“Get together, lads!” I heard Master Bartlett cry, doing so lest Giles and I should shoot our own comrades, and as soon as might be thereafter, each fellow moving as rapidly as possible, we were united once more. I did not understand why the old man had made this move, until he whispered in my ear: “It is likely that the noise of the firing will bring others from the opposite side, and it is in my mind that we had better circle around them.” “To the end that we may take refuge in the cave once more?” I asked, and he replied with what was very like a chuckle of satisfaction: “It may be we could come at the canoes while they are searching here for us, in which case all hands might have a look at Forty Fort before morning.” CHAPTER XVII. FORTY FORT There was to my mind something comical in the idea of circling around the enemy to get possession of their canoes, for it would seem as if we might thus appear to be playing with them as a cat does with a mouse. In addition to the satisfaction we would have in so outwitting them, was the fact that the manœuvre must perforce mystify the curs, until they came to believe we were strong in numbers. It was only necessary to make a wide détour toward the mountain, travelling silently, in order to accomplish the purpose, and I begged Master Bartlett to set about it without delay. “Let each keep well on the heels of the man in front, so there may be no danger in straying, and remember that silence as well as speed is necessary, else we may find ourselves in trouble,” the old man said, hurriedly, and then he led the way toward the east, we following his instructions to the best of our ability. Not until we were well on our way did I realize what this attempt to play a trick might cost us. In event of our movements being discovered before we had gained possession of the canoes, the enemy would be led to believe we had a hiding-place further down the river, and might spend much time trying to find it. There was no danger that those in the tunnel would betray their whereabouts carelessly, for all, even to the children, understood full well how much of danger threatened; but if I had found the entrance to Eben Towle’s hiding-place when searching for a canoe, it was more than possible they might come upon it while hunting for us. Therefore it was that I became seriously disturbed in mind, even before we were well committed to the movement, and would have drawn back while there was time, if it had been possible to explain to my comrades what had thus suddenly occurred to me. When I tried to stop the file in order to whisper a warning, however, each fellow was so eager to come to a successful conclusion of the venture, that he simply moved forward all the faster when I would have detained him, and I could do no less than refrain from any further efforts in that direction lest too much noise be made.