so that it shall be between him and the Indians' guns."

Such was the case. Tim was arranging and placing the carcass so that it
might shield his own body while he managed the paddle. This completed he
turned his face toward his young friends and called across the water:

"Be aisy, me darlings! The owld bullet come close, but not a hair of Tim
O'Rooney's head was touched, and thanks be to heaven for it!"

CHAPTER XXIII.

DRIFTING AWAY.

The bullet of the treacherous Indian had indeed whizzed harmlessly by
the head of Tim O'Rooney and when he fell to the bottom of the canoe it
was for the purpose of preventing any more of their missiles passing too
near him.

The savages, hastily driven to shelter by the unexpected shot from the
island, did not by any means relinquish their designs upon the
unfortunate white man in the canoe. He who had taken the quick aim and
fired saw that his bullet missed, but he understood the disadvantage of
his enemy, and was confident that he would still fall into their hands.

As we have shown, when the Irishman was thus suddenly interrupted, he
was but a short distance from the shore. So abruptly compelled to
relinquish his paddle and simply shelter his person, the current carried
him quite rapidly down the stream.

Tim did not become sensible of his disadvantage until he had drifted
below the island, and then upon partly rising to use his paddle the
crack of a gun from the shore told him that he was watched by vigilant
eyes, and that _that_ occupation was vetoed most unmistakably.

Forced thus to act entirely on the defensive, he carefully drew out his
rifle and resting it on the body of his game waited his chance to avenge
himself upon the unrelenting savages. He could tell from the faint blue
smoke that curled upward where they were concealed, but could not catch
sight of them.

Had they shown themselves, the Irishman knew it was about impossible for
him to harm them at such a distance, while their dexterity in the use of
the gun made it too dangerous for him to expose himself to their fire.
He watched them until he had floated quite a way below, when he began to
hope that they had given up their designs upon him, and he might make
his way back to his friends upon the island in safety.

But when on the point of rising to a sitting position he saw them whisk
through the bushes he knew they were following him along the
shore--following him, too, with that skill and stealth