ide. The
boys at once became painfully excited and alarmed.

"They will see him! they will see him!" said Elwood, "and it will be all
over with us. What a pity! when he has got along so well!"

"Can we not warn him in some manner? The Indians do not know how near he
is, nor does he know how close they are."

"How can we do it?" asked Elwood, who was anxious to give Tim some
warning of his danger. "If we make any sign the Indians will see us."

"Perhaps not; for they are not looking in this direction all the time,
while Tim knows that we are watching him."

"Yes; but he has his hands full to see that the savages do not find
him."

The case looked critical indeed. Tim was nearing the point where it
seemed inevitable that a discovery should take place. He paused at
nearly every step or two, looked behind him and up and down the river in
a manner that showed plainly enough his fear of his enemies. Elwood
Brandon in his eagerness had risen to his feet, and was looking intently
at him, waiting until he should cast his eye toward the island that he
might give him warning. But the Irishman was so occupied with his
enemies that he appeared to forget the existence of his friends.

Elwood did not remove his gaze, and all at once he saw him raise his
head. Quick as a flash the boy sprung up a foot or two from the ground
and waved his hat toward him.

"Did he see me?" he asked, as he sunk down to the earth again.

"He has paused and is looking toward us."

Tim had caught sight of the signal of the boy, but was uncertain as to
its meaning. The waving of the hat might be supposed as an act of
encouragement than otherwise; but there was something in the silent,
hurried manner of his young friend, united with the fact that he had
been, and was still, in great personal peril, that arrested his
attention and set him to thinking.

"Did the Indians see me?" asked Elwood.

"I can't say positively, as I was looking at Tim at the moment you made
your signal, but they do not seem to act as if they had discovered us."

"Tim saw me, didn't he? He doesn't know what to make of it."

The Irishman had laid the animal he was carrying upon the ground, and
stood looking toward the inland as if waiting for some further
manifestation before advancing or retreating. Believing the safety of
the entire party demanded it, Elwood begun cautiously rising to his feet
to repeat his warning, when he was quickly caught by his cousin.

"Down! those