is was precisely the position which he
occupied when Howard Lawrence gazed over and missed seeing him by such a
narrow chance.

When the descent of the rain became so copious as to scatter the
savages, two of them ran up beside Elwood and imitated his action in
protecting himself from the descending deluge. This was only a partial
success, yet much preferable to standing in the open air and receiving
the full pelting of the storm.

It will be remembered that Howard Lawrence waited until he saw the
Indians hurry away for shelter, when he returned to Tim O'Rooney and the
two effected a safe retreat from the dangerous locality. They saw
nothing more of the savages, and their conjecture that Elwood was a
prisoner among them was merely a conjecture, although absolutely
correct.

The tiny stream running so quietly at the feet of the two aboriginal
Americans and Elwood Brandon increased so rapidly that it was evident it
would speedily become a torrent that would sweep them off their feet,
and that the only safety was to effect as speedy an escape as possible.
Taking him between them, they started directly up the path in the
direction of their companions. The falling rain and splashing water
almost blinded Elwood, but he pressed bravely forward until conscious
that they were beneath some kind of covering, and looking around, saw
that they stood in a sort of cave, and where they had rejoined the three
Indians who had fled some time before.

The shelter proved a secure one, although it was reached rather late to
be of much benefit to Elwood, who was thoroughly wetted to the skin. He
was, however, rather pleased at the lenient disposition shown by his
captors. They had not offered him the least violence, rudeness or
insult, and appeared to maintain a very indifferent watch over him. He
did not believe they intended him any bodily harm, although he trembled
at the consequences when they joined another party or should reach their
own homes. They probably intended to hold him a prisoner so long as he
was no particular trouble to them; but their leniency was more the
result of indifference than of genuine kindness--and indifference that
would as soon witness death as life, and that would not stretch out the
hand to avert the impending doom.

The storm raged with unabated fury for several hours, and the tiny
stream, whose murmur could scarcely be heard as it coursed its way
through the hills, was now swelled to the dimensions of