possessions, and whichhe had once secretly shown to Paul, who was his favorite pupil. But headded, resignedly: "You'd never find a book in all this region up here, Sol. We'd better make up our minds to some monotonous days. "

Shif'less Sol had been leaning lazily against a heap of firewood, andsuddenly he sat up with a look of interest in his eyes. His acute ear haddetected a sound on the hill above them--a faint crunching in the snow. 

"It's one o' the boys, I s'pose, " he said. "Now, I wonder what he wantsto be tramping around in the deep snow up thar fur. "

"Yes, I hear him, " said Paul, "and he's lumbering about queerly. "

"He's comin' down toward the house, " said Shif'less Sol. "Now, what inthunder is that?"

There was the sound of an angry "snuff!" a sudden, wild threshing in thesnow, and the next instant a tremendous weight struck the roof of theirhouse. A rending of bark and thatch followed, and a massive black formshot down into the center of the room and lay there a moment, stunned. Paul, too, was dizzy. He had been struck a glancing blow on the shoulderby the big black body in its fall, and hurled into a heap of furs. Shif'less Sol had been sent spinning in another direction. 

When both rose to their feet the big black body also rose, growlingsavagely and extending long, powerful paws, armed with cruel claws. Abear, prowling in the snow, had fallen through the roof of their house, and it was furiously angry. 

"Jump back, Paul, jump back!" shouted Shif'less Sol, "an' get to the door, ef you kin!"

Paul obeyed a part of his command instinctively and sprang away, just intime to escape the cruel claws. But he was compelled to press against thewall. The enraged animal was between him and the door. Shif'less Solhimself was darting here and there in an effort to keep out of the way. Both Paul's rifle and Shif'less Sol's stood in a corner far from reach. 

The bear, blind with rage, fright, and astonishment, whirled aroundripping into the air with his long claws. The man and the boy not able toreach the door, hopped about like jumping jacks, and the cold air poureddown upon them from the huge hole in their damaged roof. The bear suddenlyran into Jim Hart's furnace and uttered a roar of pain. He stopped for amoment to lick his singed flank, and Shif'less Sol, seizing theopportunity, leaped for his rifle. He grasped it, and the next instant thecabin roared with the rifle shot. The great bear uttered a whining cry, plucked once or twice at his breast, and then stretched himself out infront of Jim Hart's furnace, quite dead. Paul stopped dancing to and fro, and uttered a gasp of relief. 

"You got that rifle just in time, Sol, " he said. 

"We shorely did need a gun, " Shif'less Sol said. "I guess nobody ever hada more sudden or unwelcome visitor than you an' me did, Paul. But Ibelieve that thar b'ar wuz ez bad skeered ez we wuz. "

"And just look at our house, " said Paul ruefully. "Half the roof smashedin, our furs and our food supplies thrown in every direction, and a bigbear stretched out in front of our fire. "

They heard the patter of swift footsteps outside, and the three fishing atthe lake, who had heard the shot, came in, running. 

"It's nothin', boys, " said Shif'less Sol carelessly. "A gentleman livin'in these parts, but a stranger to us, came into our house uninvited. Hewouldn't go away when we axed him to, most earnest, so we've jest put himto sleep. "

Ross pushed the bear with his foot. 

"He's fat yet, " he said, "an' he ought to be in winter quarters right now. Somethin' must have driv him out uv his hole an' have sent him wanderin'across the lake on the ice an' snow. That's what anybody gits fur notstayin' whar he belongs. "

"An' ef Jim Hart had stayed whar he belongs--that is, right here in thishouse, cookin'--he'd have got that b'ar on his back, an' not me, " saidShif'less Sol, rubbing the bruised place. 

"That's once I wuz luckier than you wuz, Sol Hyde, " said Jim Hart, chuckling. 

"We've got a lot of fresh bear steak, " said Henry Ware, "but we'll have toclean up all this mess, and rebuild our house, just as soon as we can. "

They set to work at once. All, through forest life, had become skillful insuch tasks, and it did not take them long to rethatch the roof. But theymade it stronger than ever with cross-poles. Ingenious Sol cut up the bearhide, and made of it stout leggings for them all, which would serve in theplace of boots for wading in the deep snow. 

Then the camp returned to its wonted calm. But a few days later, Shif'lessSol, who had been unusually grave, called Paul aside and asked him to walkwith him up the path to the hickory trees. When they arrived there, farout of hearing of the others, Shif'less Sol said:

"Do you know what day this is, Paul?"

"Why, no, Sol, " replied Paul. "What does it matter?"

"It matters a heap, " said Shif'less Sol, not departing one whit from hisgrave manner. "I know what day it is. I've kept count. See here!"

He pointed to a hickory tree. Clear and smooth was gash after gash, cut inthe bark, one above another, by Sol with his stout knife. 

"Every one o' them is a day, " said Shif'less Sol, "an' to-day is the 24thof December. Now, what is to-morrow, Paul Cotter?"

"The 25th of December--Christmas Day. "

"An' oughtn't we to hev Christmas, too, even ef we are up here in the wildwoods, all by ourselves? Don't this look like Christmas?"

Paul looked around at the glittering and magnificent expanse of whitewilderness. There was snow, snow everywhere. The trees were robed in it, unstained. It was a world of peace and beauty, and it _did_ look likeChristmas. They were preparing for it at Wareville at this verymoment--the settlers were a religious people, and from the first theycelebrated the great religious festival. 

"Yes, Sol, " he replied, "it does look like Christmas, and we ought tocelebrate it, too. "

"I'm glad you think ez I do, " said Sol, in a tone of relief. "I wanted tohear what you thought o' it, Paul, afore I broached it to the other boys. We've got a lot to be glad about. We're all here, sound an' well, an'though we've been through a power o' dangers, we ain't sufferin' now. "

"That's so, " said Paul. 

"Then we'll tell the boys right now. "

They walked back to the cabin, and Shif'less Sol announced the date to theothers, who agreed at once that Christmas should be celebrated by themthere on their little island in the wilderness. All were touched in a wayby the solemnity of the event, and they began to feel how strong was thetie that united them. 

"We must have a big Christmas dinner, " said Jim Hart, "an' I'll cook it. "

"An' I'll help you, " said Shif'less Sol. 

"And I, " added Paul. 

That evening they sat around the fire, talking in the mellow glow; buttheir talk was not of the Indians, nor of the chase, nor of themselves, but of those behind at Wareville. Paul shut his eyes and looked dreamilyinto the fire. He could see the people at the settlement getting ready forthe great festival, preparing little gifts, and the children crawlingreluctantly into their homemade trundle, or box beds. He felt at thatmoment a deep kindness toward all things. 

They covered up the ashes after a while, and then, in the darkness, everyone in his turn laid out some little gift for the others--a clasp knife, apowderhorn, a prized deerskin, or something else that counted among hispossessions. But no one was to look until the morning, and soon all fellasleep. 

They were up the next day at the first sight of dawn, and compared theirgifts with great rejoicings. Shif'less Sol had presented to Jim Hart asplendid clasp knife, a valuable possession in the wilderness, as a tokenof his great friendship and exceeding high regard, and Jim was like achild in his delight. In fact, there was something of the child, or ratherof the child's simplicity, in all of them. 

The Christmas dinner was a signal triumph in Jim Hart's life. Capablyassisted by Paul and Shif'less Sol, he labored on it most of the day, andat last they sat down to a magnificent wilderness table of buffalo hump, venison, squirrel, rabbit, fish, wild turkey, and other kinds of game, flanked by bread baked of the Indian meal, and finished off with the nutsPaul had gathered. Forest and lake had yielded bounteously, and they atelong and happily. 

"Why anybody wants to live back thar in the East in the towns is more'n Ican understand, " said Shif'less Sol. "You've got room to breathe here, an'the fat game is runnin' roun' in the woods, jest beggin' you to stick aknife in its back an' eat it. "

Paul laughed. 

"How about the danger from the Indians, Sol?" asked Paul. 

"You don't expect to have a perfect world here below, do you, Paul?"replied Shif'less Sol. "Thar ain't never nothin' without a thorn in it, but our thorn is about ez little a one ez you could think of. The Injunsgive us a kind o' excitin' variety, an' don't we always get away from'em?"

No more work was done that day, and in the evening they went to sleepearlier than usual, and slept very soundly. A moon of pure silver cameout, and bathed all the vast wilderness in its light. A huge, yellowpanther, lean and fierce with hunger, wandered in the snow across thefrozen lake, and put foot upon the island. There the pleasant odor of foodcame to his nostrils, and he lifted up his ears. As the pleasant odor cameagain his tawny eyes became more ferocious, and the lips curled back fromthe rows of cruel, white teeth. He drew his long, lithe body over thesnow, and came to one of the paths. He might have turned back because thepath was strong with the odor of a strange and perhaps powerful creature;but he was a very hungry, a very large, and a very bold panther, and hewent on. 

The path led straight to the cabin, and the panther trod it on noiselesspads, his eyes glowing, and hunger attacking him all the more fiercelybecause, mingled with the strange, new odor now came many odors that heknew, and all pleasant--odor of buffalo and deer and others--and he wasvery, very hungry. 

He went down the path to the door of the cabin, and halted a moment there. A red gleam, a glow from the bed of coals, came through a chink beside thedoor, and it filled his heart with terror. He shivered, and fear drew alow growl from him. 

One of the five sleepers inside stirred and sat up. He listened and hearda heavy breathing at the door. Then he arose, took a brand from the fire, stepped noiselessly to the door, and, opening it, rushed out, waving theburning brand in front of him. The panther, stricken with frightful panic, fled down the path, and then over the lake into the woods on the mainland. Henry Ware, laughing silently, returned to the cabin and lay down to sleepagain beside his comrades, who had slept on, undisturbed. 

CHAPTER XVII

FOOTPRINTS IN THE SNOW

The singular existence of the five in the little hollow in the hauntedisland endured much longer. The great cold had come early, and it held theearth fast in its grasp. The ice grew thicker on the lake beneath thesnow, and winds that would freeze one to the marrow swept over itssurface. Fortunately, there was plenty of fallen wood on the island, andthey never allowed the fire in Hart's furnace to go out. They never builtit up high, but a bed of coals was always smoldering there, sending outgrateful light and heat. 

Henry and Ross scouted at intervals, but only as a matter of habit ratherthan necessary precaution. They knew that the danger of an attack at sucha time had decreased to the vanishing point. Now Paul became for a whilethe central figure of what he called their little colony. His mentalresources were in great demand, and for the sake of his comrades he drewwillingly upon his stores of learning. In the evening, when they were allsitting before the coals, and could just see one another's faces in thefaint light, Paul would tell what he had read about other times and otherlands. He knew the outlines of ancient history, and the victories ofHannibal, Alexander, and Cæsar suffered nothing at his hands, thoughAlexander, as before, was condemned by Shif'less Sol and Ross. Paul, moreover, had both the dramatic and poetic sense, and he made thesefar-away heroes, of whom Jim Hart had never heard before, actually live inthe little cabin. 

