think so," said Henry. "At any rate they'd find us if we were
rushing about the village. Here we at least have a chance."

At the far end of the Council House hung mats, woven of rushes, and the
three sat down behind them in the very heart of the Iroquois sanctuary.
Should anyone casually enter the Council House they would still be
hidden. They sat in Turkish fashion on the floor, close together and
with their rifles lying across their knees. A thin light filtered
through a window and threw pallid streaks on the floor, which they could
see when they peeped around the edge of the mats. But outside they
heard very clearly the clamor of the hunt as it swung to and fro in the
village. Shif'less Sol chuckled. It was very low, but it was a chuckle,
nevertheless, and the others heard.

"It's sorter takin' an advantage uv 'em," said the shiftless one,
"layin' here in thar own church, so to speak, while they're ragin' an'
tearin' up the earth everywhar else lookin' fur us. Gives me a mighty
snug feelin', though, like the one you have when you're safe in a big
log house, an' the wind an' the hail an' the snow are beatin' outside."

"You're shorely right, Sol," said Tom Ross.

"Seems to me," continued the irrepressible Sol, "that you did git in a
good lick at Braxton Wyatt, after all. Ain't he unhappy now, bitin' his
fingers an' pawin' the earth an' findin' nothin'? I feel real sorry,
I do, fur Braxton. It's hard fur a nice young feller to have to suffer
sech disappointments."

Shif'less Sol chuckled again, and Henry was forced to smile in the
darkness. Shif'less Sol was not wholly wrong. It would be a bitter blow
to Braxton Wyatt. Moreover, it was pleasant where they sat. A hard floor
was soft to them, and as they leaned against the wall they could relax
and rest.

"What will our fellows out thar in the woods think?" asked Tom Ross.

"They won't have to think," replied Henry. "They'll sit quiet as we're
doing and wait."

The noise of the hunt went on for a long time outside. War whoops came
from different points of the village. There were shrill cries of women
and children, and the sound of many running feet. After a while it began
to sink, and soon after that they heard no more noises than those of
people preparing for flight. Henry felt sure that the town would be
abandoned on the morrow, but his desire to come to close quarters with
Braxton Wyatt was as strong as ever. It was certain that the army could
not overtake