“I expected it!” suddenly exclaimed Vose.
The others followed the direction of his gaze and saw what had caused his words. The five Indians, whom Vose had discovered in camp, were picking their way along the ledge, with their faces turned from the white men, who were watching them. Despite the chilly air, caused by the elevation, not one of the warriors wore a blanket. Two had bows and arrows, three rifles, carried in a trailing fashion, and all were lithe, sinewy fellows, able to give a good account of themselves in any sort of fight.
A curious fact noted by all of our friends was that while these warriors were thus moving away, not one of them looked behind him. Their long black hair hung loosely about their shoulders, and in the clear air it was observable that three wore stained feathers in the luxuriant growth on their crowns.
“Is it possible that they have no suspicion of us?” asked the parson; “their action in not looking around would imply that.”
“Don’t fool yourself,” was the reply of Adams; “they knowed of us afore we knowed anything of them.”
“Why did they allow us to pass their camp undisturbed?”
“Things weren’t in the right shape for ’em. There are only three guns among ’em, though them kind of Injins are as good with the bow as the rifle, and they made up their minds that if we let them alone, they wouldn’t bother us.”
“You said awhile ago that we should have trouble from them.”
“And so we shall; when they reasoned like I was sayin’, they didn’t know anything about the little accident that happened to their chief; it’s that which will make things lively.”