At the proper interval the call was repeated, and then, so certain that everything was right was he that, instead of making the proper answer, he called in a guarded undertone: "Is that yersilf, Whart?" "It is," was the reply of the delighted friend, and the next minute they were together. It was a joyous reunion, even though the shadow of great danger rested upon the two youths. Wharton Edwards and Larry Murphy had been separated, seemingly, with slight prospect of ever seeing each other again; they had gone through many perils during the preceding few hours, and at the moment when despair had almost taken possession of both, they clasped hands and stood side by side. "Are ye sure it's yersilf, Whart?" asked the elder, squeezing the fingers of his friend, who fully reciprocated the warmth of feeling. "I'm as sure, Larry, as you are that it's you." "Then we'll consider it settled; and how are ye?" he asked, shaking again the hand which he had not yet released. "I was never better, and thankful and happy to find you alive when I feared it was all over with you." "The same to yersilf; and have ye suffered no harrum?" "None at all, though matters kept moving; I dodged up the trail, and the only Shawanoe who followed me was Blazing Arrow." "And did he catch ye?" "Not that I am aware of. You remember the natural clearing, a little way out toward the block-house?" "That I do." "Well, when I struck that, Blazing Arrow was not far behind me. He had my gun and I hadn't any, so that all I could do was to run, and there he and I had the race that we missed at the settlement." "Tell me about it," eagerly asked Larry. "There isn't much to tell, except that I did my best, and I suppose he did the same, Larry; I beat him badly; I must have gained fifty yards on him." "And is that the honest truth now, Whart?" "It is." "Heaven bless ye!" And the enthusiastic fellow struck his friend a resounding whack on the shoulder. "Sh!" warned Wharton, "we must talk low, for some of them may be near us." "Why didn't ye sind word to me, so that I could have stood by ye and cheered ye on and watched the sight? Wouldn't it have been a treat!" "I would have been proud if you and the rest of our friends could have been there, for I did better than I thought I could." The friends told the particulars of what had happened to each other since their separation. Happy, indeed, were they in their reunion. "Whart," said Larry a few minutes later, "I knowed there was something I'd forgot." "What's that?" "I'm as hungry as I can be." "So am I, and have been for hours; I wish there was some way of getting supper, but I know of none. There is something else, however, that is more important than supper." "And what is that?" "We must get away from here at once. We ought to have left long ago."