A peaceful silence settled on the camp and the little fire-embers burned low and were not replenished. Silently from the darkness came the little woods creatures and gazed with black snapping eyes at the invaders of their forest home. Even the sentinels grew drowsy and had to change their positions to keep from falling asleep. Then of a sudden all the little feathered and furred folk vanished into the wood. The Indian outposts crouched silently behind protecting trees, and then ran to the sleeping camp and hurriedly awakened it. A shot and then another had come to their ears faintly, borne on the night wind from far down the valley. Even as they roused the tribe more firing could be heard, and Dick and Fritz, like their red comrades, hurried to grasp their weapons and prepare for trouble. "I'll bet it's those four Indians in some sort of trouble with the British," said Dick, remembering his thoughts of earlier in the evening. "Your young men, isn't it, chief?" he asked of Telca. "Not know," responded that Indian, looking rather anxious about the matter, however. "Indian find out soon." "We'll be with you while you are finding out, then," said Dick. "Yah, I will be finding oud who has been shots firing into mein sleep yet," Fritz added. The men of the tribe all filed off into the darkness, following Telca's lead, and Dick and the German boy followed. With all their knowledge and experience in wood-craft, the two Patriots found it difficult to keep up with the running Indians, but they managed to hold their own, although Fritz grunted considerably when he fell over an old log in his path. Suddenly the men in the front halted and gathered about in a circle. Dick, coming up behind them, saw that they were grouped about three half-naked Indians whom he took to be the young men they had left behind. Evidently one of them was missing. The Indians were talking excitedly in quick, sharp sentences, and Dick gathered that they had come upon the Redcoat camp, taken a few shots at the pickets, and in the running fight that had followed one of them had fallen and had been overtaken before they could help him. They were uncertain as to whether their comrade had been wounded or had been overpowered. At any rate he was now a prisoner in the camp of their enemies, and even the older men counselled an attempt at rescue. They were eager to be avenged on their ancient enemies. "We will bring our brother back with us. Let us remember our little sister also," said Telca. "Ve haf no love lost on those Britisher fellows, too," said Fritz. "A few shoots vill berhabs stop their chasing us the whole vorld ofer." "If you see two white boys in camp without uniforms, that is, Redcoats, don't fire at them," said Dick to the Indians. "They may be our brothers, held by the red coats as prisoners."