"It's lucky we didn't all go down to the brook," said Henry. "These rascals in front would have been over the gates in no time and had 'em wide open."
"Never trust a redskin to do what you think he's going to do," said Jadwin. "It ain't in his nature to do a thing straight-like. He'll trick you if he possibly can."
Satisfied that the attack was over for the time being, James Morris ran down to where the two frontiersmen were guarding the brook and river side of the post. They reported that the Indians had withdrawn, taking their wounded or dead comrades with them.
"I hit one of 'em in the side," said one of the guards. "I think he got it putty bad, too."
"Keep on the watch," said the trader. "They may come back when we least expect it."
"We're going to keep on the watch, seeing as how we don't want to be sculped," said the second frontiersman.
After that there was little to do but to wait until morning. More hot coffee was made, and Henry ran around serving each man with a big bowl of it. The clouds were drifting away again, leaving the sky as bright as it had been early in the evening.
"I hope those redskins don't try to ambush those who are on the hunt," observed James Morris, as the first streak of dawn began to show in the east.
"If you think you can spare me, I'll go out and do what I can to warn 'em," came from Tony Jadwin.
"Do you think you can make it, Tony? I don't want you to get shot down."