Page:Barbour--Metipoms Hostage.djvu/146

132 taken away to some place of hiding. When, after another half-mile, the leader turned  down the slope and entered a park-like expanse of oaks and at last came to a stop,  David knew that his surmise had been correct. Before them was a ledge of rock outcropping from the forest floor. A giant oak with a twisted trunk sent sprawling roots  above and about it, and one root, the taproot as it seemed, had gone straight down  through a crevice in the ledge and, gradually  increasing in size, had forced the rock apart  so that there lay a narrow opening, half-hidden by ferns. Into this the first Indian squirmed and was instantly gone from sight. Somewhat hesitantly, David followed, and being clothed and wider of shoulder, would  have stuck in the aperture had not the second Indian shoved upon him. Thereupon David went free and found his feet scrabbling  on broken particles of stone and himself in  a sudden and confusing darkness.

“Hub,” said the Indian ahead, and as “hub” meant “come,” David, feeling his  way, followed. For several paces the path led steeply downward. Then the earth became level and David stopped. Behind him the second Indian was scuffling softly down to