river and the rain. But Robert expected it. He knew
the horde would be quiet for a while, hoping for a surprise the second
time after the first one had failed.

"It was bold," he said, "for a single warrior to come floating down the
stream in search of us."

"But it would have succeeded if Tayoga hadn't been awake," said the
hunter. "One warrior could have knifed us all at his leisure."

"Where do you think they are now?"

"They must be crouched in the shelter of rocks. If they had nothing over
them the storm would take the fighting spirit for the time out of
savages, even wild for scalps. I'm mighty glad we have the canoe. It
holds the food we need for a siege, and if the chance for escape comes
it will bear us away. I think, Tayoga, I can see a figure stirring
among the boulders on the other side farther up."

"I see two," said the Onondaga, "and doubtless there are others whom we
cannot see. Keep close, my friends, I think they are going to fire."

A dozen rifles were discharged from a point about a hundred yards away,
the exploding powder making red dots in the darkness, the bullets
rattling on the stone cliff or sending up little spurts of water from
the river. The volley was followed by a shrill, fierce war whoop, and
then nothing was heard but the flowing of the river and the rushing of
the rain.

"You are not touched?" said Tayoga, and Robert and Willet quickly
answered in the negative.

"They don't know just which way to aim their guns," said Willet, "and so
long as we keep quiet now they won't learn. That shout of yours, Tayoga,
was not enough to tell them."

"But they must remember about where the hollow is, although they can't
pull trigger directly upon it, owing to the darkness and storm," said
Robert.

"That about sums it up, my boy," said the hunter. "If they do a lot of
random firing the chances are about a hundred to one they won't hit us,
and the Indians don't have enough ammunition to waste that way."

"I don't suppose we can launch the canoe and slip away in it?"

"No, it would be swamped by the rain and the flood. It's likely, too,
that they're on watch for us farther down the stream."

"Then this is our home and fortress for an indefinite time, and, that
being the case, I'm going to make myself as easy as I can."

He drew the blanket under his body again and lay on his elbow, but he
held his rifle before him, ready for battle at an instant's notice. His
feeling of comfort returned