"

"Mebbe so an' mebbe not," said Tom Ross. "My eyes ain't so bad and this
bein' a good place to look from I think I see a canoe over thar right
under the fur shore uv the Ohio. Jest look along thar, Henry, whar the
bank kinder rises up."

The point that Tom indicated was at least a mile away, but Henry agreed
with him that a shape resembling a canoe lay close to the bank.
Shif'less Sol and the others inclined to the same belief.

"If so, it's a scout boat watching us," said Paul, "and Timmendiquas
himself may be in it."

Henry shook his head.

"It isn't likely," he said. "Timmendiquas knows all that he wants to
know, and is now going northeastward as fast as he can. But his warriors
are there. Look! You can see beyond a doubt now that it is a canoe, and
it's going up the river at full speed."

The canoe shot from the shadow of the bank. Apparently it contained
three or four Indians, and they had strong arms. So it sped over the
water and against the current at a great rate.

"They've seen all they want to see to-night," said Henry, "but that
canoe and maybe others will be watching us all the way."

A half hour later a light appeared in the northern woods and then
another much further on. Doubtless the chain was continued by more, too
far away for them to see. The men in the main camp saw them also, and
understood. Every foot of their advance would be watched until the
Indian army grew strong enough, when it would be attacked. Yet their
zeal and courage rose the higher. They begged Clark to start again at
dawn that no time might be lost. Boone joined the five under the tree.

"You saw the lights, didn't you, boys?" he said.

"We saw them," replied Henry, "and we know what they mean. Don't you
think, Mr. Boone, that for a while the most dangerous part of the work
will fall on you?"

"Upon those with me an' myself," replied Boone in his gentle manner,
"but all of us are used to it."

For two successive nights they saw the fiery signals on the northern
shore, carrying the news into the deep woods that the Kentucky army was
advancing. But they were not molested by any skirmishers. Not a single
shot was fired. The fact was contrary to the custom of Indian warfare,
and Henry saw in it the wisdom and restraint of Timmendiquas. Indians
generally attack on impulse and without system, but now they were
wasting nothing in useless skirmishing. Not until all the warriors were
gathered, and the time was ripe would Timm