ilderness, which stretched hundreds of miles in almost every direction from the little settlement of Martinsville. Both he and Otto had a

g remarkable in such a proceeding, and the fact that he did not do so, gave ground for the beli

anywhere in the neighborhood during the late storm, traces of him must be found without much difficulty. But one of the easiest

y direction. Looking to the eastward, Otto fancied he could detect the gleam of the distant Mississippi, but Jack assure

ew his handkerchief across his perspir

, when we sat around the fire and talked it over; but of c

" replied Otto, with a meaning shake of his

think it his duty to refrain from showing the contemp

umor which he sometimes displayed, "I doesn't di

nd, to feel specially impressed by the scene which would have held any one else enthralled

rleton, whose gaze abruptly rested on a poi

smoke of a camp-fire was seen climbing toward the blue sky. The scene on which the boys looked was similar to that which met

e wavy outlines no further. At the point already named, and in the lowest portion of the intervening country, a camp-fire was burning. The smoke, as it filtered upward through th

ountry, but the vapor from the camp of some body of men who were not making the slightest att

o necessity for stationing a sentinel on the

atural question had presented itself at the same moment. It

d see for ourselves," said Jack, after they h

horse is with

gged his

n whether they are Indians or white men, and I don't know as it makes much difference one way or the other, for our own horse thieve

pected remark of Otto; "if he was only a colored man

to do something, and we can't

and almost bounding steps. While they had much curiosity, and a somewhat singular misgiving, y

o much interest, and the sun was close to meridian when Jack, who was

t be far

wice when they were able to catch a glimpse of it through the tree-tops. Jack's exclamation was caused by ano

e fire itself could be observed, though the smok

he natural query of Otto, as he pla

ll keep on, until we

nds out vot

ll see-

care as if they were scouts entering the camp of an enemy. It would have been ras

nks I goes around the oder side w

ound out the consequence of separating when in danger. Y

onded Otto, obeyi

rsons stretched on the ground in lolling, indolent positions, while some were sitting on a fallen tree, and two were engaged in broiling some venison, which evidently was meant to furni

o which they belonged, but inasmuch as it was apparent they were neither Shawanoes nor Hurons, he w

ustomed to meet on the other side of the Mississippi. The poetical American Indian is far different from the one in real life. It is rarely that a really handsome

nce. Their eyes were smaller, more piggish, and further apart, their cheek-bones more prominent, the foreheads lower a

aintance, the lads stood side by side, each with the stock of his gun resting on th

ves must have been visible to the red men had they chosen to cast their searching glances towards th

ext ten minutes. Two of the warriors, leaving their rifles where they were leaning against a fallen tree, leisurely rose and sauntered into the woods,

k, in a guarded voice; "shall we go

an see, and I dinks dot we better

to believe yo

ng his rifle with an iron grip, snatched it from him. At the same instant, a precisely similar movement deprived Otto Rel