But the sun was now very low; a camp site must soon be found, and scarce two minutes from the time he saw this rising column of smoke, Old Cy dipped his paddle and slowly drew back into the protecting forest. Once well out of sight, the canoe was turned and they sped back down-stream and into the swamp once more. Here he turned aside into a lagoon they had passed, and at its head they pulled their canoe out into the bog. The two gathered up their belongings, and picking their way out of the morass, reached the belt of hard bottom skirting the ridge. They were now out of sight from the lake, but still too near the stream to risk a camp-fire, and so Old Cy led the way along this belt until a more secluded niche in the ridge was reached, and here they began camp-making. It was a simple process. A level spot was cleared from brush, two convenient saplings denuded of their lower limbs, a cross pole was placed in suitable crotches, near-by spruces were attacked with the axe, and a bark wigwam soon resulted, and just as the darkness began to gather, a fire was started. Both Old Cy and Ray had worked with a will, and none too soon was so much accomplished, for night was upon them, and only by the firelight could they see to complete the needful preparations. A peculiar effect of the time, place, and their position was also noticeable; for although at least a mile away from where this smoke sign had warned them, and screened from it by a high ridge, both spoke only in whispers. More than that, the camp-fire was kept low, barely enough to cook a modest meal, and when the flame chanced to flare up, Old Cy glanced aloft into the tree-tops to see if they were illumed. Not much was said, for Old Cy's thoughts were far away, and when supper was eaten he lit his pipe and sat watching the embers while Ray studied him. Ray, too, spoke scarcely a word. All that day he had felt much the same, and while he had the most implicit confidence in Old Cy's wisdom, now that he had advised retreat, the reasons for it became ten times more ominous to Ray. Then again, the sombre nook in which they had camped and the vast swamp that lay between them and the protecting cabin, all had an effect. This weird feeling was also added to by the occasional cry of some night prowler far away in the forest or out in the swamp. Chip's spites, those uncanny creatures of the imagination, also began to gather, and Ray fancied he could hear them crawling cautiously about. "I don't like this," he whispered at last, "and I wish we hadn't come. Don't you think we had better go back soon as it's daylight?" "Wal, mebbe," answered Old Cy, smiling at Ray's nervousness. "I've kinder figgered we might watch out from a-top o' the ridge when mornin' came 'n' see what we kin see. We might ketch sight o' the pirate chap 'cross the lake." "But suppose he catches sight of us," returned Ray, "what then?" "I don't mean he shall," answered Old Cy, "so don't git skeered. I'll take keer on ye."