He reached behind him, and placed a second shaft beside the first arrow. Sandy bent his head to examine them more closely. Then he looked up again. "What do you mean, Bob, and where did you get that second Delaware arrow?" he demanded, quickly. "Where but in the roof of our flatboat cabin," returned the other. "It had been fired from up on the hills back yonder, I do believe; though the marksman must have been a rare one to hit a target so far away. But it bore no birch-bark message, though I can well believe it was sent just to tell us our strange friend, who has watched over us so many times, is still following us down the river, and means to keep up with us to the end. That Indian, Sandy, must believe he owes us a heavy debt of gratitude, and he means to pay it back, some way or other." And Sandy, handling the feathered shaft, had a feeling almost of awe steal over him, as he reflected what gratitude must stand for in the eyes of an Indian brave. Hundreds of miles this unknown friend had already travelled, trying to stand between the boys and harm; and the end was not yet. "Oh! I do hope we know who he is some of these days," the boy said, soberly. CHAPTER XX THE TWO-LEGGED WOLF "I'M glad to be afloat once more!" Of course that could be no one but Sandy making such a remark, under the circumstances. He was leaning over the side of the bulwark of the flatboat, and looking back up the river toward Fort Washington. It was all very nice, stopping with friends who were interested in their welfare, as all pioneers must be; but for Sandy delay became monotonous. He liked action, and plenty of it. Besides, his ambition to set eyes on that wonderful river of the west grew in volume, the further they advanced along their journey. It was now in the nature of a passion with the lad. And of course, his father and mother would never be happy again until they had selected a location for the new homestead in the wilderness bordering the Mississippi; so the sooner they reached their destination the better Sandy--yes, and Bob also--would be pleased. Their plans had been talked over so often at the frontier post that several others manifested a desire to accompany the four families to the country they had heard so much about; but, although Mr. Armstrong declared he would be only too well pleased to have such a noble addition to their number, the capacity of the flatboat had already been reached, so that there was really no opportunity to stow even one more family on board. It was settled, however, that they would leave some sign of their location, if the opportunity came about; or, failing that, get word back to these new friends, so that they too might build an ark, and float down to the Mississippi in turn, to join their fortunes with those of the first adventurous party. Bob was not far away from his brother when Sandy made the remark with which this chapter opens, and he smiled to hear what the younger lad said.