d came again.

It was like nothing I had ever heard before, and what was more strange,
it was impossible to make out whence it came, for it rose and fell, rose
again, and then died out.

"What is it?" I said to Morgan. "An Indian cry?"

"No," he replied. "Hark! There it is again."

Yes; there it was again, but appeared to be from a fresh direction.

"Is it something down amongst the bushes--a frog or a young 'gator?"

"No; I don't think it can be that, sir. I've heard nearly every sound
they make, and it isn't anything like that."

All was still again, and we moved on slowly farther into the forest,
going cautiously in and out among the trees, our weapons ready, and a
strict look-out kept for the enemy. For it seemed to me that the main
body could not be far off, our encounter having been with a skirmishing
party.

"There again," I whispered. "What is it, Hannibal?"

He was kneeling down now listening; and as he looked up at me, I could
see that he was puzzled, for he shook his head.

"Han done know," he said.

Again the sound came--a hoarse, gurgling, faint noise, as from a great
distance, but somehow we were as far off from understanding what it
meant as ever.

"Never mind," said Morgan. "It isn't what we are looking for. Go on,
Han; we must find that boy, and escape for our lives."

The great black nodded and started off at once, Morgan and I going to
right and left of him, and we searched through the great trees, working
away round the opening cleared from the forest for our house, but though
the sound continued, we could find no trace of the cause nor yet of the
poor boy, who had dropped completely out of sight.

My heart sank as I felt sure that the Indians must have surprised him,
and moment by moment, as we started again into the forest, making now
toward the rattlesnake clearing and the path leading to the
landing-place, I expected to come upon him lying dead where he had been
struck down.

But we examined the place again and again in every direction without
success, and we were neither of us sufficiently skilled to attempt in
the gloom beneath the trees to find him by his tracks.

The sound had nearly ceased now, only occurring faintly at intervals,
and still it was as confusing as ever, for we could not make out whence
it came.

At last we stopped at the edge of the rattlesnake clearing, near where
the path struck out leading to the water-side.

"What are we to do, Master Georg