‘Come back to mouth of Canon,—hold that; can keep Indians off as long as like. Indians have to make peace.’
‘Capital!’ Mr. Hardy said delightedly; for he had reviewed the position with great apprehension, as he had not seen how it would be possible to make good their retreat on their tired horses in the teeth of the Indians. ‘The very thing! As you say, we can hold the gorge for a month if necessary, and, sooner or later, they will be sick of it, and agree to let us retreat in quiet. Besides, a week’s rest would set our horses up again, and then we could make our retreat in spite of them.’
‘One more thing,’ the Raven said. ‘When great chief got little White Bird safe, Tawaina go away,—not fight one way, not fight other way. When meet again, white chief not talk about to-night. Not great Indian know Tawaina white chief’s friend.’
‘You can rely upon us all, Tawaina. They shall never learn from us of your share in this affair. And now I think that it is time for us to be moving forward. It will be past ten o’clock before we are there.’
Very quietly the troop crept along, Tawaina leading the way, until he approached closely to the village. Here they halted for a moment.
‘Only six of us will go in,’ Mr. Hardy said; ‘there will be less chance of detection,—Jamieson, Percy, Herries, my boys, and myself. The others take post close to the hut we see ahead. If you find that we are discovered, be in readiness to support us. And Farquhar, two or three of you get matches ready, and stick a blue-light into the straw roof of the hut. We must have light, or we lose all the advantage of our firearms. Besides, as we retreat we shall be in darkness, while they will be in the glare.’
Thus speaking, Mr. Hardy followed his guide, the men he had selected treading cautiously in his rear. Presently they stopped before one of the huts, and pointing to the door, Tawaina said, ‘Little White Bird there;’ and then gliding away, he was lost in the darkness.
Mr. Hardy cautiously pushed aside the skin and entered, followed by his friends. It was perfectly dark, and they stood for a moment uncertain what to do. Then they heard a low voice saying, ‘Papa, is that you?’ while at the same instant they saw a gleam of light in the other corner of the tent, and heard a rustling noise, and they knew that an Indian had cut a slit in the hide walls and had escaped; and as Mr. Hardy pressed his child to his heart, a terrific war-whoop rose on the air behind the hut.
‘Come,’ Mr. Hardy said, ‘keep together, and make a run of it.’
Ethel had laid down without taking off even her shoes, so strong had been her hope of her father’s arrival. She was therefore no impediment to the speed of their retreat. For a short distance they were unopposed.