he could hold it under
inspection as long as he chose. He had his choice of peeping from the
trees and undergrowth along shore, or of climbing the tree from whose
top the Shawanoe and Sank gained their first knowledge of the Pawnees.
Nearly every one would have stayed on the ground, but in obedience to a
whim, the lad climbed to the perch where his friends held themselves a
short time before. He carried his gun with him, for though it would have
been much more convenient to leave it below, the act would have been a
piece of remissness unpardonable in his situation. When, however, he was
half-way to the top, he carefully shelved it among some branches, where
it could not fall. He continued to climb until the limbs bent with his
weight. Cautious at all times, Jack then softly pushed aside the
branches in front of his face and found he was looking directly across
and down upon the Pawnee encampment.

At the moment of doing so, a slight incident caused him some uneasiness.
Among the group on which he gazed with such interest, he observed a
warrior standing on the other side of the fire, rifle in hand, with his
face turned toward the young Kentuckian. Not only that, but he seemed to
be watching Jack himself. So startling was his appearance, that the
youth shrank back, allowing the vegetation to close in front of his
face. This was done with a certain abruptness, which (if he was right in
his suspicion), was unfortunate, since the action would be the more
noticeable to the Pawnee. Then Jack stealthily parted the leaves and
peered out again.

The warrior was motionless, the stock of his gun on the ground, while
his right hand lightly clasped the barrel, his left thumb inserted at
his girdle, close to the handle of his knife, much after the fashion of
some of us who use the arm holes of our vests for that purpose.

The distance, slight as it was, prevented Jack Carleton from verifying
or disproving his suspicion. The painted face was turned directly toward
him and held stationary, as is often the case when a person is trying to
identify some sound which faintly reaches his ear. Had he been gazing
straight at the lad, he would have appeared just as he did when
stealthily viewed by the youth.

"I wonder whether that rascal is looking at me," said Jack to himself,
when he peeped timidly out the second time; "they're as sharp-eyed as
owls, but he never could have thought of any one in this perch, if he
hadn't accidentally looke