“How do we know that?” replied Shaddy. “Even if they’re not, I did it for the best.”
“But is it safe to leave him alone?”
“Safe as it is for us to go out here alone into the forest.”
“Are we going into the forest?”
“Must, my lad—a little way.”
“But are there likely to be any Indians about?”
“I should say not, Mr Rob, so come along.”
Shaddy led the way to where the clearing ceased and the dense growth of the primeval forest began, and after hesitating a little and making a few observations as to the position of the sun—observations absolutely necessary if a traveller wished to find his way back—the guide plunged in amongst the dense growth, threading his way in through the trees, which grew more and more thickly for a short distance and then opened out a little, whereupon Shaddy halted and began to reconnoitre carefully, holding up his band to enforce silence and at the end of a few minutes saying eagerly to Rob,—
“Here you are, my lad! Now’s our chance. There’s nearly a dozen in that big tree to the right yonder, playing about among the branches, good big ones, too. Now you steal forward a bit, keeping under cover, then lay all your arrows down but one, take a good long aim, and let it go. Bring one down if you can.”
“What birds are they?” whispered Rob.