standing in front of a tall oval
mirror_" [See p. 204]]

Muro's arm was bleeding profusely, and George quickly bound it up,
while the enemy were hesitating. "Do not shoot, unless they rush at us.
I will talk: to them, and try to get an understanding."

Then, in a loud voice Muro called to them, saying they were friends, and
not enemies. There was no response. Thinking that they knew nothing of
the dialect, he tried another, and the only response was the evident
determination of the savages to attack again.

The boys and Muro could plainly hear their chattering, but the latter
said that what they were saying was not intelligible to him, and that
they must now prepare for a fight.

"Get your guns ready, and be prepared for a charge. If they come so
close that you cannot use the guns, then we must be prepared to meet
them with our knives, and we must all stand together, and not become
separated."

Instead of attacking, however, there was silence, after the first
excitement. "They are trying to find, out what struck their comrades
when we fired," remarked Muro.

"Yes; I think it was a big surprise."

"I recall," continued Muro, "when we had our first brush with you that
we could not find the arrow which we supposed was made by your bullet.
That frightened us more than anything else."

There was not the slightest movement on the part of an enemy for a full
half hour. This is the most trying sort of tactics. If you can see the
enemy, or note that he is doing something, there is some relief to the
tension, but where he can neither be seen, nor heard, it tries the
nerves of the strongest man.

Muro knew that this inactivity on the part of the savages had its
purpose. Probably, they intended to remain there until night, and
overwhelm them in the rush. Muro had other plans, however.

"We cannot remain here. We must make the attack. Remain here, and permit
me to feel out their positions, and also to determine what they are
doing." He glided away from them noiselessly, and how he kept the tall
grass and weeds from swaying, the boys could not determine at that time.

It did not take Muro long to see the situation. They were surrounded by
a cordon of savages, and while spying, saw a new lot of them coming up.
The plan was plain enough, and it meant a fight now, or a night defense.

When he returned, he had his plans formed. "They are being reinforced,
and we have, probably, a hundred and fifty, or more, around us. John