“A mere subterfuge!  See that you do not leave your post in future, under any circumstances, without permission to do so.”

“I won’t,” replied Joe, peering through his loophole.

Matters remained quiet for a great length of time, and Glenn began to hope that even Boone had been mistaken.  But Boone himself had no doubts upon the subject.  Yet he seemed far more affable and cheerful than he did before the plan of resistance was formed in his mind.  Occasionally he would walk round from post to post, and after scanning the aspect without, direct the sentinels to observe closely certain points, trees or bushes, where he thought the enemy might first be seen.  He never hinted once that there was a possibility of escaping an attack, and the little party felt that the only alternative was to watch with diligence and act with vigor and resolution when assailed.

“Do you think they are now in this immediate neighbourhood?” inquired Glenn.

“They are not far off, I imagine,” replied Boone; and calling the hounds from the stable, he continued, “I can show you in which quarter they are.”  The hounds well understood their old master.  At his bidding they snuffed the air, and whining in a peculiar manner, with their heads turned towards the west, the vicinity of the savages was not only made manifest, but their location positively pointed out.

“I was not aware, before, of the inestimable value of your gift,” said Glenn, gazing at the hounds, and completely convinced that their conduct was an unerring indication of the presence of the foe.

“Eh!  Ringwood!” exclaimed Boone, observing that his favorite hound now pointed his nose in a northern direction and uttered a low growl.  “Indeed!” he continued, “they have got in motion since we have been observing the hounds.  I was not mistaken.  Even while we were speaking they divided their strength.  One party is even now moving round to the east, and at a given signal the other will attack us on the west, precisely as I predicted.  See!  Ringwood turns gradually.”

“And you think the greatest danger is to be apprehended from those on the east?” said Glenn.

“Yes,” said Boone, “for the others cannot approach near enough to do much injury without exposing themselves to great peril.”

“But how can you ascertain that they will cut a passage under the snow, and the precise direction in which they will come?”

“Because,” said Boone, “we are situated near the cliff on the east, to the summit of which they can climb, without being exposed to our fire, and thence it is likewise the shortest distance they can find to cut a passage to us under the snow.  Mark Ringwood!” he continued, as the hound having made a semicircle from the point first noticed, became at length stationary, and crouching down on the earth, (where the snow had been cleared away at Boone’s post,) growled more angrily than before, but so low he could not have been heard twenty paces distant.