"It 'pears to me, " said Shif'less Sol reflectively, "that that fellerHannibal wuz jest about the finest fighter o' them all. Ef, ez you say, Paul, he had to hire all kinds o' strangers an' barbarians, too, like thered Injuns out thar in the woods, an' lead sech a mixed lot up ag'in theRomans, who were no slouches in a fracas, an' whip 'em over an' overag'in, on thar own groun', too, then I call him about the smartest o' allthem old fellers. But he shore had the luck ag'in' him, an' I admire theman who kin stan' up an' fight the odds. "

"He has my sympathy, " said Paul. 

"What did them old-time fellers eat?" asked Jim Hart. 

"Mostly vegetables and grain, " replied Paul. 

"No wonder they're dead, " said Jim Hart solemnly. "I can't fight an' Ican't march good on anything but buffalo steak an' venison an' things uvthat kind. I has to have meat. "

Then Jim rose gravely, and looked at what he called his kitchen. 

"'Nough to last three or four weeks, " he said. "We'll shorely get fat an'lazy layin' roun' here an' doin' nothin' but eatin' an' sleepin' an'listenin' to Paul's tales. "

"You ought to appreciate your chance, Jim Hart, " said Shif'less Sol. "Efme an' Paul wuz to work on you about a hundred years, maybe we might makeyou into a sort o' imitation o' a eddicated man. But I reckon we'd have towork all the time. "

"You an eddicated man!" said Jim Hart indignantly. "Why, readin' a book isharder work to you than choppin' wood, an' they say you won't chop wood'less two big, strong men stand by you an' make you. "

"Never min', " said Shif'less Sol complacently; "I know I ain't had muchchances to become eddicated, but I hev the natur' o' an eddicated man. Mymind jest glows at the idea uv learnin', an' I respecks eddication with adeep an' lastin' respeck. "

Then both stopped to hear Paul begin the story of Troy for the secondtime, but when he came to the death of Hector he would have to stop to letShif'less Sol utter what he called a "few cuss words. " Hector, likeHannibal, had the sympathy of everyone, and Sol spoke for them all when hesaid: "'Twa'n't fair o' that air goddess Minerver hoppin' in an' helpin'A-Killus when Hector might hev a-slew him in a fair battle. Women ain'tgot no business mixin' in a fight. Whenever they do they allus help thewrong feller. I've no doubt that ef me an' Jim Hart was a-hittin' an'a-wrastlin', an' hevin' the terriblest fight you ever heard on, ef anywoman wuz to come along she'd pull me off the ornery, long-legged, knock-kneed, ugly Jim Hart--an' me a handsome man, too. "

"I wonder all the ice on the lake don't melt when it sees your face, SolHyde, " retorted Jim Hart scornfully. 

"I don't think much uv them old Greeks an' Trojans, " said Tom Ross, whoseldom delivered himself at length. "'Pears to me they had pow'ful cur'usways uv fightin'. Think uv a feller, when he feels like takin' a scalp, comin' out before the hull army an' beatin' a big brass shield till itrattled like a tin pan, an' then, when he got 'em all to lookin' an'listenin', hollerin' at the top uv his voice, 'I'm A-Killus, Defyer uv theLightnin', Slayer uv the Trojans, the terriblest fighter the world everseed! I pick up a ship in my right ban', an' throw it, with all thesailors in it, over a hill! When I look at the sun, it goes out, skeeredto death! I've made more widders an' orphans than any other ten thousan'men that ever lived. ' 'Pears to me them wuz the pow'fullest boasters thatever wuz born. Why, what they said wuz mostly lies. 'Twas bound to be so, an' their ways uv fightin' wuz plumb foolishness. Why, ef A-Killus wuz tocome along nowadays, beatin' his brass shield in the face an' hollerin'out his big words, some Shawnee layin' behind a rock would send a bulletthrough his head, jest ez easy ez knockin' over a rabbit, an' thet wouldbe the end uv Mr. A-Killus, an' a good thing fur all, too. "

"But there were no Shawnees and no rifles on the plains of Troy, Tom, "said Paul. 

"What uv it?" exclaimed Ross in hot indignation. "They didn't fight fair, anyway. It's jest ez Sol sez--whut did all them women goddesses mean byinterferin' an' allus sp'ilin' a good stan'-up fight? Now, ez Paul tellsit, Ole Jupe, a-settin' up on his golden throne, wuz willin' to tote fairan' let the Greeks an' Trojans fight it out among theirselves, but thewomen critters, whut had more power than wuz good fur 'em, couldn't keeptheir hands off. Every one uv 'em hed a fav'rite either among the Greeksor the Trojans, an' she had to go snoopin' 'roun', makin' his enemy seedouble, or throwin' a cloud over him so he couldn't see at all, orpumpin' all the blood out uv his veins an' fillin' 'em full uv water inthe place. Why, there ain't a Shawnee or Miami in all these woods thetwould he mean enough to take sech an' advantage ez askin' to be helped outby a squaw thet knowed witchcraft. Ez fur thet Paris feller, he wouldn'ta-lived a week down in Kain-tuck-ee!"

"But all this happened a long, long time ago, Tom, when ways weredifferent, " said Paul. 

Henry always listened with attention to these stories, and the sight ofPaul's flushed face and vivid eyes, as he talked, would please him. Heunderstood Paul. He knew that his comrade's mind ranged over not only thewilderness in which they dwelt, but over the whole world, and far intopast and future times. Hence he respected Paul with a deep respect. 

Presently the cold abated a little--just enough to let the surface of theice and snow soften a bit, and make walking easier. Then Henry and Rosscrossed once more to the mainland, partly to scout and partly to hunt. They easily killed a large deer which was half-imbedded in a snowdrift, and might have taken a fine cow buffalo in the same way; but, as the deerwas enough, they spared her. They dressed the body of the deer where ithad fallen, and, carrying it between them, started back. With instinctivecaution they kept to the thickest part of the forest, wishing to be hiddenas much as possible by the tree trunks, and they plodded along in silence, carrying their burden easily, because the two were very, very strong. Nearthe edge of the lake, but still in dense forest, Henry paused and lookeddown. Tom Ross also paused and looked down, his glance following Henry's. It was never necessary for these two to say much to each other. They didnot talk about things, they saw them. 

"Tracks of two Indians and one white, " said Henry. 

"Yes, " said Tom Ross. "White is Braxton Wyatt, uv course. He's stillhangin' about the Miami village. "

"And perhaps suspecting that we are yet in these parts. "

"Uv course. An' maybe thar will be trouble. "

They said no more, but each understood. Their own trail would be left inthe snow, and the sight of it would confirm all the suspicions of Wyattand the savages. Some such chance as this they had always expected, andnow they prepared to deal with it. They turned back into the forest, carrying with them the body of the deer, as they were resolved not toabandon it. Both had noticed that the slight abatement of the cold wasnot lasting. In an hour or two it would be as chill as ever, and once morethe surface of the snow would be icy. 

They stayed several hours in a dense clump of trees and bushes, and then, half walking, half sliding, they resumed their journey, but now they leftno trail. Each also had every sense alert, and nothing could come withinsound or sight and not be perceived first by these two wonderful trailers, masters of their craft. They reached the edge of the lake in the twilight, and then they sped swiftly over the ice to their island home. 

"I'm thinking, " said Henry Ware, at a council a little later, "thatBraxton Wyatt suspects we're here. He, of course, does not believe in theIndian superstitions, and maybe he'll persuade them to search the island. "

"An' since they kin come over the ice, we can't beat 'em off ez easy ez wecould ef they came in canoes in the water, " said Shif'less Sol. "I seetrouble ahead fur a tired man. "

Paul had been saying nothing, only sitting in a corner of the hut andlistening intently to the others. Now his face flushed and his eyessparkled with light, as they would always do whenever a great ideasuddenly came to him. 

"If Braxton Wyatt undertakes to persuade them there are no ghosts, " hesaid, "it is for us to persuade them that there are. "

"What do you mean, Paul?" asked Henry. 

"We must show the ghosts to them. "

Silence for a half minute followed. Then Shif'less Sol spoke up. 

"Meanin' ourselves?" he said. 

"Yes, " said Paul. 

The others looked at his glowing face, and they were impressed. 

"Just how?" said Henry. 

"If the Miamis come at all, they will come in the night, and that is whenghosts should appear. I'll be a ghost and Jim Hart will be another. Therest of you can lay hidden, ready to use the rifles if they are needed. "

"Well planned!" said Henry Ware. "We'll do it. "

CHAPTER XVIII

WHAT THE WARRIORS SAW

A few nights later a strong band of warriors left the Miami village, ledby the bold chief, Yellow Panther, and the renegade, Braxton Wyatt. Theparty was about thirty in number, and it included the most daring spiritsamong them. They were going against the wishes of the aged Gray Beaver, who foresaw only disaster from such a desecration; but Yellow Pantherfavored the venture, and Braxton Wyatt had urged it for a long time. 

Wyatt was no coward, and he did not believe in spirits. They had seentracks, white tracks, in the snow, and the sight confirmed him in hissuspicion that those whom he hated were hiding on the island in the lake. He burned for revenge upon Henry Ware and his friends, but he had to fightall the influence of Gray Beaver and the power of Indian superstition. Hewas about to despair of moving them when they saw the tracks--tracks thatled almost to the edge of the water. He considered this proof of histheory, and he urged it incessantly. He called attention to the encounterin the woods near the lake, and the later affair with the belt bearers. The latter had particular weight, as enough messengers had now passedbetween the Miamis and Shawnees to show that both had been the victims ofa clever and daring trick. Wyatt, therefore, was reinstated in the goodgraces of the savages, and his words had meaning to them. At last, withthe aid of Yellow Panther and the more daring spirits among the youngerwarriors, he prevailed, and the expedition started. 

It was a really formidable war party, thirty warriors or more, all wellarmed with rifles and ammunition bought from the Canadian traders, allhideous with paint, and all skilled in the lore and devices of thewilderness. Braxton Wyatt had talked to them so much, he had told them sooften that their superstitions were mere moonshine, that they began tobelieve, and they thrilled, moreover, with the hope of securing whitescalps. 

The cold was intense, and the frozen surface of the snow was very smooth;but the warriors, in thick moccasins of buffalo hide, with the hairunderneath, sped with sure step toward the lake. As Henry and Ross haddone, they kept in the thickest of the forest, passing from tree trunk totree trunk, because the Indian loves a surprise, an easy victory beingthe greatest of triumphs to him. It was such that they expected now, andthe blood of every one of them was inflamed by the logic and eloquence ofBraxton Wyatt and Yellow Panther. 

They reached the shores of the lake when the twilight had merged into thenight and the darkness was deep. They had foreseen that it would be such anight, otherwise they would have waited; but all seemed admirably suitednow to their purpose. They paused on the bank, and gathered in a closegroup. Across the white gleam of the snow they could barely see the duskyoutline of the island, and, despite the courageous frame of mind intowhich they had lashed themselves, despite the boldness of their leaders, they felt a tremor. The savage mind is prone to superstitions, and it isnot easy to cure it of them. That dim, dark outline out there in themiddle of the lake, now that they beheld it again with their own eyes, still had its unknown and mysterious terrors for them. 

