It was not long before the great wall of overhanging trees was discernible, and simultaneously all three felt their feet touch bottom. The water, however, was of sufficient depth to float the raft to shore, and it was run directly under a morass of overhanging limbs and undergrowth. This accomplished, the entire party landed.
“Now, what is to be done?” queried McGowan.
“Sleep? all of you.”
They were tired and exhausted, and the females making themselves as comfortable as possible, dropped off into a profound slumber. Abram Smith shortly followed them, so that the two adventurers and McGowan were the only ones who remained awake.
“Now,” said the hunter, addressing McGowan, and speaking in a manner that showed he was conscious that all looked to him for advice and direction in this hour of danger, “there is no telling how long we may be gone; so you must not be frightened if you do not see us for two days. I have left you enough meat to last you, if you are saving. There is plenty of game about you, but you must starve to death before you risk a shot. If you can fix up any contrivance to fish you can do so, but you mustn’t build any fire unless it’s during the day time, and then be powerful careful about it.”
“Joe, we are but a short distance off from the settlement; why not float on. We would reach it by morning—would we not?”
“I have been thinking of that. In the first place, you couldn’t reach it by morning; it would take you well into to-morrow. You would be pretty sure to be seen, and a single redskin would have you at his mercy.”
“But we might go into shore, as we have just done, when we found day was breaking.”
“You might and you might not. Stay here until next night after to-morrow night; if we don’t appear by that time, swing loose and do the best you can to reach the settlement; but don’t go before that time.”
“Good bye, and God be with you, and grant that you may be the means of restoring my dear Ruth to me.”