“Has Leaping Buck nothin’ to say?”
“When the white trapper speaks, the Indian’s tongue should be silent,” replied the youth.
“A good sentiment and does you credit, lad. But I am silent now. Has Leaping Buck no remark to make on what he sees?”
“He sees the smoke of the robber’s camp far up the heights,” replied the boy, pointing as he spoke.
“Clever lad!” exclaimed the trapper, “I know’d he was his father’s son.”
“Where? I can see nothing,” cried Tolly, who understood the Indian tongue sufficiently to make out the drift of the conversation.
“Of course ye can’t; the smoke is too far off an’ too thin for eyes not well practised in the signs o’ the wilderness. But come; we shall go and pay the robbers a visit; mayhap disturb their rest a little—who knows!”
With a quiet laugh, Mahoghany Drake withdrew from the rocky ledge, and, followed by his eager satellites, continued to wend his way up the rugged mountain-sides, taking care, however, that he did not again expose himself to view, for well did he know that sharp eyes and ears would be on the qui vive that night.