But Braxton Wyatt and Yellow Panther knew too well to let them hesitate atthe very margin of their great exploit. They urged them forward, and thetwo themselves led the way, stepping upon the frozen surface of the lake, and advancing directly toward the island. Then the warriors came afterthem in a close cluster, their fur-shod feet making no sound, and theirforms invisible thirty yards away. Before them the black bulk of theisland, with its great trees, now loomed more distinctly, and theygathered courage as nothing happened. 

All knew that the ancient burying ground was on the north end of theisland, and so Braxton Wyatt and Yellow Panther led the way to the southend, intending to make a gradual approach to the other portion. 

Braxton Wyatt half expected, as he came near, that he might see a lightamong the trees. In weather so cold one must have a fire, and, relyingupon the ghostly protection, Henry Ware and his band would light it. Buthe saw nothing, and he began to fear that he might be mistaken. If therewas nobody on the island his credit with the Indians would be shaken, andhe was anxious to establish his power among his red friends. But he andYellow Panther pressed boldly on, and they could now see dimly theoutlines of individual tree trunks standing up in rows. 

The low shores of the island rose before them only thirty yards away, thentwenty, then ten, then they were there. But another moment of hesitationcame. Not in a generation had a Miami or any other Indian, so far as theyknew, set foot upon this haunted island, and the beliefs of many yearsare not to be swept away in a breath. 

It was Braxton Wyatt who took the lead again, and he boldly stepped uponthe haunted soil. Then a terrible thing happened. Every warrior all atonce saw two white figures perched upon the low bough of an oak. They wereshaped like men, but the outlines of arms and legs could not be seen. Rather they were the bodies of warriors completely enclosed in buffalorobes or deerskins for the grave, and these figures, swaying back andforth in the moonlight, and bearing all the aspects of supernaturalvisitors, filled the superstitious hearts of the Miamis with the terrorsof the unknown and invincible. The two shapes showed a ghostly white inthe pale rays, and the Miamis, in fancy at least, saw fiery and accusingeyes looking down at the sacrilegious men who had presumed to put foot onthe island dedicated to Manitou and the departed. 

A gentle wind brought a low groan to the ears of every man among them. 

The blood of the warriors chilled quickly in their veins. All theirsuperstitions, all the inherited beliefs of many generations, all the loreof the old squaws, told about innumerable camp fires, came crashing backupon them as those two ghostly white shapes, hovering there in thedarkness, continued to transfix them with an accusing gaze. There was aninvoluntary shudder, a sudden clustering together of the whole party, andthen, with a simultaneous cry of horror, they broke and fled in a wildpellmell far out upon the icy surface of the lake, and then on, bearingwith them in the rout both Yellow Panther and Braxton Wyatt. Nor did theydare to look back, because they knew that the terrible eyes of the longdeparted, upon whose territory they had intended to commit sacrilege, wereboring into their backs. The island was haunted, and would remain so formany a year, despite all that Braxton Wyatt and Yellow Panther had said. 

About the time the Miamis reached the mainland, and darted among the treesin the race for their own village, Paul Cotter and Long Jim Hart leapedlightly from the low bough of the oak, took off the enfolding robes ofwhite tanned deerskin, with holes for the eyes. 

"Jehoshaphat!" said Long Jim, as he threw the robes on the ground, "I'mglad that's over. Bein' a ghost jest about a minute is enough fur me. Iwuz scared to death lest I didn't groan good an' horrible. "

"But you never did a better job in your life, Jim, " said Henry, as he camefrom behind a tree. "You and Paul were the finest ghosts I ever saw, andno Indian will dare to set foot on this island in the next hundred years. "

"It shorely was a sight to see them braves run, " said Shif'less Sol. "Thar's many a tired man in that lot now. I think some o' 'em didn't hitthe ice an' snow more'n twice between here an' the lan'. "

"Paul's made the islan' ez safe fur us ez a stone fort ez long ez we wantto stay, " said Tom Ross. 

"It was a great plan, well done, " said Henry. 

Paul's face shone with the most intense delight. His imagination, leapingforward to meet a crisis, had served them all greatly, and he was happy. He had fought not with rifle and knife, but with the weapon of theintellect. 

"Now that this job is over, an' we're the big winners, " said Shif'lessSol, "I'm goin' to do what a tired man ought to do: go to sleep, wrappedup in buffalo robes, an' sleep about forty hours. "

"We'll all sleep, " said Henry. "As Tom says, we're as safe as if we werein a stone fort, and we don't need any guard. "

An hour later all of the valiant five were slumbering peacefully withintheir warm walls, and when they ate a good hot breakfast the next morning, cooked in Jim Hart's best fashion, they laughed heartily and often overthe night's great event. 

"I guess Mr. Braxton Wyatt will hev to work hard ag'in to prove to themsavages that he's real smart, " said Shif'less Sol. "This is another timethat he's led 'em right out o' the little end o' the horn. "

They luxuriated that day, resting most of the time In the hut, but on thefollowing day Henry and Ross went on a longer scouting expedition thanusual, this time in the direction of the Shawnee villages. The three whowere left behind broke fresh holes in the thick ice, and by the use ofmuch patience succeeded in catching several fine fish, which made apleasant addition to their daily diet. 

Henry and Ross were gone nearly a week, but their comrades did not becomealarmed over their long absence. When they returned they brought with thema budget of news from the Shawnee villages. Braxton Wyatt had returned tothe Shawnees, much disgusted with his stay among the Miamis, but stillresolved to form the great Indian alliance, and send it in the springagainst the white settlements in Kentucky. 

"It's too late for them to do anything this winter, " said Henry, and alittle exultation showed in his tone, "we've put that spoke in theirwheel; but they mean to hit us a terrible blow on the flank when warmweather comes. "

"What do you mean by 'on the flank'?" asked Paul. 

"They've learned in some manner, maybe by way of Canada, that a big wagontrain is coming up through the Wilderness Road in the spring, to join oursettlements. If it gets there it will double our strength, but the Indiansmean to make a great curve to the south and east and strike it just as itleaves the mountains. "

"They're smart in that, " said Shif'less Sol. "They'd be sure to hit themwagons when they ain't expected. "

"Yes, " said Henry Ware, "if the train is not warned. "

Paul looked at him and saw that his eyes were full of meaning. 

"Then we are to warn that train, " said Paul. 

"Yes, when the time comes. "

"It's the greatest work that we can do, " said Paul, with emphasis, and theothers nodded their agreement. It was all that was needed to bind the fivetogether in the mighty task that they had begun. 

Nothing more was said upon the subject for days, but Paul's mind was fullof it. His comrades and he had impeded the making of the great war trail, and now they were to see that reënforcements safely reached their own. Itwas a continuing task, and it appealed powerfully to the statesman sostrong in Paul. 

A very cold winter moved slowly along, and they remained on the island, though Henry and Ross ranged far and wide. On one of these expeditions thetwo scouts met a wandering trapper, by whom they sent word again to theirpeople in the south that they were safe. 

Henry and Ross also learned that Yellow Panther would lead the Miamis, RedEagle the Shawnees, and there would be detachments of Wyandots and others. They would fall like a thunderbolt upon the wagon train, and destroy itutterly. 

"And Braxton Wyatt will be with them?" said Paul indignantly. 

"Of course, " replied Henry. 

"Henry, we've got to save that wagon train, if every one of us diestrying!" exclaimed Paul, with the greatest possible emphasis. 

"Of course, " said Henry again, quietly, but with the stern determinationthat meant with him do or die. 

"It's a part o' our job, " drawled Shif'less Sol, "but it must be nigh athousand miles to the place whar the Wilderness Road comes out o' themountains. I see a terrible long journey ahead fur a tired man. "

Henry smiled. They all knew that none would be more zealous on the march, none more lion-hearted in battle, than this same Solomon Hyde, nicknamedthe shiftless one. 

"When do we start?" asked Jim Hart. 

"Not before the cold weather passes, " replied Henry. "It wouldn't be worthwhile. The emigrant train won't come through the mountains until spring, and we can do better work here, watching the savages. "

So they abode long in the hut on the haunted island, and had food andwarmth in plenty. But in the Indian villages there was the stir ofpreparation for the great war trail in the spring, and also the sense ofmystery and oppression. Yellow Panther, the Miami, and Red Eagle, theShawnee, both felt in some strange, unaccountable way that they werewatched. Half-lost tracks of unknown feet were seen in the snow; strangetrails that ended nowhere were struck; three warriors, every one at adifferent time, claimed to have seen a gigantic figure speeding in a palemoonlight through the leafless forest; one of the bravest of the Shawneewarriors was found dead, his head cleft so deep that they knew a mightyhand, one of almost marvelous strength, had wielded the tomahawk. Therewere signs of a terrible struggle in the snow, but who had attacked andwho defended they did not know, and the trail of the survivor was soonlost. A mysterious dread filled both Shawnees and Miamis. 

Braxton Wyatt raged at heart in the Shawnee village, and had theories ofhis own, but he dared not tell them. It was known there that it was he whohad led the Miamis into the sacrilegious invasion of the haunted island, and it would take his credit some time to recover from such a blow. Toreestablish himself thoroughly he must do valuable work for his redfriends on the coming great war trail. So he remained discreetly silentabout the haunted island, and told all he knew of the white settlements, the Wilderness Road, and the way to trap the emigrant train. Here he couldreally be of great assistance to the alliance, and he told the chiefs allabout the emigrants, how they marched, and how they would be encumberedwith women and children. 

Meanwhile, the five never ceased their vigilance. Henry and Ross bought alarge quantity of ammunition from a Canadian trader whom they met on atrip far to the north, and however much they used in the winter, they werenow assured of an abundance when they started southeast in the spring. 

The winter was long and very cold. One snow fell upon another; one freezeafter another thickened the ice upon the lake; and when the wind blew, ithad the edge of a knife. But this could not last forever. One day the windshifted around and blew from the south. Paul, who was outside the huthelping Jim Hart, felt a soft, warm breath on his face. 

"Why, Jim!" he said, "the cold seems to be going away. "

"So it is, " said Jim Hart, "or at least it's gittin' ready. Spring ain'tfar off, an' I'm glad, Paul. I'm tired uv winter, an' I want to bestrikin' out on the great war trail. "

"So do I, " said Paul. 

"Wa'al, fur the matter o' that, " said Shif'less Sol, "we've been on thegreat war trail fur three or four months now. There ain't to be no changeexcept in the shiftin' o' the trail. "

The warm wind continued to blow for days, the surface of the ice on thelake softened, and the snow began to melt. Still it blew, and the meltedsnow ran in rivers, the ice broke up into great sheets and chunks, andthese, too, rapidly dissolved. Then a warm rain came, pouring for a dayand a night, and the ice and snow were swept away entirely. But the wholeearth ran water. Lakes stood in the forest, and every brook and creek, rushing in torrents, leaped its banks. 

The five had remained in their hut when the rain came down, but two dayslater Henry and Ross were rowed over in the canoe, and went away to spyout the country. When they returned they said that the great war party ofthe allied tribes would soon be in motion, and it was time for the five totake their flight. 

