arm was stretched down with the spear, so that the
final climb was fairly easy, though it would have been almost impossible
without.

As soon as Norman was lying on the top, he found that the other side was
a gentle descent away to what appeared to be a wide valley between
mountains, but everything was so rapidly growing dim that the distant
objects were nearly obscured by the transparent gloom. But nearer at
hand there was something visible which made the boy's heart begin to
beat heavily. For as Shanter drew him on all fours cautiously among the
bushes to where there was an opening, there, far down the slope, but so
near that had they spoken their words would have been heard, was a great
body rising, which directly after resolved itself into smoke; and before
many minutes had been spent in watching, there was a bright flash of
flame which had the effect of making all around suddenly seem dark,
while between them and the bright blaze a number of black figures could
be seen moving to and fro, and evidently heaping brushwood upon the fire
they had just lit.

Norman Bedford, as he lay there among the bushes, felt, at the sight of
the blacks, as if boyhood had suddenly dropped away with all its joyous
sport and fun, to leave him a thoughtful man in a terrible emergency;
that he was bound to act, and that perhaps the lives of all who were
dear to him depended upon his action and control of the thoughtless
savage at his side.

"Poor father!" he said to himself, as his courage failed and a cold
perspiration broke out all over him; "you have done wrong. You ought
not to have brought out mamma and the girls till we had come and proved
the place. It is too horrible."

That was only a momentary weakness, though, and he nerved himself now to
act, trying to come to the conclusion which it would be best to do--stop
and watch, sending Shanter back with a message, or leave the black to
watch while he ran with the news.

The position was horrible. Setting aside his own danger up there on the
ridge, where the slightest movement might be heard by the sharp-eared
blacks, there they were, evidently encamping for the night with only
this ridge dividing them from the spot selected for the new home.

What should he do?

Before he could decide, as he lay there watching, with dilated eyes, the
black figures passing and repassing the increasing blaze, Shanter placed
his lips close to his ear.

"You pidney?" (understand), he whisp