ve
been referred to in the stories told about him.

The confidence of Fred Lincoln and Terry Clark in the wonderful young
Shawanoe was so perfect that they did not question any decision, no
matter how little they failed to see its reason. If what he asked was in
their power, they would bound at the chance of doing it, just as they
did now.

He had a parting warning to give.

"Let my brothers make sure that they do not lose the trail; they must
look at the ground often: when they do not see the path they must stop
and await the rising of the sun; they can not reach the cabin too soon,
but they can never reach it by going wrong; _keep to the trail_!"

The circuitous route which they had taken under the guidance of
Deerfoot, had brought them back to the path at a point fully a hundred
yards beyond the camp-fire, which had been started in the small open
space only a few rods from the path. So far as they knew there was
nothing now between them in the way of a direct advance to the cabin of
their hunters.

"Fred," said Terry, after they were fairly under way, and while he
almost stepped on the heels of his friend; "Deerfoot thinks we won't go
more than five or six miles; let's show him that we ain't such babies as
he thinks."

"I feel as you do; I propose that we keep it up all night."

"Will ye be kind enough to raich yer right hand over your lift shoulder
and shake wid me on the same?"

Instead of doing precisely as asked, Fred laughingly turned about and
shook hands with his friend, whom he loved and for whom he was ready at
any time to risk his life. They were on their mettle and they meant to
show the young Shawanoe that they were capable of doing much more than
he seemed to believe. They intended that when, after a few hours, he
started to overtake them, he would find that he had a good many miles
further to travel than he supposed.

Had Deerfoot known of their thoughts he would have smiled and been
pleased. He wanted them to do their best and he was willing, should it
prove to be safe, to allow them to keep up the delusion that their gait
could bear any comparison with the speed of which he was capable.

Meanwhile, the boys started in earnest to carry out their intention.
Their only fear was that they might be hindered by the difficulty in
keeping to the trail; for though the full moon was again overhead, and
though many of the leaves had fallen from the trees, little light was
there to help them.

But