They hurried back into the chamber.
“Ar’ they in sight, Moorooine?” called Rhodan.
“No; all gone!” said the girl, joyfully.
“Then out with these ’ere, quick!”
Both canoes were at once launched. In the foremost and largest, four of the rangers took their places. Brom and Moorooine followed in the other.
As they moved forward, they heard the sounds of excitement, which told that the savages were rushing to the spot, where, as they doubtless supposed, their enemies were attempting a desperate resistance.
“Steady!” cautioned Scarred Eagle, as they neared the mouth of the rocky channel. “We must feel our way for a minit or two. T’other canoes may not be out o’ the way.”
Two minutes later they stopped, and peered ahead. Not a sign of a canoe could they see; yet those that had ventured into the passage could not yet have had time to land. To do so, they would be obliged to move a distance up where the bank was more sloping. There was no danger that these might be lying to the right or left of the entrance, behind the juts of cliff.
The rangers consulted a moment. They were far enough to see the reflection of starlight on the water further out. Had it been darker, they would not have hesitated to risk an attempt to start out. They concluded to move close up beside the right wall, and then steal up and endeavor to obtain a view of the opposite side of the entrance.
The canoes came nearly up to the wall, when Devine, glancing back, saw something floating toward them.