They had scarcely done so,
when Laughlin, with his cat-like tread, stepped in among them.

"What made you fire, Jake?" asked Dravoond, one of the leaders of the
party.

"Me fire? I haven't pulled trigger since I shot the wild turkey
yesterday. It must have been Sam or Myrick."

As he spoke, the latter two, who were the other scouts, also made their
appearance, when, to the surprise of all, it was discovered that
neither of them had fired the alarming shot. Consequently, it must have
been done by a stranger. The moment this fact became known, the scouts
separated and resumed their duties, while the emigrants, after a short
consultation, moved on again, more slowly and carefully than before.

On the whole, although the report of the rifle could not be explained
by any of the emigrants, the majority were disposed to take it rather
as a favorable sign than otherwise. If made by an Indian, it could not
have been done accidentally, for such a thing rarely if ever was known
among them; and, as it could not have been fired by an enemy, with the
full knowledge of the vicinity of the emigrants, the savages, if
savages they were, must either be unaware of the latter fact, or else
the strange shot came from a white man.

If there were lurking Indians in the wood, ignorant of the presence of
the whites, they were soon apprised, for both of the leading oxen, who
had not done such a thing for days, now paused and bellowed
terrifically for several moments. The driver endeavored to check their
dreadful noise by whacking them over the heads, but it availed nothing.
They were determined, and continued the clamor, pausing now and then,
as though pleased with the echo, which could be heard rolling through
the woods for over a mile distant. Having finished, they resumed their
progress, as if satisfied with what they had done.

"Father, them's our oxen," said Jim, "and, by thunder, if they bawl out
that way agin I'll shoot 'em both. How far did you say the settlement
is off?"

"Forty or fifty miles. Why do you ask again?"

"Nothin', only if they've put any of their babies asleep to-day, them
oxen have set them all to squalling agin."

The sun was getting well down toward the horizon, and the dim twilight
was wrapping the woods in its mantle, when the teamster halted the
oxen, and the emigrants commenced their preparations for the
encampment. The wagon was left standing in its tracks, the oxen simply
unfastened, and with their yoke