They had just passed through a small wood when they saw before them a tall figure proceeding in the same direction in which they were going, but far more leisurely. “Can it be an Indian?” exclaimed Fenton, placing his hand on Gilbert’s arm for a moment as they stopped to observe him.
“He wears a dress of skins and mocassins; he has a quiver on his back, and bow in his hand,” observed Gilbert.
“Yes,” replied Fenton, “but no Indian has his head covered with a hat like that, and see, if I mistake not, he has a sword girded to his side, such as an Indian never carries.”
“Then let us overtake him,” exclaimed Gilbert; “should he prove to be an enemy, we are two to one, we need not fear him, although my hope is that he is a friend.”
“On, then,” cried Fenton, and, setting off, they quickly gained on the stranger. Hearing their footsteps, he turned and faced them, cautiously, as he did so, fixing an arrow in his bow. The moment he saw them, however, he withdrew it, letting the arrow fall to the ground, and hastened with hurried strides towards them. They now saw that he was indeed a white man, with a flowing long beard, which made him appear older than he really was. He looked from one to the other with an inquiring gaze. Gilbert’s heart bounded within him.
“Can it be?” exclaimed the stranger, as he stretched out his arms. “Art thou Gilbert Audley?”
“Yes, father, yes,” exclaimed Gilbert, as he sprang forward, and the next instant was clasped to the breast of Captain Audley.
“I had heard that thou wert far off, my boy,” said Captain Audley, “and little did I expect to see thee, and was even now on my way to obtain the aid of some of our countrymen, who are not a day’s voyage from this, to rescue thee from the hands of those who held thee in bondage. And this is the son of my noble friend, Sir Edward Fenton,” he continued, stretching out his hand to Gilbert’s companion. A few words sufficed, to explain how he knew all this. Gilbert then told him of their escape from the Indians, and of the probability of their being pursued.
“Then we must not tarry here longer,” said Captain Audley, “though I fear that my weary limbs will not carry me as fast over the ground as your young ones have brought you along. It were better for you to hasten on rather than run the risk of being overtaken by the savages.”
“No, no, father! having once found you, we will not desert you,” exclaimed Gilbert.