A warm sun had been shining for days, and the earth had dried again. Theturbulent brooks and creeks had withdrawn to their accustomed beds, andfaint touches of green were beginning to show in the wilderness. 

"We'll leave our house just as we have built it, " said Henry. 

"Unless a white man should come wandering here, and that isn't likely, itwon't be disturbed. It's been a good place for us. "

"Yes, " said Paul, "it has been a good home to us. I've spent a happywinter here, and I want to see it again. "

But they had little time for sentiment. They were making the fast touchesof preparation for the second stage of the great war trail--arrangingclothing, light supplies of food, and, above all, ammunition. Then theyleft at night in their canoe. As they approached the mainland, all, as ifby involuntary impulse, looked back at the haunted island, looming darklyin the night. 

"It was no haunted island for us, " said Paul. 

"No, " said Henry. 

They landed, hid the canoe, and then, plunging into the forest, sped farto the south and east on tireless feet. 

CHAPTER XIX

THE WARNING

Meanwhile war belts were passing through all the forest, from tribe totribe, to Shawnee, Miami, Ottawa, Wyandot--to every band, large or small. Another great effort would be made to drive back the thin white vanguardthat was now entering the finest hunting ground savages had everknown--the vast green wilderness of the Mississippi Valley, where thewarriors had roamed and killed game for unknown generations. Northern andsouthern tribes had often met and fought in _Kain-tuck-ee_, but alwayseach retreated after the conflict to north or to south, leaving_Kain-tuck-ee_ as it was before--a land of forest and canebrake, inhabitedonly by the wild beast. 

Now, every warrior felt that the coming of the white stream over themountains, however slender it might be at first, threatened a change, great and disastrous to them, unless checked at once. These white men cutdown the forest, built houses that were meant to stay in one place--housesof logs--and plowed up the fields where the forest had been. They felt insome dim, but none the less certain, way that not only their favoritehunting grounds, but they and their own existence, were threatened. 

They had failed the year before in a direct attack upon the newsettlements, but these little oases in the wilderness must in time perishunless the white stream coming over the mountains still reached them, nourishing them with fresh bone and sinew, and making them grow. A greatwagon train was coming, and this they would strike, surprising it in thevast, dark wilderness when it was not dreaming that even a single warriorwas near. 

A great defeat they had suffered at Wareville the year before still stung, and the spur of revenge was added to the spur of need. What they felt theyought to do was exactly what they wanted to do, and they were full ofhope. They did not know that the stream flowing over the mountains, now sosmall, was propelled by a tremendous force behind it, the great white racealways moving onward, and they expected nothing less than a completetriumph. 

Active warriors passed through the deep woods, bearing belts and messages. Their faces were eager, and always they urged war. A long journey laybefore them, but the blow would be a master stroke. They were receivedeverywhere with joy and approval. The tomahawks were dug up, the wardances were danced, the war songs sung, and the men began to paint theirfaces and bodies for battle. A hum and a murmur ran through thenorthwestern forests, the hum and murmur of preparation and hope. Only thefive, on their little island in the lake, yet heard this hum and murmur, so ominous to the border, but they were ready to carry the message throughthe wilderness to those to whom the warning meant the most. 

 * * * * *

The largest wagon train that had yet crossed the mountains into_Kain-tuck-ee_ toiled slowly along the Wilderness Road among thefoothills, bearing steadily toward the Northwest. The line of canvascovers stretched away more than a hundred in number, and contained fivehundred souls, of whom, perhaps, half were men and boys capable of bearingarms, the rest women and children. 

They looked upon mountain, hill and forest, river and brook, with much thesame eyes as those with which Henry and Paul had beheld them not so verylong before, but they were not seeking at random in the wilderness as theWareville people had done. No, they moved forward now to a certain mark. They were to join their brethren at Wareville and Marlowe, and double thestrength of the settlements. Word had come to them over the mountainsthat the little outposts in the vast wilderness lived and flourished, andthe country was good. Moreover, they and their strength were needed. Wareville and Marlowe looked for them as eagerly as they looked forWareville and Marlowe. 

Spring was deepening, and already had drawn its robe of green over all theearth, but Daniel Poe, the commander of the wagon train, paid littleattention to its beauty. He was nearly sixty years of age, but in the veryprime of his strength--a great, square-shouldered man, his head and facecovered with thick, black beard. His eyes had their habitual look ofwatchful care. They had seen no Indian sign as they crossed the mountains, but he knew now that they were on the Dark and Bloody Ground, and thelives of five hundred human beings were a heavy responsibility. 

"You are sure the country is entirely safe?" he said to Dick Salter, oneof his guides. 

"I don't know no reason to doubt it, " replied Salter. "The savages don'toften get down here. The villages uv the northwestern tribes must be closeon to a thousand miles from here, an' besides they were beat off lastyear, an' beat badly, when they tried to rush Wareville. "

"That is so, " said Daniel Poe thoughtfully; "we had word of it. But, Dick, we can't afford to take all these people into danger here in thewoods. Look at the women and children. "

They had just begun to stop for the night, and to draw the wagons into acircle in a convenient, slightly hollowed, open place. The women andchildren were trooping about upon the grass, and the air was filled withthe sound of merry voices. All were browned by the sun, but they werehealthy and joyous, and they looked forward with keen delight to meetingkin who had gone on before at Wareville. They had no fear of the mightyforests, when more than two hundred pairs of strong arms fenced themabout. 

"That is shorely a pleasant sight, " said Dick Salter. "I've seed the samemany evenin's, an' I hope to see it many more evenin's. We'll get 'emthrough, Mr. Poe, we'll get 'em through!"

"I hope so, " said Daniel Poe earnestly. 

They had begun to light the evening fires, and in the west a great red sunblazed just above the hills. Daniel Poe suddenly put his hand upon DickSalter's arm. 

"Dick, what is that?" he said, pointing with a long forefinger. 

A black silhouette had appeared on the crest of a hill in the very eye ofthe sun, and Dick Salter, shading his brow with his hand, gazed long andanxiously. 

"It's a man, " he said at last, "an' ef I'm any judge uv a human bein' it'sabout the finest specimen uv a man that ever trod green grass. Look, Mr. Poe!"

The figure, outlined against its brilliant background, seemed to grow andcome nearer. Others had seen now, and the whole wagon train gazed withintent and curious eyes. They saw in the blazing light every detail of anerect and splendid figure, evidently that of a youth, but tall beyond theaverage of men. He was clad in forest garb--fringed hunting shirt andleggings and raccoon-skin cap. He stood erect, but easily, holding by themuzzle a long, slender-barreled rifle, which rested, stock upon theground. Seen there in all the gorgeous redness of the evening sunlight, there was something majestic, something perhaps weird and unreal, in thegrand and silent figure. 

"He's white, that's shore!" said Dick Salter. 

"He looks like a wilderness god, " murmured Daniel Poe, in his beard. 

"Look!" exclaimed Dick Salter. "There's another!"

A second figure appeared suddenly beside the first, that of a youth, also, not so tall as the first; but he, too, stood erect, silent andmotionless, gazing at the wagon train. 

"And a third!" exclaimed Daniel Poe. 

"And a fourth and fifth!" added Dick Salter. "See, there are five uv 'em!"

Three other figures had appeared, seeming to arise in the sunlight as ifby Arabian magic; and now all five stood there in a row, side by side, everyone silent and motionless, and everyone holding by the muzzle a long, slender-barreled rifle, its stock upon the ground, as he gazed at thetrain. 

A deep breath ran through the crowd of emigrants, and all--men, women, andchildren--moved forward for a better look. There was something mysteriousand uncanny in this sudden apparition of the five there in the blazinglight of the setting sun, which outlined their figures in every detail andraised them to gigantic proportions. On those hills only was light;everywhere else the mighty curving wilderness, full of unknown terrors, was already dark with the coming night. 

"It is our omen of danger. I feel it, I feel it In every bone of me, "murmured Daniel Poe into his great black beard. 

"We must find out what this means, that's shore, " said Dick Salter. 

But as he spoke, the first figure, that of the great, splendid youth, stepped right out of the eye of the sun, and he was followed in singlefile by the four others, all stepping in unison. They came down the hill, and directly toward the travelers. Again that deep breath ran through thecrowd of emigrants, and the chief note of it was admiration, mingled withan intense curiosity. 

All the five figures were strange and wild, sinewy, powerful, almost asdark as Indians, their eyes watchful and wary and roving from side toside, their clothing wholly of skins and furs, singular and picturesque. They seemed almost to have come from another world. But Daniel Poe wasnever lacking either in the qualities of hospitality or leadership. 

"Friends, " he said, "as white men--for such I take you to be--you arewelcome to our camp. "

The first of the five, the great, tall youth with the magnificentshoulders, smiled, and it seemed to Daniel Poe that the smile waswonderfully frank and winning. 

"Yes, we are white, though we may not look it, " he said in a clear, deepvoice, "and we have come near a thousand miles to meet you. "

"To meet us?" repeated Daniel Poe, in surprise, while Dick Salter, besidehim, was saying to himself, as he looked at one of the five: "Ef thatain't Tom Ross, then I'll eat my cap. "

"Yes, " repeated Henry Ware, with the most convincing emphasis, "it's youthat we've come to meet. We belong at Wareville, although we've been farin the North throughout the winter. My name is Henry Ware, this is PaulCotter, and these are Tom Ross, Sol Hyde, and Jim Hart. We must have aword with you at once, where the others cannot hear. "

Tom Ross and Dick Salter, old friends, were already shaking hands. HenryWare glanced at the emigrants pressing forward in a great crowd, andsympathy and tenderness showed in his eyes as he looked at the eager, childish faces so numerous among them. 

"Will you keep them back?" he said to Daniel Poe. "I must speak to youwhere none of those can hear. "

Daniel Poe waved away the crowd, and then took a step forward. 

"We have come, " said Henry Ware, in low, intense tones, "to warn you thatyou are going to be attacked by a great force of warriors, furnished bythe league of the northwestern tribes. They mean that you shall neverreach Wareville or Marlowe, to double the strength of those settlements. They would have laid an ambush for you, but we have been among them and weknow their plans. "

A shiver ran through the stalwart frame of Daniel Poe--a shiver ofapprehension, not for himself, but for the five hundred human livesintrusted to his care. Then he steadied himself. 

"We can fight, " he said, "and I thank you for your warning; I cannot doubtits truth. "

"We will stay with you, " said Henry Ware. "We know the signs of theforest, and we can help in the battle that is sure to come, and alsobefore and after. "

His voice was full of confidence and courage, and it sent an electricthrill through the veins of Daniel Poe. Henry Ware was one of thoseextraordinary human beings whose very presence seems to communicatestrength to others. 

"We'll beat 'em off, " said Daniel Poe sanguinely. 

"Yes, we'll beat 'em off, " said Henry Ware. Then he continued: "You musttell all the men, and of course the women and children will hear of if, but it's best to let the news spread gradually. "

Daniel Poe went back with the messengers to the wagons, and soon it wasknown to everybody that the Indians were laying an ambush for them all. Some wails broke forth from the women, but they were quickly suppressed, and all labored together to put the camp in posture of defense. Thestrangers were among them, cheering them, and predicting victory ifbattle should come. Paul, in particular, quickly endeared himself to them. He was so hearty, so full of jests, and he quoted all sorts of scraps ofold history bearing particularly upon their case, and showing that theymust win if attacked. 

