aul.

Tom Ross shook his head, but Henry answered in words:

"No, the Indians, especially the chiefs, are inflamed more than ever by
their losses. Moreover, as Timmendiquas has seen how the allied Six
Nations themselves could not hold back the white power, he will be all
the more anxious to strike us hard in the valley."

"I've a notion," said Shif'less Sol, "that bands o' the Iroquois,
'specially the Mohawks, may come out here, an' try to do fur
Timmendiquas what he tried to do fur them. The savages used to fight
ag'in' one another, but I think they are now united ag'in' us, on an'
off, all the way from the Atlantic to the Great Plains."

"Guess you're right, Sol," said Long Jim, "but ez fur me, jest now I
want to sleep. We had a purty hard march to-day. Besides walkin' we had
to be watchin' always to see that our scalps were still on our heads,
an' that's a purty wearyin' combination."

"I speak for all, and all are with you," said Paul, so briskly that the
others laughed.

"Any snug place that is well hid will do," said Henry, "and as the
forest is so thick I don't think it will take us long to find it."

They turned southward, and went at least three miles through heavy woods
and dense thickets. All they wanted was a fairly smooth spot with the
bushes growing high above them, and, as Henry had predicted, they
quickly found it--a small depression well grown with bushes and weeds,
but with an open space in the center where some great animal, probably a
buffalo had wallowed. They lay down in this dry sandy spot, rolled in
their blankets, and felt so secure that they sought sleep without
leaving anyone to watch.

Henry was the first to awake. The dawn was cold and he shivered a little
when he unrolled himself from his blanket. The sun showed golden in the
east, but the west was still dusky. He looked for a moment or two at his
four friends, lying as still as if they were dead. Then he stretched his
muscles, and beat his arms across his chest to drive away the frost of
the morning that had crept into his blood. Shif'less Sol yawned and
awoke and the others did likewise, one by one.

"Cold mornin' fur this time o' year," said Shif'less Sol. "Jim, light
the fire an' cook breakfast an' the fust thing I want is a good hot cup
o' coffee."

"Wish I could light a fire," said Long Jim, "an' then I could give you a
cup shore 'nuff. I've got a little pot an' a tin cup inside an' three
pounds o' ground coffee in my pack