Suppose he had not seen the Indian in the bush, and had been
ambushed while on his scouting round! Or suppose he had stayed with his
comrades and had been ambushed there! But neither had happened, and,
taking Willet by the shoulder, he shook him, at the same time whispering
in his ear to make no noise. The hunter, his trained faculties at once
awake and on guard, sat up quietly, and Tayoga, who seemed to awake
instinctively at the same time, also, sat up.
"What is it, Robert?" whispered Willet.
"An Indian in the bush about two hundred yards away," replied the youth.
"I merely saw his hair and the feather in it, but it's safe to assume
that he's not the only one."
"That is so," said Tayoga. "A warrior does not come here alone."
"It can't be the band we beat off when we were in the hollow," said
Willet confidently. "They must be far south of us, even if they haven't
given up the chase."
"It is so, Great Bear," said Tayoga. "Was the warrior's head bare,
Lennox, or did he have the headdress, gustoweh, like mine?"
"I think," replied Robert, "that the feather projected something like
yours, perhaps from a cross-splint.
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