s stern deck, then turning the canoe again bottom up, he
passed out of the fort whistling, carelessly.

Charley in the door of the hut eyed him curiously as he approached.
"What has happened to you?" he exclaimed, "you look as happy as if you
had discovered a gold mine."

"Well, I haven't," laughed his chum, "how's your leg now?"

"Stiff as a ramrod, and, whew, how it hurts," Charley said with a
grimace of pain. "I can't bear my weight on it."

"You don't want to try to," said Walter, severely. "Just go back to
your bunk and keep still. All the work is done, now, and I am going
down to the landing right off to relieve Chris so that he can get a
little sleep."

Charley obeyed and Walter made his way down to the landing where he
found Chris sitting on a log watching intently.

Walter took the gun from the tired little darky and sent him up to the
hut to rest.

The hours passed swiftly by without any signs of the outlaws. When
darkness fell, Walter abandoned his now useless post and made his way
up to the hut where he found his three companions gathered around the
camp-fire outside.

"Have you seen anything of them?" Charley inquired anxiously as he came
in sight. "Not a sign," Walter answered. "I think you have done wrong
in lighting that fire," he continued gravely. "There was a bare chance
that they would have given up the chase after not finding us at the
chief's island. If they are anywhere near, though, that fire will give
us dead away."

"They would not have given up the chance of getting the plumes they
have worked so hard to obtain as easily as all that," said his chum
decidedly. "Remember, they believe that Big Tiger and his son are
still with us and that the rest of the Indians are far away. No, they
would not have given up so easily after the trouble they have been to."

Walter said no more but helped himself to an ear of corn and a piece of
fish and fell to eating.

The silence that had fallen upon the party was broken by an exclamation
from Chris.

"Golly, dar dey is," he cried.

Far off in the direction of the chief's island, a tiny shaft of light
pierced the darkness.

"They are on the island we left," exclaimed Charley, "that's their
camp-fire."

"No, no," said Walter. "See, it is getting bigger, I bet they have
fired the wigwam."

In a few minutes all the party agreed with Walter, there was no
mistaking the cause of the pillar of flame that rose high in the air on
the dis