“Then you will not do anything, sir?” said Cyril, looking quite aghast.
“Oh yes, I shall be upon my guard. From now there will be watch set every night in camp, and we shall sleep with our arms charged and ready for action at a moment’s notice.”
“Yes,” said Cyril, with a sigh of satisfaction.
“You can handle a gun, Cyril?”
“Yes, sir, after a fashion. I have often been up in the hills with my father, shooting.”
“That will do,” said the colonel. “Now let’s go and have a look at the falls before setting watch and going to our blankets. Tell the men to keep up a pretty good fire, Cyril.”
He led the way to where the Indians were seated as he spoke, and nodded to them smilingly as Cyril gave his orders; and then, as the men quickly obeyed them, the colonel led the way to the edge of a cliff! From here they could see the large body of water come gliding down in a curve from far away up in the darkness, to gleam in the firelight as it passed them, and then dive down into the deeper darkness below.
“An awful-looking place, boys, in the darkness,” said the colonel quietly. “There now, we’ll seek our blankets—at least you shall, for I shall take the first watch; John Manning will take the second.”
“Shall I sit up with you, father?” said Perry.
“No, my lad, we must husband our resources. Your turn will come to-morrow night. Remember what I said about the guns. Make no show, but have your ammunition ready for use at a moment’s notice. The Indians will see that, you may depend upon it, and act accordingly.”