The Frontier Fort | Page 9

just got close to the outer circle where he expected to find one of
the men on watch, when an arrow whistled close to his head. The scout,
who must have been close in front of him, immediately began to crawl
along, like a snake through the grass, in the direction whence the arrow
had come.
Allan was as courageous as most persons; but it would have been folly
to have exposed himself to the risk of another shot. He, therefore,
wisely crouched down in the spot which had been occupied by the man
who had gone forward in pursuit of the intruder. He listened with open
ears, but not a sound could he hear, nor could his eyes pierce the
darkness beyond a few yards from where he lay. He waited and waited,
until he began to fear that the scout must have been caught by the
savages, and killed before he had had time to cry out. That the other
scouts were on the watch, he had no doubt, and would take care that no
Indians approached without being discovered. He had remained in his
recumbent position for some time, when he at length heard a rustling in
the grass, and the scout rejoined him.
"The coquin has escaped us, monsieur," whispered the Canadian. "I
wish that I had shot him, but by firing I should have discovered our
position, and we should have had a score of arrows or bullets flying
about our ears."
After the warning he had received, Allan, imitating the example of the
scout, crawled along the ground to the different posts, and finding all
the men on the alert, returned in the same fashion to the camp.
Night went by, and no other alarm was raised. At early dawn Burnett,
having aroused the whole camp, gave them the information Isaac Sass
had brought.
There was no lack of volunteers, among whom was Allan Keith, eager
to accompany Loraine to Fort Duncan. He was somewhat less
disappointed than would otherwise have been the case at being refused
permission to go, when Burnett explained his plan of sending him in
search of the half-breed hunters, to collect among them as many

recruits as he could obtain to increase the garrison at Fort Duncan.
"I, at all events, will go with you!" exclaimed Hector, turning to
Loraine. "We have a compass, and as I know the direction in which the
fort lies, I shall not be afraid of missing my way."
"You forget the Redskins, and that you must be on your guard at night,
or you'll have your horses stolen," observed old Sass. "You will also
have to look out for game to support yourselves. However, if you take
Greensnake with you, he'll help you to kill game, and will give due
notice if enemies are near you."
"Yes, although I should have been glad to have had more companions, I
am ready to set out at once," said Loraine.
"I am sorry I cannot spare any of my men," observed Burnett. "Two or
three, indeed, would make but little difference, and the smaller your
party the better for safety's sake. However, you must let your horses
breakfast, for they got but little feeding last night, thanks to the
Blackfeet."
While these and other arrangements were being made, the scouts came
in. It was evident, they reported, from the tracks round the camp, that
they had been surrounded by a large band, who would probably have
stolen all their horses had they not been on their guard. The scouts, they
added, had followed to a considerable distance the tracks which led
away to the westward, and it was their opinion that the Indians would
keep ahead, and not make another attempt to steal the horses till they
fancied that the party were off their guard. It was so far satisfactory to
have discovered the direction the Indians had taken, as Loraine might
thus proceed southward and Allan Keith make his way eastward on the
trail of the buffalo hunters, without the risk of encountering them.
"I will spare no exertion to get as soon as possible to the fort with as
many men as I can induce to accompany me," said Allan, as he warmly
shook hands with Loraine. "I heartily wish that I could have gone with
you; but I must obey the orders of my chief. I am well acquainted with
the family of Captain Mackintosh; pray give them my respects, and say

how deeply I regret not being able to proceed at once to the fort."
Allan looked somewhat conscious as he said this. Loraine promised to
deliver his messages; and the horses having now had time to feed, the
three parties separated. Allan, accompanied by Pierre, rode off to the
eastward; Mr Burnett