me.
The moonlight was not good, and their view of the farther shore was dim,
leaving them only the certainty that it was lofty and thick with forest.

"Paul, you and Jim and Tom lie here, where this little spit of land runs
out into the water," said Henry. "There's good cover for you to wait in,
and Sol and I will come down the river in our new canoe, or we won't."

"At any rate come," said Paul.

"You can trust us," replied Henry, and he and the shiftless one started
at once along the edge of the river toward the northeast, where the
Indian camp lay. Henry reckoned that it was about three miles away, but
it would have to be approached with great care. As they advanced they
kept a watch on the farther shore also, and rounding a curve in the
river they caught their first sight of its reflection.

"It's fur up the stream," said Shif'less Sol, "an' I cal'late it's 'bout
opposite the big camp. Thar must be some warriors passin' back an' forth
from band to band, an' that, I reckon, will give us our chance fur a
canoe."

"Yes, if we can make off with it without being seen," said Henry. "A
pursuit would spoil everything. We'd have to abandon the canoe and
retreat back from the southern shore."

"'Spose we go a leetle further up," said Shif'less Sol. "The bank's low
here, but it's high enough to hide us, an' the bushes are mighty thick.
The nearer we come to the Indian camp the greater the danger is, but the
greater is our chance, too, to git a canoe."

"That's right, Sol. We'll try it."

They edged along yard by yard and soon could see through the intervening
trees and bushes the light of the great camp, from which came a
monotonous hum.

"A lot of 'em are dancin' the scalp dance," said the shiftless one.
"Will you 'scuse me, Henry, while I laugh a leetle to myself?"

"Of course, Sol, but why do you want to laugh?"

"'Cause they're dancin' the scalp dance when they ain't goin' to take no
scalps. It's ourn they're thinkin' of, but I kin tell you right now,
Henry, that a year from today they'll be growin' squa'rly on top o' our
heads, right whar they are this minute."

"I hope and believe you're right, Sol. Isn't that a canoe putting out
from the far shore?"

"Yes, a big one, with four warriors in it, an' they're comin' straight
across to the main camp, paddlin' like the strong men they are."

"Yes, I can see them clearly now, as they come nearer the middle of the
stream. That would be a good canoe for us, Sol.