"There was a race of very valiant people living a very long, long timeago, " he said, "who always made their armies intrench at night. Nobodycould take a Roman camp, and we've got to imitate those old fellows. "

Under the guidance of Paul and his friends, the Roman principle wasfollowed, at least in part. The wagons were drawn up in a great circle inan open space, where they could not be reached by a rifle shot from thetrees, and then more than two hundred men, using pick and spade, speedilythrew up an earthwork three feet high that inclosed the wagons. Henry Wareregarded it with the greatest satisfaction. 

"I don't know any Indian force, " he said, "that will rush such a barrierin the face of two or three hundred rifles. Now, Mr. Poe, you post guardsat convenient intervals, and the rest of you can take it easy inside. "

The guards were stationed, but inside the ring of wagons many fires burnedbrightly, and around them was a crowd that talked much, but talked low. The women could not sleep, nor could the children, whose curiosity wasintensely aroused by the coming of these extraordinary-looking strangers. The larger of the children understood the danger, but the smaller did not, and their spirits were not dampened at all. 

The night came down, a great blanket of darkness, in the center of whichthe camp fires were now fused together into a cone of light. A few starscame out in the dusky heavens, and twinkled feebly. The spring wind sighedgently among the new leaves of the forest. The voices of women andchildren gradually died. Some slept in blankets before the fires, andothers in the wagons, whose stout oak sides would turn any bullet. 

Daniel Poe walked just outside the circle of the wagons, and his heart washeavy with care. Yet he was upborne by the magnetic personality of HenryWare, who walked beside him. 

"How far from us do you think they are now?" he asked. 

"Fifty miles, perhaps, and they are at least a thousand strong. It wastheir object to fall suddenly upon you in the dark, but when their scoutsfind that you fortify every night, they will wait to ambush you on theday's march. "

"Undoubtedly, " said Daniel Poe, "and we've got to guard against it as bestwe can. "

"But my comrades and I and Dick Salter will be your eyes, " said Henry. "We'll be around you in the woods, watching all the time. "

"Thank God that you have come, " said Daniel Poe devoutly. "I think thatProvidence must have sent you and your friends to save us. Think whatmight have happened if you had not come. "

He shuddered. Before him came a swift vision of red slaughter--women andchildren massacred in the darkness. Then his brave heart swelled to meetthe coming danger. The night passed without alarm, but Henry, Ross, andShif'less Sol, roaming far in the forest, saw signs that told theminfallibly where warriors had passed. 

"The attack will come, " said Henry. 

"As sure as night follows day, " said Ross, "an' it's our business to knowwhen it's about to come. "

Henry nodded, and the three sped on in their great circle about the camp, not coming in until a little before day, when they slept briefly beforeone of the fires. When the people arose and found that nothing hadhappened, they were light-hearted. Nothing had happened, so nothing wouldhappen, they said to themselves; they were too strong for the danger thathad threatened, and it would pass them by. Day was so much more cheerfulthan night. 

They ate breakfast, their appetites brisk in the crisp morning air, andresumed the march. But they advanced slowly, the wagons in a close, triplefile, with riflemen on either side. But Daniel Poe knew that their chiefreliance now was the eyes of the five strangers, who were in the forest oneither side and in front. They had made a deep impression upon him, asthey had upon every other person with whom they came into contact. He hadthe most implicit confidence in their courage, skill, and faith. 

The wagons went slowly on through the virgin wilderness, Daniel Poe andDick Salter at their head, the riflemen all along the flanks. 

"We'll strike a river some time to-morrow, " said Salter. "It's narrow anddeep, and the ford will be hard. "

"I wish we were safely on the other side, " said Daniel Poe. 

"So do I, " said Dick Salter, and his tone was full of meaning. 

Yet the day passed as the night had passed, and nothing happened. They hadsafely crossed the mountains, and before them were gentle, rolling hillsand open forest. The country steadily grew more fertile, and often gamesprang up from the way, showing that man trod there but little. The daywas of unrivaled beauty, a cloudless blue sky overhead, green grass underfoot, and a warm, gentle wind always blowing from the south. How coulddanger be threatening under such a smiling guise? But the "eyes" of thetrain, which nothing escaped, the five who watched on every side, saw theIndian sign again and again, and always their faces were grave. 

"The train carries many brave men, " said Henry, "but it will need everyone of them. "

"Yes, " said Tom Ross; "an' ef the women, too, kin shoot, so much thebetter. "

That night they encamped again in one of the openings so numerousthroughout the country, and, as before, they fortified; but the women andchildren were getting over their fear. They were too strong. The Indianswould not dare to attack a train defended by three hundred marksmen--twohundred and fifty men and at least fifty women who could and would shootwell. So their voices were no longer subdued, and jest and laughter passedwithin the circle of the wagons. 

Paul remained by one of the fires, Henry and Shif'less Sol suggesting thathe do so because he was already a huge favorite with everybody. He wassitting comfortably before the coals, leaning against a wagon wheel, andat least a score of little boys and girls were gathered about him. Theywanted to know about the great wilderness, and the fights of himself andhis comrades with the red warriors. Paul, though modest, had the gift ofvivid narrative. He described Wareville, that snug nest there in theforest, and the great battle before its wooden walls; how the women, ledby a girl, had gone forth for water; how the savages had been beaten off, and the dreadful combat afterward in the forest through the darkness andthe rain. He told how he had been struck down by a bullet, only to becarried off and saved by his comrade, Henry Ware--the bravest, the mostskillful, and the strongest hunter, scout, and warrior in all the West. Then he told them something of their life in the winter just closed, although he kept the secret of the haunted island, which was to remain theproperty of his comrades and himself. 

The children hung upon his words. They liked this boy with the brillianteyes, the vivid imagination, and the wonderful gift of narrative, thatcould make everything he told pass before their very eyes. 

"And now that's enough, " said Paul at last. "You must all go to sleep, asyou are to start on your journey again early in the morning. Now, off withyou, every one of you!"

He rose, despite their protests, this prince of story tellers, and, bidding them good-night, strolled with affected carelessness outside thecircle of wagons. The night was dark, like the one preceding, but theriflemen were on guard within the shadows of the wagons. 

"Do you see anything?" Paul asked of one. 

"Nothing but the forest, " he replied. 

Paul strolled farther, and saw a dark figure among the trees. As heapproached he recognized Shif'less Sol. 

"Any news, Sol?" he asked. 

"Yes, " replied the shiftless one, "we've crossed trails of bands threetimes, but the main force ain't come up yet. I guess it means to wait alittle, Paul. I'm awful glad we've come to help out these poor women an'children. "

"So am I, " said Paul, glancing at the black forest. "They've got to gothrough a terrible thing, Sol. "

"Yes, an' it's comin' fast, " said the shiftless one. 

But nothing happened that night, at least so far as the camp wasconcerned. The sentinels walked up and down outside, and were notdisturbed. The women and children slept peacefully in the wagons, or intheir blankets before the fires, and the clear dawn came, silver at firstand then gold under a sky of blue. 

The "eyes" of the train had come in as before, and taken their nap, andnow were up and watching once more. Breakfast over, the drivers swungtheir whips, called cheerfully to their horses, and the wagons, again inthree close files, resumed the march. 

"We'll strike the ford about noon to-day, " said Dick Salter to Daniel Poe. 

"I wish we were safely on the other side, " said Daniel Poe, in the exactwords of the day before. 

"So do I, " repeated Dick Salter. 

The wagons moved forward undisturbed, their wheels rolling easily over thesoft turf, and some of the women, forgetting their alarms, softly sangsongs of their old homes in the East. The children, eager to seeeverything in this mighty, unknown land, called to each other; but all thetime, as they marched through the pleasant greenwood, danger was comingcloser and closer. 

CHAPTER XX

THE TERRIBLE FORD

"The ford ain't much more than an hour's march farther on, " said DickSalter to Daniel Poe, "an' the way to it leads over purty smooth groun'. "

"And we have not seen anything of the warriors yet, except the trails ofsmall bands, " said Daniel Poe hopefully. "It may be that our new friendsare mistaken. "

Dick Salter shook his head. 

"Tom Ross never makes a mistake in matters uv that kind, " he said, "an'that boy, Henry Ware, couldn't ef he tried. He's wonderful, Mr. Poe. "

"Yes, " said Daniel Poe. "Nobody else ever made such an impression upon me. And the one they call Paul is a fine fellow, too. I wish I had a son likethat. "

"He's the most popular fellow in the train already, " said Dick Salter. 

Both looked admiringly at Paul, who was walking near the head of the line, a group of lithe, strong-limbed boys and girls surrounding him andbegging him for stories of the wilderness. Paul remained with the train byarrangement. It was his business to cheer, invigorate, and hearten for agreat task, while his comrades roamed the forest and looked for the dangerthat they knew would surely come. Never did youth succeed better at hischosen task, as confidence spread from him like a contagion. 

Paul presently quickened his steps, and came quite to the head of theline, where Daniel Poe and Dick Salter were walking, both circling theforest ahead of them with anxious eyes. They and Paul at the same time sawa figure emerge from the woods in front. It was Henry, and he was comingon swift foot. In an instant he was before them, and Paul knew by his lookthat he had news. 

"They are waiting?" said Paul. 

"Yes, " replied Henry. "They are in the thickets at the ford, less than twomiles ahead. "

Daniel Poe shuddered again--for the five hundred lives in his charge--andthen his heart rose. The waiting, the terrible suspense, were over, and itwas battle now. The fact contained relief. 

"Shall we halt?" he said to Henry. Unconsciously, he, too, was submittingto the generalship of this king of forest runners. 

"No, " replied Henry; "we've got to go on some time or other, and they canwait as long as we can. We must force the passage of the ford. We can doit. "

He spoke with confidence, and courage seemed to leap like sparks from himand set fire to the others. 

"Then it's go ahead, " said Daniel Poe grimly. "We'll force the passage. "

"Put all the little children, and all the women who don't fight, in thewagons, and make them lie down, " said Henry. "The men must swarm on eitherflank. My comrades will remain in the front, watching until we reach theriver. "

Then a great bustle and the chatter of many voices arose; but it soon diedaway before stern commands and equally stern preparations, because theywere preparing to run as terrible a gantlet as human beings ever face, these dauntless pioneers of the wilderness. The children were quicklyloaded in the wagons, and all the weaker of the women; but with the men onthe flanks marched at least two-score grim Amazons, rifle in hand. 

Then the train resumed its slow march, and nothing was heard but therolling of the wheels and the low cluck of the drivers to their horses. The way still led through an open, parklike country, and the road waseasy. Soon those in front saw a faint streak cutting across the forest. The streak was silvery at first, and then blue, and it curved away tonorth and south among low hills. 

"The river!" said Daniel Poe, and he shut his teeth hard. 

