“If they are going to attack at all it will be to-night,” said Joe. “We’ll have to remain on guard until morning.”
Slowly the mantle of night fell. The Indians had timed their raid on the settlement well. There was no moon, and the drifting clouds cut off many of the stars.
Mrs. Parsons’ eyesight was not of the best, and it was decided that Joe and Cora were to take up the first watch, lasting three hours, and were then to give place to Harry and Harmony for the next three hours. This would give each a much needed rest, for to watch at a loophole proved very tiring both to eyes and nerves.
With the coming of night all became silent around the cabin. No candles were lit and all the lower cracks in the cabin logs were covered by having articles of furniture placed against them. Thus it would be impossible for the Indians to look inside, even if they came up close to the building.
An ordinary eye would have distinguished little outside during that watch. But Joe’s eye was trained by constant usage, and he made a note of many things—the flight of birds and the slinking of a fox across one of the clearings.
The sight of the fox was a little cheering. “If he can sneak around the Indians must be pretty far away,” was the way the young pioneer reasoned.
At last Joe’s watch came to an end, and he and Cora laid down to rest, leaving Harry and Harmony on guard. Then another hour dragged by, seeming little short of an age.
Harmony had just uttered a long sigh of weariness when something caught her eye and caused her to become once again on the alert. Something was moving among the trees nearest to the cabin.
“I see something!” she whispered. “Whether it is an Indian, or a white man, or an animal, I cannot tell.”
“We’ll take no chances,” said Harry, and ran to the loophole, at the same time rousing Joe and the others.