“You don’t mean to go back!” Stuart was amazed.
“I must. Do you realize what it would mean to be away here in the wilderness without the means of getting game for food? Man, we’d die.”
Seeing the force of this, Stuart released the hold he had taken upon Boone’s shoulder. Back into the Indian encampment stole Daniel Boone; straight to the tepee of Black Wolf he went, and, from his place in the shadows, Stuart saw the brave pioneer stoop and enter. Then followed a long pause. The waiting man could hear the heavy throbs of his own heart. Each moment he expected to hear the war-whoop of the Shawnee, and to see the camp spring into activity.
But fortune smiled upon the daring Boone, for after a time he appeared, the two rifles in his hands, and their powder-horns and bullet-pouches slung upon his shoulders. Silently he recrossed into the shadows; quietly he gave Stuart his own piece, his own horn and pouch; then creeping like wild things of the wilderness, they stole away into the depths where the night would hide them from all hostile eyes.
CHAPTER VI
BOONE IN THE WILDERNESS
All that night the two adventurers pressed steadily away from the Indian encampment; they made, as far as they could reckon it, in the general direction of their camp in the gorge. The pale moon filtered through the bare branches of the trees, the stars twinkled helpfully; and when morning came dimly above the higher hills they found that they had judged their direction with singular accuracy. They were not more than a mile or two from their own camp.
“Pretty good, for going it blind,” said Boone, well pleased. “And now I suppose we’ll give the boys a surprise. Having been missing for all this time they’ll reckon we’re gone for good.”
But it was themselves who received the surprise; arriving in sight of the gorge they saw no friendly morning smoke; hurrying forward they entered the hut; no one was there; everything of any value was gone.
“Injuns!” cried Boone.
“Or they somehow heard about us being taken by the redskins, and have gone back to the settlements,” said Stuart.