an force was silent and invisible. The
inexperienced would have thought that it was gone, but these borderers
knew well enough that it was lying there in the deep woods not a quarter
of a mile away, and as eager as ever for their destruction. Colonel
Clark reenforced the detachment among the fallen trees, recognizing the
great strength of the position, and he spoke many words of praise.

"I'll send food to you," he said, "and meat and drink in plenty. After a
night such as we have had refresh yourselves as much as you can."

They had an abundance of stores in the boats, and the men were not
stinted. Nor did they confine themselves to cold food. Fires were
lighted in the woods nearest to the river, and they cooked beef,
venison, pork and buffalo meat. Coffee was boiled in great cans of sheet
iron, and breakfast was served first to the gallant hundred.

Shif'less Sol, as he lay behind his tree, murmured words of great
content. "It's a black night that don't end," he said, "an' I like fur
mine to end jest this way. Provided I don't get hurt bad I'm willin' to
fight my way to hot coffee an' rich buff'ler steak. This coffee makes
me feel good right down to my toes, though I will say that there is a
long-legged ornery creatur that kin make it even better than this. Hey,
thar, Saplin'!"

Long Jim Hart's mouth opened in a chasm of a grin.

"I confess," he said, "I'm a purty good cook, ef I do tell it myself.
But what are we goin' to do now, Henry?"

"That's for Colonel Clark to say, and I don't think he'll say anything
just yet."

"Nice day," said Tom Ross, looking about approvingly.

All the others laughed, yet Tom told the truth. The clouds were gone and
the air had turned cooler. The forest looked splendid in its foliage,
and off to the south they could see wild flowers.

"Nothin' goin' to happen for some time," said Shif'less Sol, "an' me
bein' a lazy man an' proud o' the fact, I think I'll go to sleep."

Nobody said anything against it, and stretching himself out among the
bushes which shaded his face, he was sleeping peacefully in a few
minutes. Paul looked at him, and the impression which the slumbering man
made upon him was so strong that his own eyelids drooped.

"You go to sleep, too," said Henry. "You'll have nothing to do for
hours, and sleep will bring back your strength."

Paul had eaten a heavy breakfast, and he needed nothing more than
Henry's words. He lay down by the side of his comrade, and soon