o be cut for the
cannon, and even if they remained where they were, the Indian army when
night came, would be very little farther south than the five.

"I vote we turn our short stop into a long one," said Shif'less Sol,
"since, ef we went on we'd jest have to come back again. An' me bein' a
lazy man I'm ag'in any useless work. What do you say, Saplin'?"

"I'm with you, Sol, not 'cause I'm lazy, which I ain't, an' never will
be, but cause it ain't wuth while to go back on our tracks an' then come
forward ag'in. What I do say is this; since Tom Ross is such a good
fisher I reckon he might take his hook an' line an' go east to the
creek, which can't be fur from here, an' ketch some more fish jest ez
good ez them we had this mornin'. After dark I'll cook 'em, takin' the
trouble off his hands."

All fell in with the suggestion, including Tom himself, and after a
while he went away on the errand, returning in due time with plenty of
fish as good as the others. This time Long Jim cooked them when night
came, in a low place behind the trees, and once more they had warm and
delicate food.

When the moon rose in a clear sky, they were able to trace the smoke of
the Indian campfire, almost due west of them, as they calculated it
would be, and a long distance away. Henry regarded it thoughtfully and
Paul knew that his mind was concentrated upon some plan.

"What is it?" he asked at last.

"I think some of us ought to go late tonight and see what chance we have
at the guns."

"You'll take me with you, Henry?"

"No, Paul. It'll have to be Shif'less Sol, while the rest of you stand
by as a reserve. What call shall we use, the owl or the wolf?"

"Let it be the wolf," said the shiftless one, "'cause I feel like a wolf
tonight, ready to snap at an' bite them that's tryin' to hurt our
people."

"Sol gits mighty ferocious when thar ain't anythin' more terrible than a
rabbit close by," said Long Jim.

"It ain't that. It's my knowin' that you'll run to my help ef I git into
trouble," said Shif'less Sol.

Paul felt a little disappointment, but it disappeared quickly. He knew
that Shif'less Sol was the one who ought to go, and in the high tasks
they had set for themselves there were enough dangers for all.

"Then it will be the cry of the wolf," said Henry. "To most people their
yelps are alike, but not to us. You won't forget the particular kind of
howl that Sol and I give forth?"

"Never," said Long Jim. "Thar ain't anothe