BACK AGAIN AND AGNES

“Don’t bother me,” said Fred half awake; “it’s not time for breakfast; just let me sleep a little more.”

Matthew pinched his nose so that he could not breathe, and this brought Fred to his feet.

“Oh, I clean forgot!” he said laughing. “My, but that sleep was good! What time of the day is it anyway? We must have slept all day.”

They looked to the sky, though the huge trees were much in their way, and noticed that the sun was far in the west.

“We are great heroes,” Fred said laughing; “we sleep while the enemy is around us. Let us go.”

The boys were in high spirits, and thanked God heartily for having preserved them so wonderfully.

“Who knows what was going on around us while we slept?” Matthew reflected. “Perhaps the Indians were in our vicinity, and we were shielded from their view. We have much to be grateful for.”

“If only I knew where Agnes is!” Fred said; “she is a bright girl, and if they don’t take better care of her than they did of me, I fear that she will escape them. She is as spry as a squirrel.”

“We must find her,” Matthew urged eagerly; “but where shall we go? I must confess that I am completely bewildered. Why, even that sun has turned. Before it was in the west, and now it is in the north. What’s happening to me?”

“You need some more bear’s meat,” Fred said; “you are starved. So let us first eat and then think.”

After eating a little of the meat, they found themselves wonderfully refreshed. A little brook furnished them a cool, welcome drink, and with renewed spirits they set forth on their trip. They walked all day and long after the sun had set, they were still groping in the dark.

“This will never do,” Matthew finally said; “we are getting nowhere.”

“You are right,” Fred answered; “as long as the sun was shining, I knew the way, but now I am completely lost. We better lie down and sleep until it is day. Then we can see where we are.”

They prayed still more fervently than they had done before, for their strength was exhausted and they were bewildered.

“If the Lord will not help us out of this,” Matthew said, “we are completely lost.”

“The greater the need, the nearer is God, indeed,” Fred said; and after eating a little of the bear’s meat, the boys lay down on the soft grass, creeping close to each other, for the nights were cool. They slept soundly until dawn, when Fred awoke and awakened his companion.

“Brother,” he said; “listen, there are Indians in the neighborhood. I hear them. And now see, they are making a fire!”

The boys crept through the woods, and when they had reached the top of a low ridge, they saw the camp before them.

“It’s the same band of Indians that burned down the log house,” Fred suggested; “I recognize some of them.”

“Then let’s go, for it is not safe to be near them,” Matthew urged. “I don’t care to fall into their hands just now.”

“The sun is rising,” Fred said cheerfully, “and now we can again find our way through the woods. Here is the direction; we go east to the river.”

They walked away swiftly, but they had not gone more than a few rods, when suddenly they saw two large dogs running after them.

“Shoot them,” Matthew ordered his companion, “they look wild and hungry.”

“Not by any means,” Fred answered; “a shot in the woods will bring the whole Indian band on our tracks.”

“But what shall we do?” Matthew asked.

“Run,” Fred replied.

They ran as fast as they could, looking around occasionally to see whether they were followed by Indians, but only the dogs came after them, gaining a little more on them as the boys became weaker.

“I am through,” Matthew finally said; “I cannot run any more.”

“Neither can I,” replied Fred; “but see, here is a hollow log; let us creep into it.”

At once they remembered that this act was foolish, for the dogs, barking at their prey, would eventually attract the Indians. But they had no time to change their minds; they were dead tired, and no sooner had they slipped into the tree when the animals were upon them.

For a moment the boys were silent, while the dogs endeavored to follow them into the hollow log.

“Say, we are company enough,” Fred muttered; “we don’t need you in here. What shall I do, Matthew? Slip me the knife.”

“If those dogs are as hungry, as I am,” Matthew said, “a little bear’s meat might do us good service.”

“That’s a great idea,” Fred answered; “well, hand me some of what is left. It is unfit for us to eat anyway.”

The plan worked out well. The dogs swallowed the pieces of meat greedily, and when Fred coaxed them with friendly words, spoken in Pequot, they wagged their tails and showed signs of conciliation.

Slowly Fred crawled out of the log, still feeding the hungry animals of the meat that remained.

Soon he had succeeded in winning their friendship, and when Matthew finally came out from the retreat, the dogs were completely won over.

Together they walked on, the dogs following them, as if they had been friends for many years.

“If we could only get rid of these beasts,” Matthew sighed; “they will finally betray us.”

“We’ll give them the slip soon enough, just as we did to their masters,” Fred smiled; “wait.”

The opportunity was soon granted them, for when suddenly a rabbit jumped out of the thicket, Fred sent them leaping after it, for he was well acquainted with the Indian way of hunting with dogs.

“Now we run straight forward, and the dogs will forget us and finally return to their masters.”

They walked rapidly, and to their joy arrived after some time at the place where the log house had stood. While they had made no progress, they at least knew where they were, and could manage a way to reach Hartford.

“We must see whether our horses are still here,” Fred said, as he hurried down the bank.

To his astonishment the horses were just coming out of the woods, feeding hungrily on the thick grass.

“Indians!” he muttered. But then he cried out with joy.

“Agnes!” he cried; “Agnes, you here?”

The girl, who had released the horses and was driving them out of their hiding place, smiled as she saw the boys.

“Brother,” she said cheerfully, “Oh, what a surprise!” Then she fell around his neck and kissed him ardently.