drew a breath of
partial relief, when another sweeping curve shut him from sight.

It was apparent that the Indians failed to grasp the situation in its
entirety. They were accustomed to see white men hunting and trapping in
that region, and they may have felt no wish to molest one of their
number, though tempted so to do by his unprotected situation. At any
rate, they stared at the canoe without offering to disturb its occupant.
The black-eyed youngsters gaped wonderingly, and Jack saw several point
in his direction, while they doubtless indulged in observations
concerning him.

But it need not be said that he was frightened almost out of his wits,
and filled with self-disgust that he should have gone blindly into a
peril against which a child ought to have mounted guard. The moment he
felt he was out of sight of the redmen, who showed far less curiosity
than he expected, he sprang ashore and shoved the canoe back into the
current, which speedily carried it out of sight. Having landed, Jack
hastened among the trees at the fastest gait possible. He was close to
the village, although beyond sight. Glancing over his shoulder he
expected every minute to see some of the dusky warriors, and to hear
their whoops as they broke in pursuit.

It must have been that this particular Indian village felt little if any
interest in the white youth who paddled in front of their door, for not
one of the number made a move by way of pursuit.

When Jack had pushed through the wilderness for a couple of miles he
formed the same conclusion, and dropped to a deliberate walk. The face
of the country was rocky and broken, and he was confident that in many
places he had left no trail at all. But, with that conviction came two
others: he not only was tired but was excessively hungry. He had caught
sight of game more than once while on the march, as it may be called,
but refrained from firing through fear that the report of his gun would
guide others who were hunting for him. At the same time he had twice
heard the discharge of rifles at widely separated points. Probably they
were fired by Indians on the hunt, or possibly some of the trappers of
that section had not yet started on their long journey to St. Louis. At
any rate when the sun had passed the meridian and the afternoon was well
advanced, he made up his mind that he would take the first chance to
secure food, no matter in what shape it presented itself.

He smiled to himself, when wi