at all disposed to be reckless. He
knew that an Indian bullet could kill him, as well as another man, and
he had none of that affectation of courage which so often belies the
boaster and the reckless man.

"Hyer's your barge," said Kit, ahead of us, when we had gone less than
half a mile down the stream.

"So it is; but I did not leave it here," I replied, as I glanced at the
boat.

"That Injun has come up stream in it, and left it hyer. Most like he
ain't fur from hyer."

I assisted Ella into the barge. Kit seated himself in the bow, and I
took the oars.

"Fotch her over under the further shore, boy," said Kit, as I pushed
off the boat. "Keep as fur as you kin from danger allus."

The old hunter's suggestion was certainly a good one, as was fully
demonstrated only a few minutes later. I pulled the barge to the other
side of the river; but we had gone only a few rods before the crack of
a rifle, followed by a whizzing bullet, assured us the enemy were at
hand. The barge was painted white, and was a shining mark in the night
for the savages to fire at.

"O, mercy!" cried Ella.

"Did it hit you?" I asked, alarmed by her cry.

"No, no--but----"

"Don't make any noise, then."

"Run the barge ashore hyer, boy," said Kit Cruncher, quietly.

I obeyed instantly; but another shot followed the first one, though,
fortunately, neither of them did any harm.

"Let the gal go ashore," added Kit.

I understood his plan, and assisted Ella to land.

"Run up the bank into the woods, and get behind a tree," I said to her,
as a third shot came across the river.

But the Indians were firing blindly in the dark, and though the last
bullet hit the boat, we were still safe. Kit stepped on the shore, and
we dragged the boat out of the water. The hunter paused on the bank of
the river, and gazed across in the direction from which the shots came.

"There's three on 'em over thyer," said Kit. "The shots was too near
together to come out of one barrel. Haul the barge up the bank afore
they hev time to load up agin."

The barge was light, and we had no difficulty in taking it up the bank
into the woods. For the present we were safe; but it was certain that
there were three savages on the bank of the river, and between us and
the Castle. We had, luckily, escaped injury so far, and Kit was not the
man to lead us into any unnecessary peril. We were now on the tongue of
land between the Big and the Little Fish Rivers, and only a s