“Well, then, perhaps he had, sir,” replied Malachi, coldly; “but I’d rather he were away. He won’t be so cool and calm as he ought to be.”
“Never fear; but I must now go to my father and mother, and tell the whole of the circumstances which have occurred. I must tell them that Percival is alive.”
“Why so, sir?” replied Malachi. “It will only fret them more. It’s quite sufficient that they should have to lament Miss Percival being carried off, without their knowing what fresh cause for anxiety there is about the boy. I would only say that Miss Mary has been carried off by somebody, and leave out all about our having captured the Young Otter, and why we took him.”
“Well, perhaps it will be better,” said Alfred. “Then I’ll leave Martin here, and ride off to the fort to Captain Sinclair. Shall I ask for any soldiers?”
“Yes, sir; if there are any good backwoodsmen among them, we may find a couple of them of service. We ought to have a larger force than the Injun; and the latter, if you recollect, is stated at six with the chief. Now, there are you, Martin, and I, that’s three; Captain Sinclair and two soldiers would be six; young Graves and Meredith make eight. That’s sufficient, sir; more than sufficient does harm. Mr Henry must stay, and so must Mr John, because he will not be home before we are away. I’m sorry for that, as I should have liked him to be with me.”
“It can’t be helped,” replied Alfred. “Well, then, Martin and I will go back at once; in two hours I will return with Captain Sinclair, if I possibly can.”
“As quick as you please, sir, and Martin will get everything ready for the journey, for we must not fire our rifles, if we can help it.”
Alfred hastened away, and was soon followed by Martin, to whom Malachi had given some directions. Malachi and the Strawberry then continued to follow the trail, which they traced through the thickest of the wood for more than an hour, when they came upon a spot where a fire had been lighted, and the ground trodden down, evidently showing that the parties had been living there for some time.
“Here was the nest of the whole gang,” resumed Malachi, as he looked round.
The Strawberry, who had been examining the ground, said, “Here is her foot again.”