They still waited, although eagerness and impatience were tugging
at the hearts of every one of them. But they must give the
Indians time to fall asleep if they would secure rescue, and not
merely revenge. They remained in the bushes, saying but little
and eating of venison that they carried in their knapsacks.
They let a full three hours pass, and the night remained dark,
but with a faint moon showing. Then they descended slowly into
the valley, approaching by cautious degrees the spot where they
knew the Indian camp lay. This work required at least three
quarters of an hour, and they reached a point where they could
see the embers of the fire and the dark figures lying about it.
The Indians, their suspicions lulled, had put out no sentinels,
and all were asleep. But the five knew that, at the first shot,
they would be as wide awake as if they had never slept, and as
formidable as tigers. Their problem seemed as great as ever. So
they lay in the bushes and held a whispered conference.
"It's this," said Henry. " We want to save the woman and the
children from the tomahawks, and to do so we must get them out of
range of the blade before the battle begins.
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