Long
Jim were sound asleep.

CHAPTER XI

THE SHIFTLESS ONE

The next day dawned as brilliant as the one that had gone before, a
golden sun clothing the vast green forest in a luminous light. It seemed
to Henry that each day, as the spring advanced, deepened the intense
emerald glow of the leaves. Down in the valley he caught the sparkle of
the brook, as it flowed swiftly away toward a creek, to be carried
thence to the Ohio, and on through the Mississippi to the sea.

Further up the opposite slope, five or six hundred yards away, were
gathered the Indians around a fire in an opening, eating breakfast.
Henry saw Wyatt and Blackstaffe with them, and he counted eighteen
figures. As they had already suffered severe losses he concluded that
they had received a small reinforcement, since they must have out four
or five scouts and spies watching the little fortress.

Evidently they had not been daunted by their repulse of the night
before, as they were broiling venison on the ends of sharpened sticks
and eating heartily. The two white men finishing their food lay down on
the grass and rested lazily. By and by the red members of the band did
likewise.

"It's just as we thought last night," said Henry, "They will not try to
carry us by assault again, but will undertake to starve us out with a
long siege. Even if they've guessed the meaning of our smoke they don't
know that we have in here running water that runs on forever."

"Would they care to carry on a long siege?" asked Paul.

"Maybe not, if Wyatt were not there. You know how he hates us all, and
he will be continually urging them to attack us. Perhaps Red Eagle and
Blackstaffe will now go on and join the main army, leaving Wyatt with a
chosen band to take us by siege."

"'Pears likely to me," said Long Jim, who was listening. "It's easy
enough for them to set thar out uv range an' hold us in here, but they
forget one mighty important thing."

"What's that, Jim?"

"Shif'less Sol. He's in the bush, an' he kin stalk 'em when he pleases.
They don't know that the warrior killed at the door last night fell
afore his bullet, an' he kin bring down one uv 'em any time he feels
like it. Thar's a panther in the bushes right by the side uv 'em an'
they don't know it. An' it's a panther that will bite 'em, too, an' git
away ev'ry time. Hark to that, will you?"

They heard the distant sound of a rifle shot and saw one of the Indians
around the campfire sink over