He did not become aware of it until a
few minutes later, when, in walking around, the fire reached his hide.
Placing his hand behind him, he received unmistakable evidence of its
presence, when he set up a loud whoop and started at full speed for the
spring, reaching which, he seated himself in it, before he felt
entirely safe.
These, and many other incidents, amused the Lieutenant for the time
being, while the delight of Cato was almost uncontrollable. He seemed
in danger of apoplexy several times from the efforts he made to subdue
his laughter. But, all at once there was a sudden cessation in his
mirth, and a visible lengthening of his visage. Grasping the shoulder
of the soldier, he exclaimed:
"Look dar! Look dar! See dem!"
"I see nothing to alarm us."
"Look dar whar we went into the clearin'. Don't you see dem Injines
dar?"
Lieutenant Canfield did see something that alarmed him. The whole
eight Indians had followed the track of himself and the negro to the
edge of the wood, where they had halted and were consulting together.
They certainly must have noticed it before, but had probably been too
busy to examine it particularly. It had never once occurred to the
white man that this evidence of his presence would tell against him,
but he now saw the imminent peril in which he and the negro were placed.
"We must flee, Cato," said he. "Fortunately it will soon be dark, when
they cannot follow us.
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