Dick leaned down, dropped his paddle and took up his rifle. "Keep on paddling, Fritz," he said, quietly. "I'll take a chance of hitting one of those red fellows." Dick's rifle cracked, and one of the Redmen gave a cry of pain and surprise, put his hand over his left shoulder, and staggered backwards. The others turned and sought shelter behind rocks while they reloaded their guns, which gave the boys additional time to increase the distance between them. They were now near the further shore, and when the Indians fired again, their bullets flew wild, leaving the boys unharmed. "Run right ashore," said Dick. "We'll carry this canoe with us for a ways and launch it again further down stream. The mist is rising, so we've got to hurry if we want to get away from those fellows without being seen." CHAPTER XV. UNITED. A week had passed since Dick Dare and Fritz made their escape from the Indians. They had paddled steadily down the river, and by making their night stops short and their day trips long, they had almost reached the point where they were to leave the canoes and take to the trail again. "Guess we'll camp here to-night," said Dick, when it had grown so dark that further traveling was risky. "It looks like a good spot and we'll get an early start and try to reach the end of our river journey by to-morrow night." Fritz breathed a sigh of relief. "Yah," he said. "It looks already like a goot blace to sleep." "Well, we are on the last stage of the trip now," said Dick, "and if we can keep up this pace we will get to Vincennes ahead of time." "Vhere iss Tom und Tim Murphies, I vonder?" commented Fritz. "Ve shall be at Vinzennes pefore dhose two, I think it, yes, no?" "I'm surprised that Tom and Tim haven't joined us before this," Dick said. "Perhaps they haven't fared very well in the British troop. They seemed to have their liberty, though, so I don't see why they shouldn't be right along behind us." "Brobably it's dot Murphies feller is making troubles," Fritz suggested. "You have a great idea of Tim, haven't you?" laughed Dick. "He iss a all right feller, Tim iss, but he isn't a Deutcher," Fritz replied. "I'll bet he feels bad about that," suggested Dick. "Dot's chust the trouble, I don'd peliefe he does," Fritz answered seriously, much to Dick's amusement. The boys paddled in to the shore, pulled the canoe out of the water, and after eating their supper proceeded to make themselves as comfortable as possible for the night. "We better not light any fires," said Dick. "We had one this morning and I guess we can get along without it now." "Look!" said Fritz, who was standing near the canoe at the water's edge. "Dot looks like somedings iss burning." Dick joined him and gazed upstream in the direction that Fritz indicated toward the opposite shore. "Seems to be a camp fire," said Dick. "Who can be camping there, I wonder?" "Perhaps some Indians yet?" suggested Fritz.