"I am afraid Linna can't leap it," remarked Ben with a smile.
"Me show you."
And, without recoiling a step, the nimble little one made a graceful bound, which landed her several feet beyond the other margin.
"Well done!" said Ben; "I couldn't do much better myself. Now, Alice, you are not going to let her beat you?"
Alice was timid at first, but with a good start she cleared the space. She landed, however, so near the water that had not the watchful Linna caught one of the hands thrown up to save herself, she would have fallen back in the stream.
Mother and son imitated them, and all stood on the other side of the obstruction without having suffered any inconvenience.
While they were congratulating themselves, a startling reminder of their danger came in the near report of a rifle. It was from the direction in which they had seen the bear, and in the stillness of the woods all heard a snarling growl, which proved that the beast had received his death wound.
"The Indians are there!" whispered the frightened Ben; "what shall we do, mother?"
"What can we do?" she asked, helpless and at her wits' end for the moment; "there seems to be no escaping them."
"Me go talk with them," was the amazing remark of the little Delaware girl.