time and go to the big camp."

They curved again toward the south and west, keeping to the thickest
part of the forest and using every possible device to hide their trail,
knowing its full necessity, as the day was brilliant and one, unless
under cover, could be seen from afar. Game started up in their path and
Henry took it as new proof that the main body of the Indians had gone.
Deer, scared away by the hunters, were so plentiful that they would
return soon after the danger for them departed. Nevertheless both he and
the shiftless one were apprehensive of wandering warriors who might see
them from some covert, and their progress, of necessity, was slow.

They came to several grassy openings, in one of which the buffalo were
feeding, but Henry and his comrade always passed around such exposed
places, even at the cost of greatly lengthening their journey. At one
point they heard a slight sound in the forest, and being uncertain
whether it was made by an enemy they remained crouched in the thicket at
least a half-hour. Then they heard another faint report in the north and
their keen ears told them it came from a point near the rocky hollow.

"I can't make anything of it," whispered Henry, "except that the boys
are besieged as we feared. I've tried to believe that the shots were
fired by Indians at game, but I can't force my belief. The reports all
come from the same place, and they mean exactly what we wish they didn't
mean."

"But they mean too," said the shiftless one, courageously, "that so long
as we hear 'em the boys are holdin' out. The warriors wouldn't be
shootin' off their guns fur nothin'."

"That's true. Now, we haven't heard that sound again. It must have been
made by a wildcat or a wolf or something of the kind. So let's press
on."

The great curve through the forest took them late in the afternoon to
the site of the big camp. They were sure, long before they reached it
that it had been abandoned. They approached very carefully through the
dense woods, and they heard no sound whatever. It was true that a little
smoke floated about among the dense leaves, but both were certain that
it came from dying fires, abandoned many hours ago.

"You don't hear anything, do you?" asked Henry.

"Not a sound."

"Then they're gone."

Rising from the undergrowth they boldly entered the camp, where perhaps
a thousand warriors had danced and sung and feasted and slept for days.
Now the last man was gone, but they