CHAPTER V.
A LIGHT AHEAD.
On the eve of starting for their destination they were confronted by a practical difficulty, necessary to surmount before the journey could be made. Their enemies had coolly appropriated the boat in which they had intended to cross the river, and, another must be found for the use of the fugitives. Ordinarily, this would have been a small matter, but, coming as it did, it presented a difficulty not easily surmounted. Where was the canoe to be secured? Lena-Wingo was the one to whom the others looked to solve the problem, and he undertook it without delay.
"Stay here," said he. "Lena-Wingo find canoe."
"If you can manage to get back before to-morrow night," put in Rosa, "it may save us a deal of valuable time."
"Lena-Wingo come back soon as can—girl don't talk much."
"I am glad to hear you speak so encouragingly," she responded, as he moved off and instantly vanished in the deep gloom of the night.
Left to themselves, the three had little to do but to wait and hope that their dusky friend would make good the promise of returning as soon as possible.
"It is one of those things that could not be discounted beforehand," said Jo Minturn, feeling that his sister was becoming unjustly impatient. "For no one could have dreamed that they would step up at the moment we were ready to start, and run off with the boat."
"They must have known nothing about Rosa having occupied it this afternoon," remarked Ned Clinton, glad of the chance of saying something that would ward off any approach to the matter that had caused him so much pain. "Their actions showed they did not suspect what had taken place while they were gone."