We threw ourselves on the floor of the tunnel almost as soon as he had spoken, and I was no more than stretched out at full-length before my eyes closed in slumber. It seemed as if only three or four minutes had passed when I felt the pressure of a hand on my shoulder, and, opening my eyes, saw Master Bartlett in the dim light, as he whispered: “I’ve been knocking around a bit, and saw a dozen or more redskins land from a couple of canoes not a hundred yards up-stream. They have struck off toward the mountains, and I reckon it’s our business to follow them. We three will go alone; I’ve told the girl Esther, and she’ll keep an eye out till the other lads finish their job of sleeping.” Then the old man aroused Giles March, and we made ready to creep out through the ruins, I lingering behind my comrades to whisper a word to Esther, after which I followed. Master Bartlett showed, by taking the lead when we had gained the shelter of the thicket, that he counted on running the business, at least until this portion of our work was done, and I was only too glad to have him thus take command. A good woodsman was Master Simon Bartlett, else he would not have kept us so close on the heels of the skulking savages without being discovered, and that during all the time we consumed in making the five miles, moving not much faster than a mile an hour. From their cautious advance it could plainly be seen that John Butler’s wolves believed there were a large number of people in the cave, and were afraid of coming across an enemy by mistake, or of finding an overwhelming force in their path. How my fingers itched to strike a blow when one or another lagged behind at such a distance that we could have overpowered him with but little chance of his being able to alarm his fellows; but Master Bartlett shook his head decidedly whenever Giles March or I told him by gestures of what we would do. Then, when an unusually good opportunity came, he whispered, warningly: “Don’t make the mistake of striking down one of those villains when we can bag the most of them. If we carry ourselves right between now and the time they fire the first shot at those who are in the cave, it should be possible to give the sneaks such a blow as will make the others a bit uneasy.” Well, we trailed the murderers up to the very mouth of the cave, and there they hid themselves, hoping, most likely, that one or more of the fugitives might show them a target. I was nearly wild with fear lest Stephen Morley, believing, as we had a few hours previous, that there would be no danger until later, might venture outside. These fellows must have had with them the cur who escaped when we gave them so warm a reception, else they would have blundered on until coming in sight of the entrance; but, as if familiar with the lay of the land, the entire party concealed themselves not twenty paces from where Stephen Morley was on watch.