The squatter proceeded to
examine the position of his enemies, with his usual coolness, and, as
if to try the power of his rifle, he sent a bullet among them, with a
force sufficient to do execution, even at the distance at which he
stood.
"Now let us depart!" exclaimed Obed, endeavouring to catch a furtive
glimpse of the lead, which he fancied was whizzing at his very ear;
"we have maintained the bank in a gallant manner, for a sufficient
length of time; quite as much military skill is to be displayed in a
retreat, as in an advance."
The old man cast a look behind him, and seeing that the equestrians
had reached the cover of the hill, he made no objections to the
proposal. The remaining horse was given to the Doctor, with
instructions to pursue the course just taken by Middleton and Paul.
When the naturalist was mounted and in full retreat, the trapper and
the young Pawnee stole from the spot in such a manner as to leave
their enemies some time in doubt as to their movements. Instead,
however, of proceeding across the plain towards the hill, a route on
which they must have been in open view, they took a shorter path,
covered by the formation of the ground, and intersected the little
water-course at the point where Middleton had been directed to leave
it, and just in season to join his party.
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