If an earthquake had shaken the rocks about his ears, Sam could not have been more shocked and startled than he was at the barking of the dog.
As for Ike, he was rendered speechless, for Maj had darted away without any apparent effort to hold him back.
"Ah, golly!" gasped Wah Shin, "de fat am allee gone in de file!"
Although Maj had done all the damage possible, for Sam could see by the movements of the Indians that they had heard the barking, yet he did not provoke his young master to anger.
Sam sprang down, caught the dog by the collar and pulled him back to their hiding place.
"I—I wish we'd a left dat ar dorg back home!" cried Ike. "He ain't did no good eber sence we started, but to eat up de grub; an' now he goes an' makes a fuss, jest whin we most wanted foh him to keep his tongue to hisself."
"See that he does not get out again," said Sam. "After all the dog only led the Indians to a discovery which they must have made sooner or later. Ah, I wish Ulna had not gone out. He knows the habits of these people and he would know what to do."
"De man as knows what to do ondah dese yer sarcumstances," groaned Ike, "is a heap sight smarter'n me."
"Plenty men know heap mo' den you," said Wah Shin, who was evidently in a bad humor. "You don' know 'nuff gettee in out lain."
"Hist! Keep still," said Sam, who had again clambered to his perch on the rock that commanded a view of the fire. "I can see men coming this way."