It can well be supposed that Mistress Morley and Esther Hinchman were surprised when, while yet a short distance from the cave, we cried out to them that we were returning, lest they should be alarmed at hearing footsteps, and then, as they came to know what we had already succeeded in doing, their joy can be perhaps faintly imagined. It seemed to me that more than once during the journey had Elias slumbered or lapsed into unconsciousness, but when we took him into the cave where he was greeted by Samuel Rogers and Oscar Stephenson--when he saw what seemed to be a place of refuge from all the horrors which had surrounded him, his face lighted up with sudden joy, and I fancied that the belief he had escaped from his enemies was already doing much toward his recovery. We made up another bed of twigs and leaves, where the lad could lie between his two wounded comrades, and, having made him thus comfortable, were ready to depart. Mistress Stockbridge and the children seemed wondrously contented--almost happy, if any one could have been happy in Wyoming Valley at that time, and were settled down as if at home. It seemed necessary we should delay our departure sufficiently long to tell Esther Hinchman of all that had happened since our starting out, and when the story was come to an end she said, as if a premonition of what was to follow overshadowed her: “Why do you lads go back so soon? If it be that the remainder of the company are to stay in hiding until nightfall, you had best stop here a while longer.” “But they will be looking for us, and, if we fail to show ourselves at the time set, might come to see what had happened,” I said, laughingly. Then we two, Giles March and I, went out, leaving the girl standing at the entrance of the cave watching with wistful eyes, as if fearing lest something terrible was about to overtake us. With the feeling that the Minute Boys of Wyoming Valley were accomplishing something of good, even though their numbers had been so sadly lessened, we lads walked on without thought of taking heed as to silence. A sense of security was upon us while we were so near the eastern mountains, but before we had travelled no more than half a mile Giles March, who was in the advance, stopped suddenly, stepping backward until he was pressed close against me. Even then there was no suspicion in my mind that he might have seen one of the savages, and, thinking a bear or some other animal was within easy musket-shot, I looked in the direction he was gazing. Then it was as if my heart stood still and the blood in my veins grew chill, for I saw amid the green leaves, hardly twenty paces away, a half-naked savage coming toward us, stooping, with his eyes fastened upon the ground as if he was following the trail.