“Now, Goodbrand,” said Scarred Eagle, pausing, “tell us the lay o’ the denger that we may use our wits to the purpus.”
“This right way!” was the other’s whispered reply. “They comin’ from way we came. Very slow come, so’s take sure.”
“Hish!” interrupted Scarred Eagle. “We’re surrounded now! Drop close, every man, an’ not stir for your lives!”
As he gave this order, he glided from their midst directly back toward the gorge. Perhaps not more than two of the men imagined his object. But not one of them moved or even whispered.
Hardly a minute passed before he was again beside them. Meantime they had heard abundant evidence that the gorge retreat was indeed surrounded, though not closely.
“The bloody-minded whelps ar’ drawin’ the circle closer,” said Scarred Eagle. “They’ll see a torch prisently, which I’ve took good care to fix in the rocks. It’s a great p’int that they think they ain’t suspected here. The light’ll burn out afore half an hour. When it does, they’ll think it’s snatched away by our hands. They won’t dare to enter the gorge afore light, thinkin’ their enemy is prepared. But they’ll watch about here till then. Ef we k’n git clear ’ithout a tussle, our chance at the village ’ll be all that a reasonable man orter expect. Ye see how much depends.”
A moment later the men were stealing forward, each one by himself. Not a dry leaf rustled under a hand or knee; not a bush was caused to vibrate; even their breaths were drawn slowly as their bodies were. The least accident would prove fatal, and all realized it.
Twenty minutes passed, as time is counted; but, to each of the men, it seemed an hour. Then they found themselves together near a brook whose waters caught the glimmer of the starlight. And as yet they had not moved more than fifty yards. At this moment several Indian signals were heard. As by magic the rangers, who had partly risen, sunk to the ground.
It was well they did so in time. Between them and the space along the banks of the brook, several figures glided by and disappeared in the gloom above. One passed so near, they might have touched him.
They did not venture to move again for several minutes. Scarred Eagle was the first to set the example—all following him silently. They had gone but a short distance further when a chorus of triumphant signal-shouts came from the vicinity of the gorge.