“Got um.”
I stared sidewise at where he was—only about six feet away—and half fancied that I could see him pick up the knife with his toes, and bend his foot up till he could pass the blade into his hand.
“Hff!”
“What’s the matter?” I whispered, as I heard a faint ejaculation.
“Pomp cut umself.”
Then I heard a curious sawing sound, which seemed to be loud enough to reach the Indians’ ears, but as I looked, they were all talking, and I turned my eyes again in the direction of my companion, whose black body and light drawers had stood out plainly in the faint glow of the fire a minute before, and I could only just restrain an exclamation, for he was not there.
At the same moment his lips were at my ear—
“’Tan ’till.”
I obeyed, and felt the tension and loosening as he rapidly cut through the hide rope and the cane bonds which held me; but I was so stiff, and my wrists were so numbed, that the feeling had gone from my hands.
“Mass’ George ready?”