Mr. Brainerd made no reply, for he had none to make. Some unknown friend had fired the second shot, that prevented the warrior obtaining a foothold where it would have been fatal to the whites.
As to the identity of the friend, that could not be guessed.
The explanation upon which all agreed was, that some other settlers—one or more—had taken shelter somewhere in the vicinity, and had fired, either as a matter of self-protection, or for the benefit of those in the cavern.
Precisely how it should become necessary for some one to shoot the warrior, as a means of defense, was more than could be explained.
Another strange fact about it was, that Maggie Brainerd and Aunt Peggy insisted that, instead of being discharged from some point beyond and on the other side of the rocks, the marksman was perched directly over the heads of those in the cavern.
Where there were so many boulders and trees, the short echoes might well produce confusion, but the two ladies were positive that the man was immediately above them.
Gravity Gimp was inclined to the same opinion, and Mr. Brainerd was puzzled more than ever.
"I not only heard the gun," said Maggie, with great positiveness, "but I heard the man himself moving up there."
"That is impossible, my daughter," protested her father, feeling it had now become safe, for the first time, to relax his vigilance.
"Not at all," she replied, "you can hear plainly through a solid substance, and I caught a sound made by that man's shoe scraping over the rocks."