last place
they had stopped at. The way I had approached showed them how easily
they might have been surprised by a party of hostile Indians.

I told them that I must be off again at once, as I was anxious to get
back to our waggon, in order that we might join them without delay.
Reuben offered to accompany me, and I was very glad to have him. We
therefore set off immediately.

It was necessary to be careful, however, to keep a direct course; and
this could only be done by watching a star which I had marked,
overhanging the spot where I had left the waggon. By any deviation to
the right hand or to the left we might easily pass it.

Reuben told me that many of the emigrants had become very anxious, and
the account I had brought would make them still more so. Could they
venture back alone, he thought they would be willing to return to the
settlement.

"For my own part, I like the wild sort of life we are leading; but I
should be happier if I knew that Lily and my aunt were in safety,
whereas they are exposed to as much danger as we are," I observed.

More than once I thought that we had gone wrong, as it was impossible to
distinguish objects clearly in the gloom of night. I fancied that we
must have performed the distance; still I could nowhere see the waggon.
The dreadful thought occurred to me that some prowling Indians might
have pounced upon it, and carried it off.

"I hope not," said Reuben, when I told him my fears. "We may not have
gone far enough yet; or we are perhaps too much on one side or the
other."

We went on a little further, trying to pierce the gloom. Then we
stopped to listen, but could hear no sounds.

"We must have gone wrong," I said; "for I am certain that we should
otherwise have got up to the waggon by this time."

Still Reuben thought that I might be mistaken.

"Let us shout, and perhaps they will hear us;" and before I could stop
him, he cried out at the top of his voice--"Hallo! Mr Tregellis,
whereabouts are you?"

Thinking it too probable that Indians were not far off, I dreaded lest
the shout might be heard by them, and I advised Reuben not to cry out
again.

I was still fearing that we had missed the waggon, when a voice reached
our ears. It was that of Mike.

"Is that you, Masther Roger? If you are yourself, come on here; but if
not, I'll throuble you to stop where you are, or I'll be afther shooting
you through the head."

"All right, Mike!" I exclaimed, as w