The captives arose, and the two guards were still oblivious of the situation. Stepping lightly along between the sleeping warriors John and Stut at first led the way, followed as quietly by the captives, and when clear of the guard John and Stut allowed the captives to lead.
Before they reached the last row of the sleepers, one of the guards awoke, and seeing no captives there, and only a single guard at his side, arose suddenly, and his eyes fell on the retreating band. A terrific shriek followed, and without waiting a moment the three captives were urged forward, while John and Stut followed after and began to shoot arrows toward the fleeing parties.
They bounded forward in the joy of their freedom, and the Professor and the boys could hardly restrain themselves at the success of the enterprise. They made straight in the direction of the boys, and at the Professor’s suggestion they allowed them to pass alongside, not more than twenty feet away.
After they had passed the Professor motioned to the boys to trail them, and after following the rescued ones for several hundred feet the Professor called out in a suppressed voice: “Wait, you need not go any farther. Keep quiet, we are your friends.”
The white man grasped the nearest fellow and urged him to stop, and he did so, but the other continued on.
Now let us observe the tactics followed by John. When the three captives were beyond the confines of the camp, and well on to the position occupied by the Professor’s party, John knew the latter would be able to cope with the situation.
Arresting Stut in the pursuing movement, he turned and held up his hand as a warning to the savages who were arming and following. In an instant Stut divined the trick, and, calling back, said that there was a large party of their attackers in front.
This caused a decided halt in the rush of their followers. Taking advantage of this, the two moved forward in an apparently cautious manner until they had reached the place formerly occupied by the Professor, and then darting north, were soon in sight of the boys, who had charge of the man and one of the native captives.
“Let us go to the left to avoid them. In that way they will not discover the location of the wagon.”
A detour was made, but it was done in as quiet a manner as possible, and both reached the Professor and his party before they got to the wagon.