,
when suddenly, before Reynolds could reload his gun, or Burl disencumber
himself of the buck, they found themselves completely surrounded by at
least a dozen savages, who, hovering about the enemy's van, had spied
the stragglers and laid in ambuscade to capture them, though all but
within rifle-range of the American pickets. Taken by surprise, and
outnumbered two to one, any attempt at resistance or escape would have
been instant death. So they surrendered at once, and quietly suffered
themselves to be stripped of their arms and accouterments, which being
done in a twinkling, they were swiftly borne off through the woods.

The audacious savages, having made two or three circuits to avoid the
American outpost, set their faces due north-east, then pursued their
course without swerving to right or left. The sun went down, the moon
came up, on those Canadian wilds. Ever and anon, as swiftly held they
onward, other Indians, singly or in squads, would fall into the file,
gliding from out the mingled gloom of forest shade and night, as
suddenly and silently as the shapes which flit through troubled dreams.
Among these, by and by, appeared a warrior of gigantic stature, who
putting himself at the head of the file, stalked on a little in advance,
and seemed to be their leader.

Captain Reynolds now felt convinced that they had fallen into the hands
of some of Tecumseh's scouts, through whom that vigilant leader kept
himself continually informed of the enemy's movements, if, peradventure,
at some moment he might find them off their guard, either to be drawn
into an ambuscade by day or surprised in camp by night. Unswervingly due
north-east the night-marchers held their course for several miles, the
warrior gliding on before them, like a gigantic specter there to lead
them over the shadowy borders of another world. So it seemed to Burl,
who felt his spirit strangely troubled within him whenever an opening
through the forest, letting in the hazy glimmer of the moon, brought
that huge bulk less vaguely before his eyes; and once in particular, as
they neared the summit of a big bald hill, when the warrior for an
instant towered in lofty, dim relief against the starry sky. Toward
midnight, the party descended from the upland forest into the valley of
the Thames, and shortly afterward reached the Indian camp. Here the
prisoners were placed in the custody of fresh keepers, and all lay down
to rest, stretched out on the ground near on