I'm in hopes we'll stumble upon him afore day. Just squat and
make yourself miserable while I take a run up and down the bank."

Leland obeyed him, and in a moment was left alone, shivering in the
chilly night-air, and feeling miserable indeed in his lonely situation.
But he was not disposed to murmur; he had escaped death--that was
enough.

In the course of an hour Kent returned with the information that he had
found the boat about half a mile up, but that Leslie was not in it. Both
started, and, after stumbling over bushes loaded with water, and sinking
into the miry shore, and wading in the river by turns, they came upon
it, pulled high up on the bank. It was becoming lighter every moment,
and as Kent knew that as soon as possible their trail would be followed,
he was unwilling to brook the slightest delay.

"As soon as one is out the scrape another gets in. Here you have got
clear, and now _he_ must go and make a fool of himself. If he's got
taken, that's the meanest trick yet."

"Perhaps he is not far off," said Leland, stepping in the boat and
searching it. "He is not here, certainly," he added, after looking over
it.

"I'll wait a while, and then we must look out for ourselves. No use of
losing our own hair in tryin' to help him," rejoined Kent.

Both took the boat, and turning it over so as to free it from water,
shoved it out from the beach.

"Halloa, Leslie! If you're about just say so, and if you ain't let us
know," shouted Kent, in a loud voice.

A silence of a few moments followed, when he repeated the call. To the
surprise of both it was answered.

"That you, Kent?" came a voice as if its owner had just waked.

"Wal, I rather guess so; and it's my private opinion that you'd better
tumble yourself in here in short order," returned Kent.

A dark form arose to all appearance from the ground, and pitching
awkwardly forward, exclaimed:

"You don't suppose a fellow would be in the boat through all that rain,
do you? Oh! is Leland there?" he asked, pausing and collecting his
senses.

"No! Poor fellow's scalped and burned at the stake. Had to kill nine of
them to save my own hair."

Leslie made no reply, but stepped silently into the boat. Making his way
toward the stern, he encountered the very person of whom he had been
speaking.

"Hey! who is this?" he exclaimed, starting back.

"A dead red-skin that I cotched," answered Kent.

"Leland, sure as I live!" said Leslie, joyously catching his h