that I should hate despritly to lose her."

"Fudge! it's got to come to that sooner or later, and who could she get
better than Lew Dernor, the leader of the Miami Riflemen?"

"None, that's the fact, but----"

A footstep attracted their attention, and looking up, they saw Jake
Laughlin step into view. He raised his hand, as if to command silence,
jerking his thumb at the same time significantly toward the wagon and
the rest of the settlers. He stepped carefully into the wagon-track,
and the father and sons halted.

"It's so," said he, nodding his head several times.

"Are you sure?"

"I've seen sign a half-dozen times since noon."

"Shawnees, I s'pose?"

"Yes. There are plenty of them in the woods."

"What are they waiting for?"

"The chance. There ain't enough, and we're too wide awake to allow them
to attack us at present. They're waiting to take us off our guard or to
get us at disadvantage. I've an idee where that'll be."

"The creek?"

"Most certainly. There's where the tug of war will come, and I think if
we should encamp to-night without a guard there would be no danger of
attack from the Shawnees."

"Are you going to warn others?"

"Not until night, I think, as there is no necessity for it."

"Well, we don't need to tell you to be on the look-out. You know we've
got a lot of women-folks to take care of."

"Never fear."

With this, Laughlin stole back into the wood, as cautiously as he had
emerged from it, and the father and his sons quickened their pace in
order to gain the ground they had lost. As they resumed their places in
the rear of the wagon, no one would have suspected from their actions
and appearance, that they had been conversing upon a subject so
important to all.

It was about the middle of the afternoon, and the emigrant-party
plodded patiently forward, chatting and conversing upon ordinary topics
with such pleasantry and zest that no one would have suspected the
least thought of danger had entered their heads. So long as the silence
of the scouts continued, the emigrants knew there was no cause for
alarm. Should danger threaten, they would be warned in time.

An hour later, as they were proceeding quietly along, the near report
of a rifle broke upon their ears. Every face blanched, and every heart
beat faster at the startling signal of danger. This it meant, and
nothing else; and the members of the company instinctively halted, and
made a partial preparation for an attack.