n out uv sech poor stuff to start
with."

"I'm still willin' to learn, Jim," grinned Shif'less Sol.

"The trail! The trail!" suddenly exclaimed Henry.

They had emerged from heavy forest into a stretch of canebrake through
which ran a long swath, trampled by many feet and cut by deep ruts. Here
the cannon had passed perhaps a week ago, and they could follow the
ruts as easily as the wheel of an engine follows the rails.

"I 'low they can't make more'n ten or fifteen miles a day," said Silent
Tom.

"While we, if we were hard pressed, could go thirty or forty, or more,"
said Paul.

"We could overtake 'em in three days," said Henry.

"An' hevin' done it," said the shiftless one, "what are we goin' to do
next?"

"It's the cannon we're after, as we all know," said Henry, "and I
confess that I can't see yet how we're going to get at 'em."

"I fancy we can tell more about it when we approach the Indian army,"
said Paul.

"There's no other way," said Henry. "If we keep close beside 'em we may
get a chance at the cannon, but we've got to look out for Braxton Wyatt
and his gang, who will be just behind us, on the same trail."

"Then we go straight ahead?" said Paul.

They followed the great trail nearly all night, under the clear moon and
stars, a fine drying wind having taken away all the dampness. As usual
Henry led and Silent Tom brought up the rear, the one in front keeping
an eye for a rear guard and the one behind watching for the advance of
Braxton Wyatt's force. The trail itself was leisurely. The speed of the
cannon had to be the speed of the army, and there was ample time for
parties to leave on hunting expeditions, and then rejoin the main band
with their spoils.

"They're living well," said Henry, as he pointed to the dead coals of
numerous fires, and the quantities of bones scattered about "They've
had buffalo, bear, deer, turkey and lots of small game."

"It's an ideal country for an Indian army to travel in," said Paul. "The
game fairly swarms in it."

"An they don't spare it neither," said Shif'less Sol. "These warriors
are jest eatin' thar way down to the settlements."

"Here's where they kept their cannon," said Henry, pointing to a place
near the edge of the opening, "and they covered them for the night with
strong canvas."

"How do you know that?" asked Long Jim.

"See this thorn bush growing just beside the place. The edge of the
canvas caught on the thorns and when they pulled it away