ghed, saying it must
have been John's alert instinct which told him that some one was drawing
near, and made him imagine he heard such a sound. The boys did not agree
with him, however, for he also undertook to say that Ree had not heard a
footstep at all, but being keenly alive to detect the approach of anyone,
had imagined he heard a noise before he really did, all through that
peculiar sense which he called instinct.

"But anyway it's a good thing for you, Tom Fish, that you hollered when
you did," said John. "I was just on the point of giving you a dose of
these lead pills that you are so everlastingly talking about!"

Tom's face lengthened. "You don't want to be too quick with your pill
box, boy," said he. "You want to see what an' who you're shootin' at.
Great Snakes, now! What if ye had peppered away at me?"

"Well, don't come creeping up like a sneaking Mingo then," laughed John,
and Ree, who knew that John had not seen Tom until after he called, and
had been really frightened, joined in his chum's merriment.

"But tell us what you found, Tom," urged Ree.

"Well, I'll tell ye," Tom slowly and very soberly answered, "I don't know
what to make of it. Them tracks was made by a redskin an' they came
straight to the camp along the trail we made yesterday. Then after
leaving here, they strike off an' go straight to the little lake across
from the Delaware town, an' there they stop. It's plain as kin be, that
some varmint from that there town has been spyin' on us. Now was it the
same critter as killed the horse, or wa'n't it? An' if it was, was that
critter the Buffalo chap? An' what was he hangin' 'round here ag'in for
last night?"

These questions furnished an abundance of material for conversation
during the evening meal, but no definite answers were agreed upon. Ree
would not admit that they were in danger from the Delawares, though he
agreed that Big Buffalo was a bad Indian. He was quite sure, however,
that Big Buffalo had not shot old Jerry, for the Indian was at the head
of the party of savages he had encountered the morning after the horse
was shot, and had plainly been surprised to see any white person so far
west.

But these arguments did not satisfy Tom Fish, nor was John at all sure
that Ree was right.

After supper Tom said he must go back for a deer which he had killed in
the morning, a couple of miles from camp, and which he had hung up beyond
the reach of the wolves, until his return. But he