ey could swim across, but, inasmuch as the party separated, and while several went up, the rest walked d

w rods when a whoop from the others made known they had found wha

glance showed that it had been felled by the axe of some pioneer, who probably thus formed a bridge for himself and friends. The limbs had been trimmed away, and the abraded bark proved that it ha

action escaped the warriors during the minute they stood toget

violently as almost to throw him to the ground. The boy looked wonderingly in his face, a

stepping back, so as to allow the others to pr

e walking on the log, they were obliged to move carefully, for their foothold was narrow and the swift running current

of the stream, one of them stooped, and, grasping the head of the trunk, moved it quickly fully a couple of feet to the right, all three bursting into an audible snicker at the s

intention of grasping the support with both hands, but before he could do so, he lost his balance, fl

n than did the five Indians when the boy disappeared under the water, his eyes star

possibility of turning the jest upon his captors. The water was very deep, and he kept sinking until his feet softly touched the bottom. As he gave himself the slight i

ger time to reach the surface than he calculated upon, and he narrow

e, and he drew a deep inspiration of the blessed air; but, even in that trying moment, he kep

ble to see the warriors standing on the land and looking for him. It followed, therefore, that if they should scrutinize the ban

current against the shore made a noise which overcame the slight ripple caused by his own movements. Only his nose and eyes we

e was opposite the five Indians who stood on the shore. He was led to do this from a natural desire to get as far away as he could from his capt

d so as to face up stream, and, through the slight spaces in t

row E

were discussing the unexpected shape matters had taken; the joke played on their captive had proven a very serious matte

, "and then will come the tug of war. It won't be the live boy they'll expect to find, but his dead

feeling hopeful, for he was sure the incident had

, noticing a sharp bend made by the current, "I would have been in a good deal

der the surface, he might be forced to come up too soon, or might strike some obstruction in the stream that would fling him over as though he was a porpoise. It was the

lips, and, despite the noise of the rushing stream, he heard one of them grunt several times. This particular warrior was shorter and more solidly built than th

elt at his waist, which supported his knife and tomahawk. His stomach protruded somewhat, and, when he spoke

s and scouts, were never at rest. They flitted hither and thither, up and down st

ing at the conclusion that the boy either was dead, or had left the stream at a point below. Three savages walked hastily over the creek on the log and began moving along shore, their serpent-like

usefulness. While one hand held fast to the tough root, he softly drew down the bush with the other, so that it interposed between him and the cou

d thus, while he employed his eyes to follow the movements of the couple, he sought to use his ears

o the edge of the water. However, they were still several yards above him, so that he was quite certain they did not suspect his hiding-place. When they halted and leaned over the stream,

orbs were centered upon him with such an inquiring expression, that he was sure he had been discovered. All hope was gone, until a moment after he

the delighted boy, "and now if the others let me a

th, until they passed out of sight, a considerable distance below the crouching fugitive. The relie

of the red men. With each passing minute his hopes rose, until at t

to come to the surface for some time-anyway not until it is

yed was of such a simple nature that it ought to suggest itself to the red men. If such was the case the

lled from his long submersion, so that his teeth rattled, and he trembled in every limb. Extended flat on the ground, he crawled with the utmost care until a couple of rods from the water. Then

him, so that he felt screened from the observati

bled me into the water, but I played a trick on them worth two of their kind. I only

Turning like a flash, he saw the five Indian warriors from whom, up to that moment, he had believed he was free, sta

for the moment he was under the water. They knew where he was when he suppo