y. In two places these
traces were packed closely.

"About twenty warriors gathered at each of these spots," said Henry,
"and lifted the cannon into the wagons. Look how deep some of these
footmarks are! That was when the weight of the cannon sank them down.
The Indians could have gone across the creek without the slightest
trouble, but the cannon and the wagons delayed them quite a while. Come,
boys, we've got to do some wading ourselves."

Reaching the opposite bank they found where the cannon had been lifted
out again, and saw the deep ruts made by their wheels running on through
the forest.

"I don't find the traces of no boot heels," said Silent Tom. "What's
become uv them English?"

"They're riding now," replied Henry. "They're not as used as the Indians
to forest marches, and they've all been compelled to take to the wagons
for a while. But they won't stay in 'em long."

"Why not?"

"Because Alloway won't want the warriors to look down on him or his men,
and the Indians are impressed by physical strength and tenacity. As soon
as they're fairly rested he'll get out and make all the others get out
too."

In a half-hour he called their particular attention to a point in the
great trail.

"All of them got out of the wagons here," he said. "Look where the boot
heels cut into the ground. What's this? A warrior coming out of the
forest has joined them here. Perhaps he was a man sent by Braxton Wyatt
or Blackstaffe to tell how they were getting along in their siege of us,
and here is another trail, where a dozen warriors split from the band."

"A huntin' party, o' course," said the shif'less one as he looked at it.
"They send 'em off on ev'ry side, ev'ry day, an' we've got to watch
mighty close, lest some o' them light on us."

"Still," said Henry, "when they got their game they wouldn't come
straight back to a trail already old. They'd go on ahead to catch up.
It's lucky that we've got plenty of venison and don't have to do any
hunting of our own. Jim, you certainly did noble work as a cook back
there."

"Which reminds me," said Long Jim, "that I'll chaw a strip uv venison
now."

"Jim wuz always a glutton," said the shiftless one, "but that won't keep
me from j'inin' him in his pleasant pursuit."

Daylight found them in dense canebrake with the road that the army had
been forced to cut for the cannon leading on straight and true.

"We'll find another camp about a half mile ahead," said Henry.

"Now