“I fancy the canoe is done for,” announced Dave. “It went up on those rocks good and hard.” “Well, let us be thankful that it carried us as far as it did,” answered Henry, trying to be cheerful. “We must be four or five miles from that Indian camp.” “You are wet to the skin, Henry. You’ll have to dry your clothes or you’ll take cold.” “I’ll wring them out and make that do, Dave. We won’t dare to light a campfire.” “Not if we can find a hollow? The mist will hide a good deal, remember.” “Well, we’ll see about it.” Henry did not relish remaining in the wet and darkness any more than did his cousin, and both searched around until they found a spot with high rocks on two sides and a thick group of trees opposite. To get some dry wood was the next task, and then came the problem of starting the blaze. But this was solved by Henry, who poured some loose powder on a dry rock, mixed it with some tinder, and then hammered the rock with the ramrod of his gun. Soon came a flash and a hiss, and the tinder glowed, and presently the fire flared up pleasantly enough. Around it they piled some flat stones, shutting in the light as much as possible. “Do you think we ought to pull in the canoe?” asked Dave. “The Indians may come along and see it.” “It wouldn’t be a bad plan,” answered Henry. They soon had the battered craft out of the river. They turned it upside down, resting each end on a rock, and thus it formed for them something of a shelter in front of the fire. With the brightness of the blaze, matters appeared to take on a more cheerful turn. Henry took off the most of his garments and dried them, and Dave did likewise, and the former also cared for his hurt ankle. The youths calculated that it was about midnight. They did not know where they were, nor what new dangers might confront them. Each looked to his firearm, to see that it could be used if necessary, and one kept the hunting knife and the other the tomahawk in readiness. “I think we had better take turns watching,” said Henry. “There is no use in both keeping awake.” He took the first vigil, allowing Dave to sleep until about three o’clock. Then he turned in for a solid sleep lasting several hours. In the morning the mist and the rain cleared away. The day, however, was still gloomy, and although Dave climbed one of the tall trees at hand, he could see little or nothing by which to locate himself. “I think the fort is in that direction,” he said, pointing with his hand. “But I am by no means sure.” “Well, we may as well journey in that direction as any other,” was Henry’s reply. “I think you are right. The canoe is not fit for use, so we cannot go down the river, and may as well throw the paddles away or burn them up.”