"You must take some," Cummings said, when Neal and Teddy turned away. "We may not have an opportunity to eat again for many hours, and it is necessary to be prepared for a long tramp."
The boys managed to swallow a small quantity after considerable effort, when the final preparations were made, and by the time they were completed the sun had set.
Night had not fully settled down when Poyor gave the signal for the start, and one by one the fugitives crept from the cave, pushing their bundles before them, since the passage was not sufficiently large to admit of their walking upright.
"Strap the pack on firmly," Cummings said in a whisper, when they were in the open air. "We may be obliged to run, in which case there must be no chance of losing our baggage. You boys follow Poyor, and I will bring up the rear."
The Indian was waiting for them to get into proper marching order, and instantly this had been done he started at a rapid pace.
As they left the cave it seemed to Neal and Teddy that Jake had really been abandoned, and, regardless of what he had done, they felt that it was cruel to hurry away so soon.
"It could have done no harm to wait until morning," Neal said in a whisper, when they halted a short distance from the starting point while Poyor went ahead to reconnoiter.
"And by that time we might have found ourselves besieged. It would have been a delay of twenty-four hours, for all our traveling must be done in the night," Cummings replied. "We have taken the only course he left open to us, and we won't discuss the matter any more."
The march was resumed after a short delay, and not until two hours had passed did the Indian so much as slacken his pace.
They had arrived where the forest is less dense; but the undergrowth more tangled, and Poyor signified by gestures that the boys would be allowed a short time of rest.