pressure of Henry's hand on his shoulder, the
sun was much higher, and the forest swam in limpid light. He noticed at
once that the fire was out, trampled under strong heels, and that all the
men looked as if ready for instant conflict. He rubbed his eyes and sprang
to his feet, half in shame that he should have slept while others watched.
It was Shif'less Sol who came to his rescue.

"It's all right, Paul," he drawled. "We all know you were pow'ful tired,
an' I'd have slept, too, ef them fellows hadn't been mean enough to keep
me from it. You wuz just nacherally overpowered, an' you had to do it."

Paul looked around at the little group, and he read the meaning in the eye
of every man.

"You are going to fight that war band?" he said.

"It 'pears to me that it's a sight less tirin' than runnin' away," replied
Shif'less Sol, "though we hate to drag you, Paul, into such a fracas."

The blood flushed into Paul's face.

"I'm ready for it!" he exclaimed. "I'm as ready as any of you! Do you
think I want to run away?"

"We know, Paul, that you've got ez much grit ez anybody in the world,"
said Tom Ross kindly; "but Sol maybe didn't think a boy that's a big
scholar, an' that kin read an' understand anything, would he as much
interested in a real hair-raisin' fight as the rest o' us."

Paul was mollified. He knew their minds now, and in a way it was an
unconscious tribute that these wild borderers paid to him.

"I'm with you to the end of it," he said. And they, too, were satisfied.
Then the entire party moved forward into the deep woods, watching and
listening for the slightest sign of the Shawnee advance. Tom Ross
naturally took command, but Henry Ware, as always, was first scout. No
other eye was so keen as his, nor any other ear. All knew it, and all
admitted it willingly. His form expanded again, and fierce joy surged up
in his heart. As Ross truly said, the hunted had turned into the hunter.

It was the purpose of the men to circle to the east, and to strike the war
party on the Hank. They knew that the Shawnees had already discovered the
junction of the fugitives with a larger force, but the warriors could not
yet know that the new party intended to stand and fight. Ross, therefore,
like the general of a great army going into battle, intended to seek the
best possible position for his force.

They traveled in a half circle for perhaps two hours, and then Henry
struck a trail, calling at once to Ross. They exam