Then they began their circles about the camp again, always
looking and always listening. About two o'clock in the morning
they heard a scream, but it was only the cry of a panther.
Before day there were clouds, a low rumble of distant thunder,
and faint far flashes of lightning. Henry was in dread of rain,
but the lightning and thunder ceased, and the clouds went away.
Then dawn came, rosy and bright, and all but three rose from the
earth. The three-one woman and two children-had died in silence
in the night, and they were buried, like the others, in shallow
graves in the woods. But there was little weeping or external
mourning over them. All were now heavy and apathetic, capable of
but little more emotion.
Carpenter resumed his position at the head of the column, which
now moved slowly over the mountain through a thick forest matted
with vines and bushes and without a path. The march was now so
painful and difficult that they did not make more than two miles
an hour. The stronger of them helped the men to gather more
whortleberries, as it was easy to see that the food they had with
them would never last until they reached Fort Penn, should they
ever reach it.
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