“Good!” exclaimed White Thunder. “This is the place. We will stay.”
The “place” proved to be a nearby ledge of rock. It overhung at one side, making a roof; beneath the roof the ground was dry and soft with leaves blown in, and leaves were massed into a bed as though a panther or other wild animal had lain upon them.
In here they three could sit. They did sit, and munched cold deer meat and corn cake, while in the dark forest wolves began to howl and many things rustled.
Neither Silver Heels nor White Thunder made a fire, by which the Hunter understood that enemies might be near.
“Let us drink,” said White Thunder. “Then sleep. We must be up before daylight.” And he added, to Robert, “Follow Aroas and do as he does.”
A little stream sounded not far away, in the night. Silver Heels went out, on a half circle, to the stream; and lying down drank, and the Hunter drank beside him. Ah, but that cold water was good, for they had not drunk since noon.
They met White Thunder, coming to drink. Then they rolled in their blankets, upon the leaves of the shallow cave, to sleep. But White Thunder spoke:
“The boy should know, so that he will wake and be ready for the thing that will happen.”
“That is right,” replied Aroas. “You should tell him about the Catawba. Some day he will fight the Catawba.”
“Listen, boy,” said White Thunder: “Now we sleep beside the Catawba Trail. We left the trail, and we have come to it again. First the Catawba were ahead of us; now they are behind us. Since the day of the first man and woman the Catawba and Cherokee have fought us who live in the north. This trail is the great war trail upon which the Catawba travel. I will tell you why we did not follow it, but jumped across it and went around.