“Don’t give up watching,” was his chum’s caution.
A little later they heard a dozen or more shots in the direction of the fort. Then came a yell, and more shots lasting the best part of a quarter of an hour.
“I see an Indian!” cried Harmony, later still. “He is crossing the clearing where you cut down the last tree.”
Both Joe and Harry rushed to look, but before they could get an eye at the loophole the enemy had disappeared.
“We’ve got to continue on guard,” said Joe. “Those wretches wouldn’t like anything better than to catch us unawares.”
The first alarm had come shortly after midday, and the balance of the afternoon wore away slowly. To relieve the monotony of the lookout, those on guard shifted from one loophole to another. When it grew dark Mrs. Parsons prepared a hasty supper.
“We had best eat now,” she said. “Later on there may not be a chance.”
Although outwardly calm, each person in the cabin was tremendously excited. The girls were particularly nervous, for they well knew what capture by the Indians might mean.
“I’d rather die first,” whispered Harmony to her sister.
“So would I,” Cora answered. And then they both thought of their mother and of Clara Parsons. Where were these loved ones now?