All the men and the Amazons drew a long, deep breath, like a sigh; butthey said nothing, and continued to march steadily forward. The riverbroadened, the blue of its waters deepened, and from the high ground onwhich they marched they could see the low banks on the farther shore, crowned by clustering thickets. 

Three men emerged from the undergrowth. They were Tom Ross, Shif'less Sol, and Long Jim Hart. The shiftless one looked lazy and careless, and JimHart, stretching himself, looked longer and thinner than ever. 

"We found it, Henry, " said Ross. "Little more'n a mile to the south, menwadin' to the waist kin cross. "

"Good!" said Henry. "We're lucky!"

He began to give rapid, incisive commands, and everyone obeyed as a matterof course, and without jealousy. Daniel Poe was the leader of the wagontrain, but Henry Ware, whom they had known but a few days, was its leaderin battle. 

"Take fifty men, " he said to Ross, "the best marksmen and the stanchestfighters, and cross there. Then come silently among the thickets up thebank, to strike them when they strike us. "

Paul listened with admiration. He knew Henry's genius for battle, and, like the others, he was inspired by his comrade's confidence. The fiftymen were quickly told off behind the wagons, and, headed by Tom Ross andJim Hart, they disappeared at once in the woods. Shif'less Sol remainedwith Henry and Paul. 

"Now, forward!" said Henry Ware, and the terrible, grim march was begunagain. There was the river, growing broader and broader and bluer andbluer as they came closer. The children and women--except the Amazons--sawnothing because they were crouched upon the floors of the wagon beds, butthe drivers, every one of whom had a rifle lying upon the seat beside him, were at that moment the bravest of them all, because they faced thegreatest danger. 

"Slowly!" said Henry, to the leading wagons. "We must give Sol and his mentime for their circuit. "

He noted with deep joy that the ford was wide. At least five wagons couldenter it abreast, and he made them advance in five close lines. 

"When you reach the water, " he said to the drivers, "lie down behind thefront of the wagon beds, and drive any way you can. Now, Sol, you and Iand Dick Salter must rouse them from the thickets. "

The three crept forward, and looked at the peaceful river under thepeaceful sky. So far as the ordinary eye could see, there was no humanbeing on its shores. The bushes waved a little in the gentle wind, and thewater broke in brilliant bubbles on the shallows. 

But Henry Ware's eyes were not ordinary. There was not a keener pair onthe continent, and among the thickets on the farther bank he saw a stirthat was not natural. The wind blew north, and now and then a bush wouldbend a little toward the south. He crept closer, and at last he saw acoppery face here and there, and savage, gleaming eyes staring through thebushes. 

"Tell the wagons to come on boldly, " he said to Shif'less Sol, and theshiftless one obeyed. 

"Now, Sol, " he said, when the man returned, "take fifty more riflemen, andhide in that thicket, at the highest part of the bank. Stay there. Youwill know what else to do. "

"I think I will, " said the shiftless one, and every trace of indifferenceor laziness was gone from him. He was the forester, alert andindomitable--a fit second to Henry Ware. Then Henry and Jim Hart alonewere left near the river's brink. Henry did not look back. 

"Are the wagons coming fast?" he asked. 

"Yes, " said Jim Hart, "but I'm beckonin' to 'em to come still faster. They'll be in the water in three minutes. Listen! The drivers are whippin'up the horses!"

The loud cracking of whips arose, and the horses advanced at a trot towardthe ford. At the same instant Henry Ware raised his rifle, and fired likea flash of lightning at one of the coppery faces in the thicket on theopposite shore. The death cry of the savage rose, but far above it rosethe taunting shout of the white youth, louder and more terrible than theirown. The savages, surprised, abandoned their ambush. The leading wagonsdashed into the water, and down upon them dashed the picked power of theallied western tribes. 

In an instant the far edge of the water was swarming with coppery bodiesand savage faces, and the war whoop, given again and again, echoed far upand down the stream, and through the thickets and forest. Rifles crackedrapidly, and then blazed into volleys. Bullets sighed as they struck onhuman flesh or the wood of wagons, and now and then they spattered on thewater. Cries of pain or shouts of defiance rose, and the furious conflictbetween white man and red rapidly thickened and deepened, becoming aconfused and terrible medley. 

Henry Ware and Jim Hart ran down into the stream by the side of theleading wagons, and loaded and fired swiftly into the dense brown massbefore them. Nor did they send a bullet amiss. Henry Ware was conscious atthat moment of a fierce desire to see the face of Braxton Wyatt amid thebrown horde. He knew he was there, somewhere, and in the rage of conflicthe would gladly have sent a bullet through the renegade's black heart. Hedid not see him, but the dauntless youth pressed steadily forward, continually shouting encouragement and showing the boldest example of themall. 

A bank of blue and white smoke arose over the stream, shot through by theflashes of the rifle firing, and out of this bank came the defiant shoutsof the combatants. Suddenly, from the high bank, on the shore that theyhad just left, burst a tremendous volley--fifty rifles fired at once. Ayell of pain and rage burst from the savages. Those rifles had mowed aperfect swath of death among them. 

"Good old Sol! Good old Sol!" exclaimed Henry, twice through his shutteeth. "On, men, on! Trample them down! Drive the wagons into them!"

A second time the unexpected volley burst from the hill, and a storm ofbullets beat upon the packed mass of the savages at the edge of the water. Henry Ware had been a true general that day. Shif'less Sol and his men, from their height and hid among the bushes, poured volley after volleyinto the savages below, spurred on by their own success and thedesperation of the cause. 

The front wagons advanced deeper into the water and the smoke bank, andthe others came, closely packed behind in a huddle. Unearthly screamsarose--the cries of wounded or dying horses, shot by the savages. 

"Cut them loose from the gear, " cried Henry, "and on! always on!"

Swift and skillful hands obeyed him, and some of the wagons, in the wildenergy of the moment, were carried on, partly by a single horse and partlyby the weight of those behind them. The shouts of the savages neverceased, but above them rose the cry of the dauntless soul that now led thewagon train. More than one savage fired at the splendid figure, never moresplendid than when in battle; but always the circling smoke or the hand ofProvidence protected him, and he still led on, unhurt. They were now nearthe middle of the river, and Shif'less Sol and his men never ceased topour their fire over their heads and into the red ranks. 

"Now! Now!" muttered Henry, through his shut teeth. He was praying for TomRoss and the first fifty, and as he prayed his prayer was answered. 

A great burst of fire came from the thickets on their own side of theriver, and the savages were smitten on the flanks, as if by a bolt oflightning. It seemed to them at the same moment as if the fire of the menwith the wagon train, and of those on the high bluff, doubled. Theyrecoiled. They gave back and they shivered as that terrible fire smotethem a second and a third time on the flank. The soul of Shawnee, Miami, and Wyandot alike filled with dread. In vain Yellow Panther and Red Eagle, great war chiefs, raged back and forth, and encouraged their warriors togo on. In vain they risked their lives again and again. The great bulk ofthe wagons bore steadily down upon them, and they were continually lashedby an unerring fire from three points. Well for the people of the wagontrain that a born leader had planned their crossing and had led them thatday!

"They give, they give!" shouted Henry Ware. "We win, we win!"

"They give, they give! We win, we win!" shouted the brave riflemen, andthey pressed forward more strongly than ever. By their side waded the boldAmazons, fighting with the best. 

The wagons themselves offered great shelter for the pioneers. As Henry hadforeseen, they were driven forward in a mass, which was carried partly byits own impetus. If the Indians had thought to fire chiefly upon thehorses they would have accomplished more, but the few of these that wereslain did not check the progress of the others. Meanwhile, the riflemenlurked amid the wheels and behind the wagon beds, incessantly pouringtheir deadly hail of bullets upon the exposed savages, and the driversfrom sheltered places did the same. The train became a moving fort, belching forth fire and death upon its enemies. 

The defenders did not advance without loss. Now and then a man sank anddied in the stream, many others suffered wounds, and even the women andchildren did not escape; but through it all, through all the roar andtumult, all the shouting and cries, the train drew steadily closer to thewestern bank. 

"Now, boys, " shouted Shif'less Sol to his faithful fifty, "they're aboutto run! Pour it into 'em!"

At the same time Tom Ross was giving a similar command to his own equallyfaithful fifty, and they closed up on the flank of the allied tribes, andstung and stung. Henry Ware, through the drifting clouds of smoke andvapor, saw the savages waver again, and, shouting to the boldest tofollow, he rushed forward. Then Shawnees, Miamis, and Wyandots, despitethe fierce commands of Yellow Panther and Red Eagle, broke and fled fromthe water to the shore. There Tom Ross stung them more fiercely than everon the flank, and the fire of Shif'less Sol from the high bluff reachedthem with deadly aim. They broke again, and, filled with superstitiousterror at their awful losses, fled, a panic horde, into the woods. 

"On, on!" shouted Henry Ware, in tremendous tones. "They run, they run!"

The whole train seemed to heave forward, as if by one convulsive buttriumphant movement. Shif'less Sol and his men came down from the bluffand dashed into the water behind them; Ross and his fifty came forwardfrom the thicket to meet them; and thus, dripping with water, smoke, blood, and sweat, the whole train passed up the western bank. The terribleford had been won!

CHAPTER XXI

THE FLIGHT OF LONG JIM

Although the terrible ford had been won, Henry Ware knew that the dangerwas far from over. The savages, caught on the flank and shot down fromabove, had yielded to momentary panic, but they would come again. To anysouls less daring than this band of pioneers, the situation would havebeen truly appalling. They were in the vast and unknown wilderness, surrounded everywhere by the black forest, with the horde, hungry forslaughter, still hanging upon their flanks; but among them all, scarce onewoman or child showed a craven heart. 

Led by Henry Ware, the wagons filed into an open space--a plain or littleprairie--about a quarter of a mile beyond the ford, and there, stillfollowing his instructions, they drew up in a circle. He considered thisopen space a godsend, as no marksmen hidden in the woods could reach themthere with a bullet. As soon as the circle was completed, the women andchildren poured forth from the wagons, and began to join the men infortifying. There was mingled joy for victory and grief for loss. They hadleft dead behind in the river, and they had brought more with them; ofwounds, except those that threatened to be mortal, they took little count. Even as they worked, scattering shots were fired from the forest, but theypaid no heed to them, as all the bullets fell short. 

Right in the center of the circle, inclosed by the wagons, a half dozenchosen spademen dug a deep hole, and then the dead were brought forth, ready for burial. A minister prayed and the women sang. Overhead, the latesun burned brilliant and red, and from the forest, as a kind of sternchorus, came the pattering rifle shots. But the last ceremony, all themore solemn and impressive because of these sights and sounds, went onunbroken. The dead were buried deep, then covered over, and the groundtrodden that none might disturb their rest. Then all turned to the livingneed. 

The five, barring slight scratches suffered by Ross and Shif'less Sol, hadescaped unhurt, and now they labored with the others to throw up the wallof earth about the wagons. A spring took its rise in the center of theplain, and flowed down to the river. This spring was within the circle ofthe wagons, and they were assured of plenty of water. 

