Several days passed while they lingered here, for it was very pleasant, and the adventurous settlers knew that they would not have a chance to see their kind again for a long while.
Coming upon Bob one afternoon, after they had heard that the start was to be made on the following morning, Sandy found his brother looking at some small object which he immediately recognized.
It was the last piece of curled birch bark, on which their unknown friend had written his message of warning, using the picture language of the Indian, so universally known throughout all the tribes.
“Oh! I had forgotten all about that,” Sandy burst out; “and, now that we’ve come so far away from our home up on the Ohio, I suppose we’ll never know who sent these friendly warnings, and just why.”
“That’s something I was wondering about,” replied Bob. “Now, here’s the arrow to which this message was fastened; and wouldn’t you say this one had been made by just the same cunning hand?”
He reached behind him, and placed a second shaft beside the first arrow. Sandy bent his head to examine them more closely. Then he looked up again.
“What do you mean, Bob, and where did you get that second Delaware arrow?” he demanded, quickly.
“Where but in the roof of our flatboat cabin,” returned the other. “It had been fired from up on the hills back yonder, I do believe; though the marksman must have been a rare one to hit a target so far away. But it bore no birch-bark message, though I can well believe it was sent just to tell us our strange friend, who has watched over us so many times, is still following us down the river, and means to keep up with us to the end. That Indian, Sandy, must believe he owes us a heavy debt of gratitude, and he means to pay it back, some way or other.”
And Sandy, handling the feathered shaft, had a feeling almost of awe steal over him, as he reflected what gratitude must stand for in the eyes of an Indian brave. Hundreds of miles this unknown friend had already travelled, trying to stand between the boys and harm; and the end was not yet.
“Oh! I do hope we know who he is some of these days,” the boy said, soberly.