The advance warriors did not discover the presence of the wagon until within a hundred feet of it, and the scramble to the rear, and the falling and crawling tactics displayed in their eagerness to protect themselves and get away, was too amusing to prevent the boys from laughing.
When the scouts reported the presence of the wagon in front, there was a hurried consultation, and instead of moving forwardly to the wagon, they circled around to the right, keeping away a sufficient distance to keep outside of the range of the guns. They had learned to respect them at the last meeting.
“What a magnificent surprise they will get if they go far enough in that direction,” said John, with a broad smile.
“See, the Osagas and the Berees are at it again,” and the movements of the two parties were plainly evident. Within fifteen minutes the battle began, and the noise of the conflict reached the ears of the Kurabus.
“The information we shall get within the next half hour will be sufficient to decide our course,” murmured John, as he gazed at them.
“Do you think,” responded Harry, “that they will join forces with either of the parties?”
“That is the point exactly. From the manner in which they are acting the Kurabus are after us and not either of the tribes before us. But see what they are doing? Why are they going back?”
They doubled back on their tracks and made a circling movement around the wagon to the right, and in that manner came up behind the Berees.
John quickly communicated his views to the party. “Now is our time to act. Take in the fort at once, and move to the east.”
This looked like a hazardous thing to do, to the boys, but Muro saw the situation at once, and he assisted in the work, and it did not take ten minutes to set the wagon in motion, Blakely leading the way, and John and Muro serving as a rear guard.