Page:Edward S Ellis--The Hunter's Cabin.djvu/40

40 and the next minute, the light vessel shot out from the bank toward the Kentucky shore. The moon was so bright, that he knew the canoe was plainly visible to the Indians behind until he had entered the line of shadow thrown out by the trees upon the opposite bank. Accordingly he plied his paddle vigorously, until he glided into the obscurity and was sure that no human eye rested upon his movements. The canoe then turning down stream, skimmed like a bird over the water until, judging he had gone a safe distance, he lifted his paddle from the stream, and catching an overhanging branch, held the vessel motionless.

"This means something," said he, thinking aloud. "That body of Indians would a great deal rather that I had not seen them, and Jim certainly told me a falsehood, when he said they had come over to fight the Delawares. Why did he show so much anxiety to get me on this side of the river? What reason could he have, except that of fearing I might watch their movements."

The more he reflected, the more convinced did he become that this band of Indians was an expedition against the whites. Then came the question, why, if such were the case, was he, one of the very people they were marching against, treated with such leniency? The only reason that he could give was, that he had several personal friends among the company, who had visited at his house, and been kindly treated, and who, in remembrance of this, had taken this means of getting him out the way instead of killing him. Such being the case, Stanton might have good grounds for believing that his cabin would not be disturbed; but there was no certainty of this, and even granting that there were, he felt the most painful anxiety to warn the villagers of their impending peril.

Dropping the branch, he allowed his canoe to drift further down-stream, until, judging that he was secure from observation, he shot out from beneath the shadow and sped rapidly toward the Ohio shore. He had descended the river so far that he had entirely lost sight of the camp-fire, and, as a matter of course, supposed the savages had lost sight of him.

He had nearly crossed the river, when Lion, who was crouching in front of him. rose up and gave utterance to a low whine. The hunter instantly checked the canoe, for this