waiting for him," said Roger; "not finding us at the fort, he will
follow in our trail, and after the lessons we have given the Indians,
they are not likely again to attack us."

Rolfe and Vaughan, however, thought it would be more prudent to remain
where they were.

"Provided we had food, I should agree with you," answered Roger, "but
starvation is a tough foe to fight against, and for my part I would
rather face a whole host of Indians."

Still, as Canochet might certainly be expected in the course of the day,
Rolfe was not moved from his purpose. The party did not fail to keep a
bright look-out from their hill; chafing, however, at the delay to which
they were subjected. Gilbert and Fenton especially, with most of the
men, were eager to go on. Their last piece of venison was consumed, and
they were growing very hungry. As the two young men were seated
together on the top of a rock whence they could look out round them on
every side, Fenton exclaimed, "See, see, Gilbert! yonder is a deer--she
just showed her head from behind that thicket on the borders of the
forest--there is some sweet grass there probably on which she is
browsing. If we could steal up from to leeward, we might get close
enough to shoot her before she discovers us."

Gilbert looked in the direction Fenton pointed, and he too seeing the
deer, agreed that the opportunity of obtaining a supply of venison was
not to be lost. Slipping down from the rock, they made their way round
the base of the hill till they reached a spot directly to leeward of the
thicket near which they had seen the deer browsing. From thence they
advanced cautiously amid the high rocks and bushes till they got close
to the forest, believing every instant that they should see the animal
before them.

"She must have gone round to the other side," observed Fenton; and they
crawled on further. On looking back, Roger observed that they were
almost out of sight of the hill. Still, eager to get the deer, they
went further on, when they again caught sight of the head and shoulders
of the animal, grazing not where they expected, but a considerable
distance off in the forest. They might hit the creature, but should
they miss, it would certainly be lost to them; they therefore determined
to get nearer. At last, Gilbert was rising to his feet to fire, when he
heard Fenton utter a cry; bitterly had they cause to regret their folly
in having quitted the shelter of the fort.