“Oh, I hope they don’t attempt to land here!” cried Harmony, in dismay.
“We’ll put out the fire and hide,” said Joe, and this was done, Mrs. Parsons and the girl secreting themselves in a nearby split in the rocks, and Harry and Joe taking themselves close to the water’s edge where they might watch the progress of the canoes.
The canoes were large affairs, and as they came closer the two young pioneers saw that they contained other persons besides the Indians. There was a heap of goods in the center of each canoe, and likewise several captives.
“Clara is in the front canoe,” whispered Harry excitedly.
“And Cora is in the other,” announced Joe a moment later.
The other captives were men and women who had belonged to the unfortunate expedition. All had their hands tied behind them, and not a few were suffering from wounds made by arrows and tomahawks.
“Those Indians must belong to the tribe under Red Feather,” whispered Harry, and he was right, as it later on proved.
The boys were itching to do something for their captive sisters and the others of their friends, but such a move was, just then, out of the question. Their only weapons were their bows and arrows, and the canoes hugged the opposite shore, too far to be reached with any degree of accuracy.
“I am going to follow those canoes as far as I can,” declared Joe, and ran along the river bank behind the brushwood. But soon the rocks and a curve of the watercourse cut him off, and a little later the two canoes passed from sight.
When the craft were gone the two youths went back to where the others had been left. Both Mrs. Parsons and Harmony were, of course, surprised to learn that they had seen Cora and Clara.