"

"An' we better be gettin' out o' here, too," advised Ed. "If 'twere
Injuns--an' I'm noways sure 'twere or 'tweren't--they seen th' fire,
an' th' dirty devils'll be droppin' us off an' we stays here."

"Aye," agreed Dick, "we'll be movin' on. You an' Bill both seein'
somethin', they must ha' been somethin' there, though I weren't seein'
un."

Weary as they were, the three men hastily shouldered their light
packs, and with rifles resting in the hollow of their arms, Ed in the
lead, they stole noiselessly away into the forest.

Two hours of rapid travelling, in the light of the now rising moon,
brought them to the end of the lake. Here they paused to fall upon
their knees and make a critical examination of the shore.

"Here's fresh footin'," Ed finally announced. "A canoe were launched
here since sundown. Th' gravel's wet where th' water splashed up.
They's one track o' a Injun moccasin, an' from th' smallness of un
'twere a woman."

"'Twere sure a woman," both Bill and Dick agreed.

"An' there's th' same footin' goin' t'other way, but 'tis an older
track," Ed continued. "'Twere th' Injun lass we sees to-night goin'
back."

"Now I'm wonderin'," said Dick, as they arose, "what she's goin' back
for? Maybe now, she's lookin' t' meet us t' help her?"

"Maybe," Ed suggested, laughing, "she's finding a hull passel o'
Injuns more'n she wants t' tackle wi' just her bow an' arrer. I were
thinkin', now, a bow an' arrer weren't much t' run up ag'in a band o'
Injuns with, seein' they has guns."

"Whatever 'tis she's up to," suggested Bill, "'tisn't lookin' for us.
She couldn't ha' missed seein' our fire back here on th' shore, an'
she'd ha' known who 'twere an' come over if she's wantin' t' see us."

"You're right," agreed Dick. "She must have seen our fire, and if
she'd wanted t' see us she'd ha' come over. Now I'm wonderin' why she
didn't."

At mid-forenoon the following day the tilt on the last lake, where
Manikawan had snatched a few hours' sleep, was reached, and mounting
the ridge above, the river was discovered beyond.

At the end of the portage trail the three trappers held a hurried
consultation. At length, carefully concealing their packs among the
bushes, and with rifles held in position for instant use, they turned
noiselessly up along the river bank, following the water closely, and
taking almost exactly the course followed the previous morning by
Manikawan.

They were aware that they were now bey