Page:Barbour--Metipoms Hostage.djvu/269

Rh hot and dry, and for stretches David found the parched, sun-cracked margin of the  stream offering better footing than the path. After an hour stream and trail both widened and bore eastward. The necessity for caution and the roughness of the path had thus far  precluded speed, but now, when the brook  had flowed into a second pond and emerged  more worthy the name of river, David found  himself able to take up the swinging trot he  had learned from the savages. Unlike them, however, he could not maintain that pace  for long, and soon he was obliged to fall back  to a walk. During the first portion of his journey he rested frequently, throwing himself full-length on the ground and relaxing  his tired body, but as time wore on his power  of endurance seemed to grow rather than  diminish and rest became less imperative until well toward the end. He kept eyes and ears constantly on guard, for this was a well-traveled path that he followed and at any  moment he might encounter foes, and it was  well that he did so, for, near midnight as he  judged it to be, some sense, whether of sight  or hearing he knew not, warned him of danger and he drew quickly aside into the thicket  and crouched silently in the darkness. A