“Then Govereau has joined forces with these Indians,” Dick’s spirits fell. “It will be one big job getting Sandy away from him now. I wonder which tepee he is in—er—” he was about to wonder if Sandy was alive, but dared not trust the words on his tongue. It was too horrible to speak of—that Pierre Govereau had murdered his chum.
“We wait till dark,” Toma voiced the resolve of both.
At twilight the boys saw a large party come in from the north, in which there were a number of whites. They were loaded down with furs, which they probably had stolen. Dick thought he recognized the figure of the half-breed Pierre Govereau, but could not be certain at that distance.
Slowly darkness fell and the campfires flung out flickering shadows on the sloping walls of tepees and over the figures of the warriors squatted around them.
“I make believe I one of them,” Toma whispered presently. “I go down—find out where Sandy is.”
“It’s an awful risk,” Dick tried to object, “and you aren’t dressed like they are.”
“I fix that. You wait here—no, you come down closer. Be ready to shoot, you hear trouble. Jump ’round when you shoot. Make um think you whole army. I ketch um Sandy.”
Though Dick feared Toma would come to grief, he could do nothing but let the courageous young guide take the chance, hoping, if worst came to worst, and Toma was discovered, that he might draw the attention of the Indians long enough for his red friend to escape.
Toma crawled off down the slope toward the camp, Dick followed him for a little way, until he reached a heavy copse of brush where he felt he was within good rifle range of the camp. Toma went on and disappeared, Dick’s whispered wish of “good luck” following him.
As Dick lay there waiting he could see on the side of the camp nearest him, the shadowy figure of a warrior sentinel, standing motionless by a tree, silhouetted by the light of one of the fires. Dick raised his rifle and drew bead on the guard. It was this warrior who would discover Toma, if any did, and Dick watched intently for a motion that would indicate the guard had seen something unusual.