brought more dangerous enemies to us."

"I would give a good deal to know what has become of them. It begins to
look as if they did not consider us worth bothering with."

"I wish I could believe that, but I cannot. I think it more likely that
they know where we are, and are trifling with us, as a cat does with a
mouse."

"That makes me anxious to push on. We must find some place where we can
cross the stream. Let's go further up the bank."

He took the course named, leading away from the great bear with which
they had so narrowly escaped an encounter.

To their surprise, they had not far to go before the spot they were
seeking was found. The stream narrowed between some rocks, so much that
even Alice could spring across without wetting her feet.

"I am afraid Linna can't leap it," remarked Ben with a smile.

"Me show you."

And, without recoiling a step, the nimble little one made a graceful
bound, which landed her several feet beyond the other margin.

"Well done!" said Ben; "I couldn't do much better myself. Now, Alice,
you are not going to let her beat you?"

Alice was timid at first, but with a good start she cleared the space.
She landed, however, so near the water that had not the watchful Linna
caught one of the hands thrown up to save herself, she would have fallen
back in the stream.

Mother and son imitated them, and all stood on the other side of the
obstruction without having suffered any inconvenience.

While they were congratulating themselves, a startling reminder of their
danger came in the near report of a rifle. It was from the direction
in which they had seen the bear, and in the stillness of the woods all
heard a snarling growl, which proved that the beast had received his
death wound.

"The Indians are there!" whispered the frightened Ben; "what shall we
do, mother?"

"What can we do?" she asked, helpless and at her wits' end for the
moment; "there seems to be no escaping them."

"Me go talk with them," was the amazing remark of the little Delaware
girl.

"You talk with them!" repeated Mrs. Ripley; "what can you do?"

"Don't know--me try."

And without waiting for permission, Linna started on a light run toward
the point whence came the report of the rifle that gave Bruin his death
wound. Mother and son looked in each other's face in mute wonderment for
a full minute after the departure of the girl.

"She's a remarkable child," finally said the mother; "she has done us
mor