him in the darkness, which was now heavy, veiling
either shore from him. Had it not been for the rifle it would have been
an easy matter to evade pursuit. Swimming with one arm was a difficult
thing to do, no matter how strong and skillful one might be. But the
pursuing warriors, who would certainly carry weapons, suffered from the
same disadvantage. He heard another faint report, seeming to come from
some point miles away, and a bullet struck the water near him, dashing
foam in his eyes. It was fired from the bank, but it was the last from
that point. He was so far out in the river now that his head became
invisible from the shore, and he was helped, also, by the wind, which
caused one wave to chase another over the surface of the river.

Henry was now about the middle of the stream, here perhaps half a mile
in width, and he paused, except for the drifting of the current, and
rested upon arm and shoulder. He looked up. The sky was still darkening,
and only a faint silvery mist showed where the moon was poised. Then he
looked toward either shore. Both were merely darker walls in the general
darkness. He did not see any of the heads of the swimming warriors on
the surface of the river, and he believed that they had lost him in the
obscurity.

Refreshed by his floating rest of a minute or two, he turned once more
toward the Kentucky shore. It was an illusion, perhaps, but it seemed to
him that he had been lying at the bottom of a watery trough, and that he
was now ascending a sloping surface, broken by little, crumbling waves.

He swam slowly and as quietly as possible, taking care to make no splash
that might be heard, and he was beginning to believe that he was safe,
when he saw a dark blot on the yellow stream. Far down was another such
blot, but fainter, and far up was its like.

They were Indian canoes, and the one before him contained but a single
occupant. Henry surmised at once that they were sentinels sent there in
advance of the main force, and that the trained eyes of the warriors in
the canoes would pierce far in the darkness. It seemed that the way was
shut before him, and that he would surely be taken. He felt for an
instant or two a sensation of despair. If only the firm ground were
beneath his feet he could fight and win! But the watching warrior before
him was seated safely in a canoe and could pick him off at ease.
Undoubtedly the sentinels had been warned by the shots that a fugitive
was coming, and