ard it slowly, determined that if an
Indian ever secured my long black hair it would not be because he caught
me off my guard. With ears and eyes I scouted the river-bank.

The flights and songs of birds and the boisterous chatter of the squirrels
now became so many helps. There were no intruders in the grove of beech.
There was no one between me and the river. At last I passed under some
overhanging boughs and slipped down the bank to the water's edge.

Once more I searched both banks of the river, the Cheat, and then ventured
to drink. Like an animal I drank a swallow, then threw up my head and
glanced about. It took me some time to drink my fill, but I was not
tomahawked while at the spring. At last I was convinced I had the bank to
myself; and satisfied that the screen of overhanging boughs screened me
from any canoe turning a bend up- or down-stream I removed my clothes and
very softly slipped into the water.

There could be no hilarious splashing nor swimming, but the silent
immersion was most refreshing. It was while supine on my back with only my
nose and toes above water that I received my first alarm for that morning.
My position being recumbent I was staring up at the sky and in the
direction of up-stream, and I saw a speck.

It was circling and from the west a smaller speck was hastening eastward.
A third tiny speck showed on the southern skyline. Turkey-buzzards. The
one circling had sighted dead beast or man. The others had seen the
discoverer's maneuvers advertising his good luck; and now each scavenger
in hastening to the feast drew other scavengers after him.

I crawled ashore and hurriedly began slipping into my few garments. I drew
on my breeches and paused for a moment to part the shrubbery and stare
into the sky. I was startled to observe the buzzards--there were three of
them now--were much nearer, as if following something. I pulled on my
leggings and finished fitting my moccasins carefully about the ankles to
keep out all dust and dirt and took my second look.

The buzzards were five, and in making their wide circles they had again
cut down the distance. Then it dawned upon me that they were following
something in the river. I watched the bend, the buzzards ever circling
nearer, their numbers continually being augmented by fresh arrivals. At
last it came in sight--a canoe containing one man.

Hastily drying my hands on my hunting-shirt, I picked up my rifle and drew
a bead on the distant fi