im, he received unmistakable evidence of its
presence, when he set up a loud whoop and started at full speed for the
spring, reaching which, he seated himself in it, before he felt
entirely safe.

These, and many other incidents, amused the Lieutenant for the time
being, while the delight of Cato was almost uncontrollable. He seemed
in danger of apoplexy several times from the efforts he made to subdue
his laughter. But, all at once there was a sudden cessation in his
mirth, and a visible lengthening of his visage. Grasping the shoulder
of the soldier, he exclaimed:

"Look dar! Look dar! See dem!"

"I see nothing to alarm us."

"Look dar whar we went into the clearin'. Don't you see dem Injines
dar?"

Lieutenant Canfield did see something that alarmed him. The whole
eight Indians had followed the track of himself and the negro to the
edge of the wood, where they had halted and were consulting together.
They certainly must have noticed it before, but had probably been too
busy to examine it particularly. It had never once occurred to the
white man that this evidence of his presence would tell against him,
but he now saw the imminent peril in which he and the negro were placed.

"We must flee, Cato," said he. "Fortunately it will soon be dark, when
they cannot follow us."

"Will we bofe git on de hoss?" asked the frightened negro.

"No; it will do no good. Let us take to the woods. Hush! What's
that?"

Just as they were about moving, the sharp report of a rifle came upon
their ears, and with a loud whoop the Shawnees rushed off in a body,
taking an easterly direction, which was different from that followed by
the soldier and negro. Now that all immediate danger was gone, the two
remained behind, to learn, if possible, the cause of the mysterious
shot and subsequent action of the Shawnees.

It was not until night, when Oonomoo, the Huron, returned, that the
cause was made known. He had approached several hours before, and seen
the savages in consultation, and divined the cause of it. To divert
them from pursuing his two friends, whom they would most certainly have
captured, he discharged his piece among them, and then purposely showed
himself to draw them after him. The stratagem succeeded as well as he
could have wished. He easily eluded them, until they had followed him
some distance in the woods, when he made his way back again to the
clearing, where he rejoined the Lieutenant and the negro