tness.

"This is bad," said Henry. "This is so much like daylight that I believe
they could follow our tracks."

The long plaintive howl of a wolf came from a point directly behind
them, not a quarter of a mile away.

"They hev it now," said Long Jim, "an' they're follerin' us fast."

"Then there is nothing to do but run," said Henry. "We must not stop to
fight if we can help it."

They broke into the long frontier trot, still heading south, slightly by
east, and they did not hear the plaintive cry again for a half hour, but
when it came it was nearer to them than before, and they increased their
gait. A mile further on, Henry, who was in the lead, stopped abruptly.
They had come to the steep banks of a wide and deep creek, a stream that
would be called a river in almost any other region.

"We can't wade it," said Tom Ross.

"Then we must swim it," said Shif'less Sol.

"Yes. But listen," said Henry Ware.

From a point up the stream came a low, measured beat, like a long sigh.

"Paddles," said Henry, speaking low, "and those paddles belong to Indian
canoes, at least a dozen of them. They are coming down the creek, which
must empty into the Ohio not a great many miles from here."

"If we run along the bank uv the creek we give them behind us a chance
to gain," said Tom Ross.

"And then be enclosed between the war party and the canoes," said Henry.
"No, we must swim for it at once. Every fellow tie his ammunition around
his neck, and hold his rifle above his head. If we have to fight we must
have weapons for the fighting."

His counsel was quickly taken, and then there was a plunk as he sprang
into the creek. Four more plunks followed almost instantly, as every one
leaped into the water in his turn. Four heads appeared above the surface
of the stream and, also, four outstretched arms holding rifles. It was
not such an easy task to swim with a single arm, but all five had
learned to do it, and across the creek they went, still in single file,
Henry leading the way. Here, with no boughs and leaves to intercept it,
the moonlight fell with uncommon brilliancy upon the water. The entire
surface of the creek, a deep and placid stream, was turned to molten
silver, shimmering slightly under the night wind. The heads, necks, and
outstretched arms of the swimmers were outlined perfectly against it.
Every feature of the five was disclosed, and behind them, shown clearly,
was the crumbling wake of every one.

They wer