It seemed to be far behind
them, but inclining to the right, and after a few moments there came
another faint cry just like it, also behind them, but far to the left.
Despite the soft, wailing note both Henry and Paul felt a shiver run
through them. The strange low sound, coming in the utter silence of the
night, had in it something ominous.
"It was the cry of a wolf," said Paul.
"And his brother wolf answered," said Henry.
Shif'less Sol was just behind them, and they heard him laugh, a low
laugh, but full of irony. Paul wheeled about at once, his pride aflame
at the insinuation that he did not know the wolf's long whine.
"Well, wasn't it a wolf--and a wolf that answered?" he asked.
"Yes, a wolf an' a wolf that answered," replied Shif'less Sol with
sardonic emphasis, "but they had only four legs between 'em. Them was
the signal cries of the Shawnees, an', as Tom has been tellin' you all
the time, they're hot on our trail. It's a mighty lucky thing for us we
didn't undertake to stay all night back there where we stopped."
Paul turned pale again, but his courage as usual came back. "Thank God
it will be daylight soon," he murmured to himself, "and then if they
overtake us we can see them.
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