With beating hearts the rest prepared to follow. Moorooine was assisted up, and began to crawl forward. Revel was the next in order, Scarred Eagle refusing to go till the last. But before Revel had a chance to ascend, a movement was heard outside in the starlight, and looking out they saw a canoe of the Indians in motion.
“Git y’ur rifles ready!” muttered Scarred Eagle, in a low tone. “It’s impossible to tell what they’re goin’ to do, but—”
“Hold stiddy for y’ur lives—Moorooine?”
It was the voice of Brom, sufficiently loud to reach the girl’s ears without being heard by the enemy.
“What?” she answered.
“Lie still where you be—don’t move a hand’s breadth or the reds may notice the light which your body now hides!”
He spoke as rapidly as possible, then turned to watch the canoe. This was moving as though again to enter the depths of the passage.
“Hish!” muttered Scarred Eagle, bending forward.
“Tell ye it’s time ter take the oars!” remonstrated Mace, excitedly. “We mustn’t be diskivered in this spot! Ef we be, our chance is gone here, sartin!”
“As long as they’ve no torch we’re safe from that, yit,” remarked Rhodan. “They’ve got to pass ahind us before they can see us. Ah—now—silence for y’ur lives!”