red them from discovery. Shortly
afterwards Malachi and the Indian woman, creeping on all fours,
disappeared in the surrounding brushwood, that they might, if possible,
gain more intelligence from listening. In the meantime, the party had
their eyes on the lodges, waiting to see who should come out as soon as
the sun rose, for it was hardly clear daybreak when they arrived at
their place of concealment.

They had remained there about half an hour, when they perceived an
Indian lad come out of one of the lodges. He was dressed in leggings
and Indian shirt of deer-skin, and carried in his hand his bow and
arrows. An eagle's feather was stuck in his hair above the left ear,
which marked him as the son of a chief.

"That's my brother Percival," said John in a low tone.

"Percival!" replied Alfred, "is it possible?"

"Yes," whispered the Strawberry, "it is Percival, but don't speak so
loud."

"Well, they have turned him into a regular Indian," said Alfred; "we
shall have to make a paleface of him again."

Percival, for he it was, looked round for some time, and at last
perceiving a crow flying over his head, he drew his bow, and the arrow
brought the bird down at his feet.

"A capital shot," said Captain Sinclair, "the boy has learnt something,
at all events. You could not do that, John."

"No," replied John, "but they don't trust him with a rifle."

They waited some little time longer, when an Indian woman, and then an
old man, came out, and in about a quarter of an hour afterwards, three
more women and an Indian about twenty years old.

"I think we have the whole force now," said Martin.

"Yes, I think so too," replied Captain Sinclair. "I wish Malachi would
come back, for I do not think he will find out more than we know
ourselves."

In about half-an-hour afterwards, Malachi and the Indian woman returned;
they had crept in the brushwood to within fifty yards of the lodges, but
were afraid to go nearer, as the woman said that perhaps the dogs might
give the alarm, for two of them were left at home. The woman stated her
conviction that the party had not come back, and now a council was again
held as to their proceedings. The Indian force was nothing--an old man,
one lad of twenty, and four women. These might be easily captured and
secured, but the question was whether it would be desirable so to do; as
in case one should by any means escape, information of their arrival
might be conveyed to the absen