Henry Ware looked over the crowd, and he rejoiced at their spirits, whichhad not been dampened by the sight of their dead. They had foughtmagnificently, and they were ready to fight again. Already fires wereburning within the circle of the wagons, and the women were cookingsupper. The pleasant odor of food arose, and men began to eat. Daniel Poe, as usual, turned to Henry. 

"You are sure that they will make a new attack?" he said. 

"Yes, " replied Henry. "They have not come so far to retire after onerepulse. We outflanked them there at the river, but they think that theywill certainly get us, burdened as we are with the women and children. It's still a long road to Wareville. "

"We can never repay the debt we owe to you and your comrades, " said DanielPoe. 

"Don't think of it. It's the thing that we were bound to do. "

Daniel Poe looked at the setting sun, now red like blood. Far over thewestern forest twilight shadows were coming. 

"I wish this night was over, " he said. 

"If they attack we'll beat them off, " said Henry confidently. 

"But the cost, the cost!" murmured Daniel Poe. 

Paul meanwhile was within the circle of wagons, in his great role ofsustainer. He had fought like a paladin in the battle, and now he wastelling what a great fight they had made, and what a greater one theycould make, if need be. High spirits seemed to flow spontaneously fromhim, and the others caught the infection. More than one Amazon looked athim affectionately, as she would have looked at a son. Shif'less Soljoined him as he stood by one of the fires. 

"I've been workin' out thar with a spade more'n an hour, " said theshiftless one in a tone of deep disgust, "an' I'm tired plumb to death. I'll lay down before that fire an' sleep till mornin', ef every one uv youwill promise not to say a word an' won't disturb me. "

A laugh arose. 

"Why, Mr. Hyde, " exclaimed one of the Amazons, "they say there was not amore industrious man in the battle than you. "

"Wa'al, " said Shif'less Sol, slowly and reflectively, "a man, ef he'scrowded into a corner, will fight ef his life depends on it, but I kincome purty near to livin' without work. "

"You deserve your sleep, Mr. Hyde, " said the woman. "Just stretch outthere before the fire. "

"I'll stretch out, but I won't sleep, " said the shiftless one. 

He was as good as his word, and admiring hands brought him food, which heate contentedly. Presently he said in a low voice to Paul:

"That's right, Paul, hearten 'em up. They've got a lot to stand yet, an'it's courage that counts. "

Paul knew this truth full well, and he went back and forth in the circle, ever performing his chosen task, while Henry outside planned and laboredincessantly for the defense against a new attack. Fifty men, sharp of eyeand ear, were selected to watch through half the night, when fifty more, also sharp of eye and ear, were to take their places. All the others wereto sleep, if they could, in order that they might be strong and fresh forwhat the next day would bring forth. 

The scattering fire from the forest ceased, and everything there becamesilent. No dusky forms were visible to the defenders. The sun droppedbehind the hills, and night, thick and dark, came over the earth. Thepeace of the world was strange and solemn, and those in the beleagueredcamp felt oppressed by the darkness and the mystery. They could not seeany enemies or hear any, and after a while they began to argue that sincethe savages could no longer be seen or heard, they must have gone away. But Henry Ware only laughed as they told him so. 

"They have not gone, " he said to Daniel Poe, "nor will they go to-nightnor to-morrow nor the next night. This train, when it starts in themorning, must be a moving fort. "

Daniel Poe sighed. As always, he believed what Henry Ware said, and theprospect did not invite. 

The darkness and the silence endured. The keenest of the watchers saw andheard nothing. The moon came out and the earth lightened, then darkenedagain as clouds rolled across the heavens; the camp fires sank, and, despite their alarms, many slept. The wounded, all of whom had receivedthe rude but effective surgery of the border, were quiet, and the wholecamp bore the aspect of peace. Paul slipped from the circle, and joinedHenry outside the earthwork. 

"Do you see anything, Henry?" he said. 

"No, but I've heard, " replied Henry, who had just come out of thedarkness. "The Shawnees are before us, the Miamis behind us, and thewarriors of the smaller tribes on either side. The night may pass withoutanything happening, or it may not. But we have good watchers. "

Paul stayed with him a little while, but, at Henry's urgent request, hewent back inside the circle, wrapped himself in a blanket and lay down, his face upturned to the cloudy skies which he did not see. He did notthink he could sleep. His brain throbbed with excitement, and his vividimagination was wide awake. Despite the danger, he rejoiced to be there;rejoiced that he and his comrades should help in the saving of all thesepeople. The spiritual exaltation that he felt at times swept over him. Nevertheless, all the pictures faded, his excited nerves sank to rest, and, with his face still upturned to the cloudy skies, he slept. 

Far after midnight a sudden ring of fire burst from the dark forest, andwomen and children leaped up at the crash of many rifles. Shouting theirwar whoop, the tribesmen rushed upon the camp; but the fifty sentinels, sheltered by the earthwork, met them with a fire more deadly than theirown, and in a moment the fifty became more than two hundred. 

Red Eagle and Yellow Panther had hoped for a surprise, but when theunerring volleys met them, they sank back again into the forest, carryingtheir dead with them. 

"You were right, " said Daniel Poe to Henry Ware; "they will not leave us. "

"Not while they think there is a chance to overpower us. But we've shown'em they can't count on a surprise. "

The camp, except the watchers, went back to sleep, and the night passedaway without a second alarm. Dawn came, gray and cloudy, and the peopleof the train awoke to their needs, which they faced bravely. Breakfast wascooked and eaten, and then the wagons, in a file of four, took up theirmarch, a cloud of keen-eyed and brave skirmishers on every side. The trainhad truly become what Henry said it must be, a moving fort; and, thoughthe savages opened fire in the woods, they dared not attack in force, soresolute and sure-eyed were the skirmishers and so strong a defense werethe heavy wagons. 

All day long this terrible march proceeded, the women and childrensheltered in the wagons, and the savages, from the shelter of the forest, keeping up an irregular but unceasing fire on the flanks. The whiteskirmishers replied often with deadly effect, but it grew galling, almostunbearable. The Indians, who were accustomed either to rapid success orrapid retreat, showed an extraordinary persistence, and Henry suspectedthat Braxton Wyatt was urging them on. As he thought of the effect ofthese continued attacks upon the train, he grew anxious. The bravestspirit could be worn down by them, and he sought in vain for a remedy. 

They camped the second night in an open place, and fortified, as before, with a circular earthwork; but they were harried throughout all the hoursof darkness by irregular firing and occasional war whoops. Fewer peopleslept that night than had slept the night before. Nerves were raw andsuffering, and Paul found his chosen task a hard one. But he workedfaithfully, going up and down within the fortified circle, cheering, heartening, and predicting a better day for the morrow. 

That day came, cloudless and brilliant above, but to the accompaniment ofshouts, shots, and alarms below. Once more the terrible march was resumed, and the savages still hung mercilessly on their flanks. Henry, withanxious heart, noticed a waning of spirit, though not of courage, in thetrain. The raw nerves grew rawer. This incessant marching forward betweenthe very walls of death could not be endured forever. Again he sought away out. Such a way they must have, and at last he believed that he hadfound it. But he said nothing at present, and the train, edged on eitherside with fire and smoke, went on through the woods. 

A third time they camped in an open space, a third time they fortified;but now, after the supper was over, Henry called a council of the leaders. 

"We cannot go on as we have been going, " he said. "The savages hang to uswith uncommon tenacity, and there are limits to human endurance. "

Daniel Poe shook his head sadly. The awful lacerating process had neverceased. More men were wounded, and the spirits of all grew heavier andheavier. Paul still walked among the fires, seeking to cheer and inspire, but he could do little. Dread oppressed the women and children, and theysat mostly in silence. Outside, an occasional whoop came from the depthsof the forest, and now and then a rifle was fired. The night was comingon, thick and ominous. The air had been heavy all the day, and now somberclouds were rolling across the sky. At intervals flashes of lightningflared low down on the black forest. Heavy and somber, like the skies, were the spirits of all the people. A wounded horse neighed shrilly, andin an almost human voice, as he died. 

"We must take a new step, " said Henry; "things cannot go on this way. Itis yet a hundred and fifty miles, perhaps, to Wareville, and if thesavages continue to hang on, we can never reach it. "

"What do you propose?" asked Daniel Poe. 

Henry Ware stood erect. The light of the council fire flared upon hissplendid, indomitable face. All relied upon him, and he knew it. 

"I have a plan, " he said. "To-morrow we can reach an unforested hill thatI know of, with a spring flowing out of the side. It is easy to hold, andwe shall have plenty of water. We will stop there and make our stand. Meanwhile, we will send to Wareville for help. The messenger must leaveto-night. Jim Hart, are you ready?"

Jim Hart had been sitting on a fallen tree, all humped together. Now heunfolded himself and stood up, stretched out to his complete length, sixfeet four inches of long, slim man, knotted and jointed, but as tough aswire--the swiftest runner in all the West. Long Jim, ugly, honest, andbrave, said nothing, but his movement showed that he was ready. 

"Jim Hart was made for speed, " continued Henry. "At his best he is likethe wind, and he can run all the way to Wareville. He'll leave in a halfhour, before the moon has a chance to rise. "

"He'll never get through!" exclaimed Daniel Poe. 

"Oh, yes, he will!" said Henry confidently. "Bring all the men Warevillecan spare, Jim, and fall upon them while they are besieging us at theTable Rock. "

Little more was said. Had the train afforded paint, they would havestained Jim's face in the Indian way; but the utmost that they could dowas to draw up his hair and tie it in a scalp lock, like those of theShawnees. Fortunately, his hair was dark, and his face was so thoroughlytanned by weather that it might be mistaken in the night for an Indian's. Then Long Jim was ready. He merely shook the hands of his four comradesand of Daniel Poe, and without another word went forth. 

The night was at its darkest when Jim Hart slipped under one of the wagonsand crept across the open space. The heavy clouds had grown heavier, andnow and then low thunder muttered on the horizon. The fitful lightningceased, and this was occasion for thanks. 

Jim Hart crept about twenty yards from the circle of the wagons, and thenhe lay flat upon the earth. He could see nothing in the surrounding rim offorest, nor could he hear anything. A light hum from the camp behind himwas all that came to his ears. He slipped forward again in a stoopingposition, stopped a moment when he heard a rifle shot from the other sideof the camp, and then resumed his shambling, but swift, journey. Now hepassed the open space and gained the edge of the woods. Here the dangerlay, but the brave soul of Long Jim never faltered. 

He plunged into the gloom of the bushes and trees, slipping silently amongthem. Two warriors glanced curiously at him in the dark, but in a momenthe was gone; a third farther on spoke to him, but he shook his headimpatiently, as if he bore some message, and only walked the faster. Nowhis keen eyes saw savages all around him, some talking, others standing orlying down, quite silent. He was sorry now that he was so tall, as his wasa figure that would cause remark anywhere; but he stooped over, trying tohide his great height as much as possible. He passed one group, then two, then three, and now he was a full four hundred yards from the camp. Hiscurving flight presently brought him near three men who were talkingearnestly together. They noticed Hart at the same time, and one of thembeckoned to him. Long Jim pretended not to see, and went on. Then one ofthem called to him angrily, and Jim recognized the voice of Braxton Wyatt. 

