never occurred to
Jack until he started on his return to the fire, from whose immediate
vicinity he should never have allowed himself to have been tempted.

Even then his strange remissness would not have impressed itself upon
him but for a startling discovery. The fire was beginning to smoulder
once more, but enough of its glare penetrated the wood for him to note
the black, column-like trunks of the trees between it and him. With his
gaze upon the central point, he saw a figure moving in the path of light
and coming toward him. It looked as if stamped in ink against the yellow
background, and, like the former intruder, was advancing without noise.

An awful fear thrilled Jack Dudley as he abruptly halted and partly
raised his Winchester.

"While I have been busy with one Indian, another has entered the camp
and slain Fred and Hank! He is now after me! There will be no hesitation
_this_ time in my shooting!"

Before he could secure anything like an aim, the other stepped behind
one of the trunks on his right. Jack waited for him to reappear, ready
to fire, but unwilling to do so until the truth was established.

While waiting thus, a low, faint, tremulous whistle reached his ears. It
was the most welcome of all sounds, and raised him from the depths of
woe to blissful happiness, for it was the familiar signal of Fred
Greenwood that had been employed many times in their hunting excursions
nearer home.

Instead of an enemy, it was his chum and dearest friend who was
approaching him. Jack instantly answered the guarded hail, and the next
minute the two came together.

"How is it you are awake?" was the first question of Jack.

"Because it is _time_ for me to awake; it was agreed that I should go on
duty at a little after twelve, and it must be near one o'clock."

"But what awoke you?"

"Nonsense! Haven't you and I travelled together long enough to know that
when you go to sleep with your mind fixed on a certain time to awake you
are sure not to miss it by more than a few minutes?"

"You are right; I had forgotten that. How was it you knew where to look
for me?"

"I didn't. I've been prowling around camp for fifteen minutes, groping
here and there and signaling to you, without the first inkling of where
you were. I didn't want to awake Hank, and therefore was as careful as I
could be. I began to suspect you had sat down somewhere and fallen
asleep."

"I have had enough to keep the most drowsy person awake.