as the darkness came, hiding his trail, to double back and regain
the hut.

He proceeded at a long, easy gait, his mind not troubled by the
pursuit. It was to him merely an incident that should be ended
as soon as possible, annoying perhaps, but easily cured. So he
swung lightly along, stopping at intervals among the bushes to
see if any of the warriors had drawn near, but he detected
nothing. Now and then he looked up to the sky, willing that
night should end this matter quickly and peacefully.

His wish seemed near fulfillment. An uncommonly brilliant sun
was setting. The whole west was a sea of red and yellow fire,
but in the east the forest was already sinking into the dark. He
turned now, and went back toward the west on a line parallel with
the pursuit, but much closer to the swamp. The dusk thickened
rapidly. The sun dropped over the curve of the world, and the
vast complex maze of trunks and boughs melted into a solid black
wall. The incident of the pursuit was over and with it its petty
annoyances. He directed his course boldly now for the stepping
stones, and traveled fast. Soon the first of them would be less
than a hundred yards away.

But the incident was not over. Wary and skillful though the
young forest runner might be, he had made one miscalculation, and
it led to great consequences. As he skirted the edge of the
swamp in the darkness, now fully come, a dusky figure suddenly
appeared. It was a stray warrior from some small band, wandering
about at will. The meeting was probably as little expected by
him as it was by Henry, and they were so close together when they