Then he seized the
paddle, and in half a dozen strokes brought it within reach of them.
Harold and Peter stepped into it; as they did so there was a sudden
shout. The Indian had again strolled down to look at the canoe, whose
movements, slight as they had been, had appeared suspicious to him.
He now, to his astonishment, saw it at the point with two white men
and an Indian on board. He had left his gun behind him and, uttering
his war-cry, bounded back for it.
"Round the p'int, quick!" Peter exclaimed. "They'll riddle us in the
open."
Two strokes took the canoe round the projecting point of bushes, and
she then darted along the shore, driven by the greatest efforts of
which the three paddlers were capable. Had the shore been open the
Indians would have gained upon them, but they were unable to force
their way through the thick bushes at anything like the rate at which
the canoe was flying over the water. The first start was upward of a
hundred yards, and this was increased by fifty before the Indians,
arriving at the point, opened fire. The distance was beyond anything
like an accurate range with Indian guns. Several bullets struck the
water round the canoe.
"Now steer out," Peter said as the firing suddenly ceased. "They're
making a _detour_ among the bushes, and 'll come down ahead of us if
we keep near the shore."
Two or three more shots were fired, but without effect, and the canoe
soon left the shore far behind.
"Now," Peter said, "I think we're safe.
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