s he they'd not let any white trapper hunt above th' Big Hill
trail. They's likely seen our tilt up th' river, an' laid for us. I'm
sorry, now, I were bringin' you here an' not tellin' you, Shad."

"Oh, don't worry about that, Bob. I'd have come just the same,"
assured Shad. "In fact, I'd have been all the more ready to come, with
the prospect of a scrap with Indians in view. If I'd known, though,
I'd have had my eyes open and my rifle ready, and dropped a bullet or
two among them before we got caught in the current."

"Injuns were never givin' me trouble before, an' I weren't takin'
their threatenin' t' Douglas in earnest, so I forgets all about un
till I sees th' Injuns at th' portage trail," Bob explained.

"'Twouldn't have done t' kill any of un, Shad. If you had, th' rest
would have laid in th' bushes an' killed us, for they's no knowin' how
many they is of un. Then they'd gone back an' laid for Ed an' Dick an'
Bill an' killed they before they'd be knowin' they was any trouble.

"Now 'tis more 'n likely th' Injuns is thinkin' we be th' only white
men about, an' when we thinks up a way o' gettin' out o' here we'll
give warnin' t' Ed an' th' others, an' being on th' lookout one of us
can hold off a hull passel o' Injuns, for we has Winchesters, an' all
they has is muzzle-loadin' trade guns."

"But suppose we don't get off this island before the others come to
look for us? What then?" asked Shad.

"If they misses us an' goes lookin' for us, they'll be knowin' we're
missin' for some cause. Bill Campbell's been hearin' from his father
what th' Mingens were sayin' last year, an' they'll suspicion 'tis th'
Mingens an' be watchin' for un."

"But I don't understand yet what objection the Mingens have to our
trapping here. I supposed this was the country of your Nascaupee
friends."

"'Tis this way," Bob explained. "Th' Nascaupees hunts t' th'
n'uth'ard, th' Bay Mountaineers t' th' east'ard, an' th' Mingens t'
th' s'uth'ard, an' all of un comes in hereabouts t' get deer's meat,
mostly th' Mingens, when deer's scarce t' th' s'uth'ard, an' they
thinks if white trappers is about th' deer'll be drove out."

"Well, Bob, let's boil the kettle and try to figure out a plan of
escape," suggested Shad. "With the reaction from the morning's
excitement, I'm developing a vast hunger."

"They's not a mouthful o' grub in th' bag, Shad," Bob announced
sorrowfully, "only a bit o' tea with th' kettle an' our cups. I leaves
un all i