re we
were concealed, but the thick bushes prevented a gleam of light falling
upon us. He was evidently on the alert, and the difficulty of seizing
him was increased. He looked round, but appeared to have discovered
nothing. It was important to master him without delay, before the
return of the white man, when we should have two people to deal with
instead of one.

Again the Dominie began to creep forward; careful as he was, the Indian
must have heard the noise, for he again stood up with a bow in his hand
ready to shoot. Seeing nothing, he drew in the painter and stepped on
shore, advancing a few paces and gazing round him, peering towards where
we were crouching down. Should he discover us, he would have time to
shoot and afterwards bound away out of our reach. Presently we heard a
sound as if some creature, if not a human being, was passing through the
forest at a short distance on the farther side of where he stood; he
turned his head as if satisfied that it had caused the sounds he had
heard, and with his arrow on the string he advanced a pace or two, as if
searching for the animal. As we could not expect a more favourable
moment for our purpose, the Dominie and I simultaneously sprang forward.
With one bound we were upon the Indian, before he had time to turn and
defend himself. The Dominie seized him by the neck, and striking his
legs we brought him to the ground, when Rose, as he opened his mouth to
cry out, thrust into it the handkerchief she had torn from her head. He
struggled violently to free himself, but as the black woman was also as
strong as a man, we were able to hold him down until she had secured my
handkerchief round his legs. The Dominie and I then fastened his arms
behind him, turning him over with very little ceremony. So effectually
had Rose gagged him that he was beginning to grow black in the face from
suffocation, but we were unwilling to withdraw it, lest he should shout
out and warn his companion of what had happened. Lest the latter should
hear us, we also did not speak above a whisper.

"The sooner we place our prisoner at a distance from this the better,"
said the Dominie, and with the assistance of Rose, we lifted him up and
carried him almost to the point we had reached when we at first saw the
canoe.

He allowed himself to be carried unresistingly along, but we were not
deceived by this, as we knew perfectly well that he was but waiting an
opportunity to get free. We n