n
that he was to come out and expose himself to the view of the Indians.

Stepping out of the cave, he uttered a piercing war whoop and darted
back. Slow Dog and his comrades answered with a volley of arrows. This
was just what Raven Wing had expected, and before they could again fit
arrows to their bows, he dashed across the open space and slipped into
the cave, followed by Ohitika.

Angered at being outwitted by a boy, Slow Dog and the Chippeways rushed
forward across the open space, but before they had covered half its
distance, a bullet from Hawk Eye's gun brought one of the Chippeways
tumbling to earth. Without waiting to pick him up, Slow Dog and his
comrade sought the shelter of the bushes, where they lay concealed. From
the mouth of the cave the boys could see four canoes drawn up on the
beach. As Hawk Eye reloaded his gun, Raven Wing caught sight of an
Indian stealing down towards the canoes. Lifting the gun to his
shoulder, Raven Wing fired and the Chippeway fell face downward on the
sand.

"Good!" grunted Hawk Eye. "The odds are now with us. However, Slow Dog's
craftiness more than equals ours. If he sees he cannot get us, he will
try to make off with our canoes."

"But if he ventures on the beach, he knows he will be shot," remarked
Raven Wing.

"He will wait for darkness," said Hawk Eye.

"Darkness protects the rabbit as well as the fox," cried Raven Wing. As
he finished, a low exclamation burst from Hawk Eye's lips. "Look!" he
said. "Someone is stealing through the bushes!"

"The bodies of the two braves still lie upon the ground," said Raven
Wing. "Perhaps the brave we left for dead in the camp has recovered."

[Illustration: {Brave behind fallen tree.}]

For some time the boys kept their gaze directed toward the canoes, but
no second brave dared to venture toward them, although they lay only a
few yards distant from the edge of the timber. Slow Dog and his
companion were held at bay by the watchful eyes of the two boys. A
bullet would be their answer to any attempt to reach the canoes.

The canoes now became the chief object of interest to all concerned.
Slow Dog realized that if the boys should succeed in reaching the
canoes they could escape. This, of course, they could not hope to do as
long as daylight lasted nor even when night should arrive, unless it
were a very dark one, since he and his comrade were armed with bow and
arrows. On the other hand, he knew, now that the boys had possessi