“Where had he gone? What was the trouble in the camps?” and many others of like import were hurled at him.
“Let me tell the story in my own way,” he finally replied. “I had my reasons for believing that not the best fellowship, existed between our besiegers, and that was the reason I asked George to keep a sharp lookout to see whether they intermingled during the day.
“When I left the wagon I took with me the headdress of the savage on the other side of the wagon, one of the Saboros, and also the bow and arrows. I approached the Kurabus on the other side, and after stalking one of their sentries, I shot him with the arrow, which also belonged to the same tribe—the Saboros; the shot merely disabled him temporarily, and he gave the alarm, as I knew he would.
“I purposely dropped my headdress near his body, and seized his—the one I now have, together with his bow and arrows, and stole away. I remained in the near vicinity until the cries of the wounded man brought his friends, and there were the telltale Saboro arrow and headdress, and believing that the work was one of their confederates on the other side of the river, the general alarm was given, which resulted in the first cries you heard.
“I had just crossed the stream, when the first of the Saboros came up, and he was no doubt one of the scouts of their party. Taking the first advantage, and before the main portion of the warriors came up, I shot the one nearest me with the arrow I had taken from the Kurabus, and stunned him into insensibility as he fell, and I dragged his body up to within seventy-five feet of the wagon.”
The boys looked admiringly at John.
“They will have some time in explaining the mystery. One of the tribe on the other side was shot, and one of the savages on this side is missing. Each will blame the other, and we may expect some lively times in the morning.”
John was right, for when morning broke, and before either of the boys could make his way to the treetop, there was an unusual commotion among the savages. Harry and Tom were up in the tree without a moment’s loss of time, and the uproar was apparent to them at once.
“They are after each other. The Kurabus are about to attack the Saboros. Shall we take a hand?” cried Tom.
“By no means,” responded the Professor. “Let us know just what they are doing.”