is knowledge. So, he sat quite still, taking deep breaths, and was
without apprehension. He was not really weary, the long swinging run had
not been much more than exercise, but he wanted to look about and see
the nature of the land.
The canebrake extended a great distance, but he saw far beyond it the
black shadow of forest, in the interminable depths of which he might
easily lose himself if the pursuit continued. Whether it continued or
not was a matter of sheer indifference to him. He had drawn them far
enough, but if they wished to go farther he would be the hunted again,
although it might be dangerous for the hunters.
He saw the crests of the cane waving a little, and, rising, he resumed
the race on easy foot, passing through the canebrake, and entering the
forest, in which there was much rough, rocky ground. Here he leaped
lightly from stone to stone, until he knew the trail was broken beyond
the possibility of finding, when he sat down between two great upthrust
roots of an oak and leaned back against turf and trunk together. He knew
that the green of his deerskins blended perfectly with the grass, and he
felt so thoroughly convinced that the pursuit had stopped that he
decided to remain there for the night.
He unrolled the blanket from his back, put it about his shoulders, and
then he laughed again at the successful trick that he had played upon
these fierce red warriors. It had been an easy task, too. Save the two
hasty shots from the trailers he had never been in serious danger, and
now, as he rested comfortably, he ate a little more of the dried venison
from his knapsack. Then he fell asleep.
The hours of the night passed peacefully. The soft turf supported his
back, and only his head was against the trunk of the tree. It was a
comfortable position for a seasoned forest runner. Toward morning the
wind rose and began to sing through the spring foliage. Its song grew
louder, and before it was yet dawn Henry awoke and listened to it. Like
the Indian he heard the voice of the Great Spirit in the wind, and now
it came to him with a warning note.
He stretched his limbs a little and stood up, his hand on the hammer of
his rifle. The darkness that precedes the dawn covered the woods, but he
could see some distance into it, and he saw nothing. He listened a long
time, and as the dusk began to thin away before the sun he heard a low
chant. He knew that it was an Indian song, a song of triumph, coming
from the
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