he point of
speaking, but the words that came to him were too commonplace and weak
to express his tumultuous thoughts. Just as he was on the point of
deciding upon something, it came to him with startling suddenness that
he was too careless with his charge. For the last hour he had hardly
been conscious that he was traveling in the woods, much less that in
these same woods lurked the deadly Indian, whose thoughts were
constantly bent upon murder and outrage.

"Edith," said he, "I would do any thing if it would only place us where
we could talk without fear of being disturbed. But it can't be done
here. There's Injins in these woods, and I'd never forgive myself if I
should forget it agin, and I've already done so several times. Just
stop a minute."

He took her hand, and the two bent forward in the attitude of intense
listening; and listening thus, they heard faintly in the distance the
report of a rifle. It was several miles away, and evidently fired by
some wandering Indian or hunter. Its only effect upon our friends was
that peculiar one of making them more fully sensible that there were
other beings in the woods besides themselves.

"It means nothing," said Dernor. "Let's go on, but more careful than
before."

"Do you think there is any one following us?" asked Edith, for this
constant renewal of her apprehension made her nervous and unnaturally
suspicious.

"I have no reason to think so, and I haven't any suspicion that there
is. So I guess there's no need of being scared."

"I can not help feeling frightened," said Edith, clinging closer to
him. "I do wish we were at the settlement. How much longer will it take
us to reach it?"

"To-morrow, at the very furthest, I hope we shall be there, and perhaps
to-night, if we keep up a brisk walk."

"I see no reason why we should not hurry."

"Nor I, either," laughed Dernor. "So come on."

He struck up a brisk walk as he spoke, and continued it for some twenty
minutes, when a small creek was reached, the one where O'Hara and
Allmat lost the trail. Before wading it, the Rifleman paused on its
banks as if in deep thought. This was so marked that Edith questioned
him.

"I'm thinking whether it wouldn't be best to put this brook to the same
use that I did last summer. A half-dozen Miamis got rather closer to me
than was pleasant, when I jumped in here and threw them off the scent."

"How?"

"I will show you."

He picked her up as he spoke, and stepped careful