"Suppose I had beaten you?"
"Den get away—like do now. No hurt brudder."
Wharton little doubted that such a chase would have been arranged, with the difference that no possible escape would have been left for him.
"If I had outrun you would I have been allowed to go free?"
"Yes—dat so—ugh!—yes."
"Well, being that I have just outrun you, I will keep a good distance between you and me."
And thereupon Wharton turned about and began walking along the ravine toward the point whence he came. As he did so he partly turned his head, so as to keep the wretch in his field of vision; he knew better than to trust him, even to the smallest degree. He half expected to see him leap to his feet and dash after him, but the wily warrior remained seated until the intervening trees shut him from sight. Wharton hurried along the ravine, and curved again and came back before he struck a place which permitted him to climb out. He did so, however, with little difficulty, and, reaching the path once more, began retracing his steps to the clearing, across which he had run with such great speed.
This brought him to the spot where Blazing Arrow had met with his mishap. Stealing carefully forward, Wharton peered over. To his astonishment the Shawanoe was not in sight; he had disappeared as utterly as though he had never been. At the same moment the youth made another and more astounding discovery.