"Now I think we are safe," Dave said, breaking into a run.
At a steady trot they kept on down the gorge. Just as they reached its mouth, they heard a faint yell in the distance.
"They have found we are off. They will be five minutes and more before they have brought up their horses and got over the rocks, and they will go pretty cautious, because they will be expecting to be ambushed. It is getting pretty dark now; we shall be in among the trees before they are out."
Chapter XVI.—On The Return.
The trees began fully half a mile above the point where Zeke had made his way up with the horses, and, running now at the top of their speed, they were among them before the Indians issued from the gorge.
The fugitives went on at a slower pace among the trees, until they heard a war-whoop, and knew that the leading Indians had passed out.
"Now throw yourselves down," Dave said, "and just lie as still as mice—the slightest noise would tell them we had taken to the wood. We want them to go straight on for a bit."
In four or five minutes they heard the tramping of horses, and a party of Indians rode down the valley.
"There are over fifty of them," Dave whispered. "I expect the other two bands must have come up together. Now let us get up as high as we can. As long as they are galloping they won't hear any little noise we may make, but mind how you go, lads. Don't step on a twig, don't brush against any dead wood that might crack, and mind you don't set a stone rolling."
They climbed for ten minutes, and then came to a spot where they had a view through the trees down the valley.