Long Jim stopped a moment, uncertain what to do at that critical juncture, and Braxton Wyatt, stepping forward, seized him by the arm. It was dark inthe woods, but the renegade, looking up, recognized the face and figure. 

"Jim Hart!" he cried. 

Long Jim's right hand was grasping the stock of his rifle, but his leftsuddenly flashed out and smote Braxton Wyatt full in the face. Therenegade gasped and went down unconscious, and then Long Jim turned, andran with all the speed that was in him, leaping over the low bushes andracing among the tree trunks more like a phantom than a human being. Ashout arose behind him, and a dozen rifle shots were fired. He felt asting in his arm, and then blood dripped down; but it was only a fleshwound, and he was spurred to greater speed. 

A terrible yell arose, and many warriors, trained runners of the forest, with muscles of steel and a spirit that never tired, darted after him. ButLong Jim, bending his head a little lower, raced on through the dark, hisstrength growing with every leap and his brain on fire with energy. Hepassed two or three savages--far-flung outposts--but before they couldrecover from their surprise he was by them and gone. Bullets sang pasthim, but the long, slim figure cut the air like an arrow in the wind. After him came the savages, but now he was beyond the last outposts, andthe footsteps of his pursuers were growing fainter behind. Now he openedhis mouth, and emitted a long, quavering, defiant yell--answer to theirown. After that he was silent, and sped on, never relaxing, tireless likesome powerful machine. The pursuit died away behind him, and though somemight hang on his trail, none could ever overtake him. 

The low thunder still muttered, and the fitful lightning began to flareagain. Now and then there were gusts of rain, swept by the wind; butthrough all the hours of rain and dark the runner sped on, mile uponmile. 

Day dawns and finds him still flitting! But now there is full need of thyspeed, Jim Hart! Five hundred lives hang upon it!

Speed ye, Long Jim, speed ye!

CHAPTER XXII

THE LAST STAND

Henry Ware and the others, listening at the circle of the wagons, heardthe flare of shots, and then, a little later, a lone but long and defiantcry, that seemed to be an answer to the others. 

"That's Jim Hart, and he's through!" exclaimed Henry exultantly. "Nowhe'll fairly eat up the ground between here and Wareville. "

That night another attack, or rather feint, was made upon the train; butit was easily beaten off, and then morning came, raw and wet. The woodsand grass were dripping with the showers, and a sodden, gray sky chilledand discouraged. The fires were lighted with difficulty and burned weakly. The women and children ate but little, casting fearful glances at therain-soaked forest that circled about them. But Paul, as usual, with hisbright face and brighter words, walked among them, and he told them a goodtale. Long Jim Hart, with muscles and a soul of steel, had gone forth thatnight, and he would bring help. They were to march to a place called theTable Rock, where they would stay until the relief came. Graduallydowncast heads were lifted and sunken spirits rose. 

The gantlet began in the usual fashion an hour later, and throughout allthat long, dismal morning it was a continual skirmish. The savages pressedcloser than ever, and all the vigilance and accuracy of the riflemen wereneeded to drive them off. One man was killed and several were wounded, butthe borderers merely shut their teeth down the harder and marched on. 

Toward noon they saw a flat-topped hill, with a stony surface, a littlestream running down its side, and Henry uttered a cheerful shout. 

"The Table Rock!" he said. "Here we can hold off all the savages in theWest!"

The train increased its slow gait, and all hearts grew lighter. Thesavages, as if determined that the wagons should not gain the shelter, pressed forward, but after a short but fierce combat were driven off, andthe train circled triumphantly up the slope. 

It was indeed all that Henry had claimed for it--an ideal place for aprotected camp, easy to defend, difficult to take. Not all the surface wasstone, and there was abundant grazing ground for the horses. The springthat gushed from the side of the hill was inside the lines, and neitherhorse nor man lacked for pure water. 

Now they fortified more strongly than ever, throwing up earthworks higherthan before and doubling the sentinels. Fallen wood was plentiful, and atHenry's direction the fires were built high and large in order that theymight drive away discouragement. Then a semblance of cheerfulness made itsappearance, and the women and children began to talk once more. 

"Long Jim will go through if any mortal man can, " said Henry Ware toDaniel Poe. 

"Pray God that he succeeds, " said Daniel Poe. "Surely, no wagon train everbefore ran the deadly gantlet that ours has run. "

Shif'less Sol strolled into the circle of fires, and sat down with Paul. 

"Now, this is what I call true comfort fur a tired man, " he said. "Here weare with nuthin' to do but set here an' rest, until somebody comes an'takes us to Wareville. Them savages out thar might save theirselves a heapo' trouble by goin' peacefully away. Makes me think o' that siege o' Troyyou wuz talkin' about, Paul, only we won't let any wooden horse in. "

"Maybe there is some likeness, " said Paul. 

"Maybe thar is, " continued Shif'less Sol, in his cheerful tones; "but TomRoss wuz right when he said the way them Greeks an' Trojans fought wasplumb foolish. Do you think that me, Sol Hyde, is goin' to take a tin panan' go beatin' on it down thar among the bushes, an' callin' on thebiggest boaster o' all the savages to come out an' fight me? No, sir; Iwouldn't go fifty yards before I'd tumble over, with a bullet through me. "

Most of the people laughed, and the shiftless one continued with random, cheery talk, helping Paul to hearten them. The two succeeded to a greatdegree. There was mourning for the dead, but it was usually silent. Theborderers were too much accustomed to hardship and death to grieve longover the past. They turned themselves to present needs. 

The night was rainy, and unusually cold for that time of the year, andHenry Ware rejoiced because of it. The savages in the thickets, despitetheir hardiness, would suffer more than the emigrants in the shelter ofthe wagons. Henry himself, although he caught little naps here and there, seemed to the others able to do without sleep. He kept up an incessantwatch, and his vigilance defeated two attempts of the warriors to creep upin the darkness and pour a fire into the train. 

A second day came, and then a third, and the savages resumed theircontinuous skirmishing. A single warrior would creep up, fire a shot, andthen spring away. They did little damage, but they showed that no one wassafe for a moment outside the circle of wagons. If help did not come, theywould never leave their rock. 

Time wore on, and the beleaguered camp became again a prey to gloom. Womenand children fell sick, and the hearts of the men were heavy. The ring ofsavages drew closer, and more than once bullets fell inside the circle ofthe wagons. It was hard work now for Paul and Shif'less Sol to keep up thespirits of the women and children, and once, at a council, some one talkedof surrender. They might at least get good treatment. 

"Never think of such a thing!" said Henry Ware. "All the men would bekilled, tortured to death, and all the women and children would be takenaway into slavery. Hold on! Jim Hart will surely get through. "

But the warriors steadily grew bolder. They seemed to be animated by thecertainty of triumph. Often through the day and night they utteredtaunting shouts, and now and then, in the day time, they would appear atthe edge of the woods and make derisive gestures. Daniel Poe grew gloomy, and sadly shook his head. 

"Help must come soon, " he said, "or our people will not have spirit tobeat back the savages the next time they try to rush the camp. "

"It will come, it will surely come!" said Henry confidently. 

The worst night of all arrived. More of the women and children fell sick, and they did not have the energy to build up bright fires. It was to Rossand Shif'less Sol that this task fell; but, though they kept the fireshigh, they accomplished little else. Paul lay down about midnight andslept several hours, but it was a troubled night. The savages did notrest. They were continually flitting about among the trees at the foot ofthe hill, and firing at the sentinels. Little flashes of flame burst outhere and there in the undergrowth, and the crackle of the Indian riflesvexed continually. 

Paul rose at the first coming of the dawn, pale, unrested, and anxious. Hewalked to the earthwork, and saw Henry there, watching as always, seemingly tireless. The sun was just shooting above the hills, and Paulknew that a brilliant day was at hand. 

"At any rate, Henry, " Paul said, "I prefer the day to the night while weare here. "

Henry did not reply. A sudden light had leaped into his eye, and he wasbent slightly forward, in the attitude of one who listens intently. 

"What is it, Henry?" asked Paul. 

Henry lifted his hand for silence. His attitude did not change. Everynerve was strained, but the light remained in his eye. 

"Paul, " he cried, "don't you hear them? Rifle shots, far away and veryfaint, but they are coming toward us! Long Jim is here, and Wareville withhim!"

Then Paul heard it--the faint, distant patter, as welcome sounds as everreached human ears. He could not mistake it now, as he was too much usedto the crackle of rifle shots to take it for anything else. His face wastransfigured, his eyes shone with vivid light. He sprang upon theearthwork, and cried in tones that rang through all the camp:

"Up, up, men! Long Jim and the Wareville riflemen are coming!"

The train blazed into action. Forth poured the hardy borderers in scores, surcharged now with courage and energy. The firing in front of them hadrisen into a furious battle, and above the roar and the tumult rose thecheering of white men. 

"Long Jim has surprised them, and he is half way through already!" criedHenry exultantly. "Now, men, we'll smite 'em on the flank!"

In a moment the whole force of the train, the Amazons included, were intothe very thick of it, while Long Jim and two hundred riflemen, dealingout death on every side, were coming to meet them. The battle was short. Surprised, caught on both flanks, the savages gave way. There was atremendous firing, a medley of shouts and cries for a few minutes, andthen the warriors of the allied tribes fled deep into the woods, not tostop this time until they were on the other side of the Ohio River. 

Forth from the smoke and flame burst a tall, gaunt frame. 

"Long Jim!" cried Henry, seizing his hand. "It's you that's saved us, Jim!"

After him came a fine, ascetic face--the Reverend Silas Pennypacker--andhe fairly threw himself upon his beloved pupil, Paul. And then the bravemen from Wareville pressed forward, and some from Marlowe, too, welcomingthese new people, whom they needed so badly, and who had needed them. ButDaniel Poe said solemnly, in the presence of all:

"It is these who saved us in the first instance!"

He indicated the valiant five--Henry Ware, Paul Cotter, Tom Ross, Shif'less Sol Hyde, and Long Jim Hart. And the whole camp, seeing andhearing him, burst into a roar of applause. 

The next morning the train resumed its march in peace and safety. 

 * * * * *

It was a month later, and spring had fully come. Once more the vastwilderness was in deep green, and little wild flowers sprang up here andthere where the sun could reach them. Two youths, unusually alert in faceand figure, were loading pack horses with heavy brown sacks filled tobursting. 

"This powder has kept dry and good all through the winter, " said thelarger of the youths. 

"Yes, Henry, " replied the other, "and we are lucky to come back here andbe able to take it into Marlowe, after all. "

Henry Ware laughed. It was a low, satisfied laugh. 

"We have certainly been through many trials, Paul, " he said; "but, withTom, Sol, and Jim, we bore our part in turning the allied tribes back fromthe great war trail. "

Paul Cotter's face was illumined. 

"Kentucky is saved, " he said, "and I shall be happy all my life because ofthe knowledge that we helped. "

"It is surely a pleasant thought, " said Henry. 

Then they whistled to their loaded horses, and marched away through thegreenwood, this time to reach Marlowe in safety. 

THE END