The trail, which was bad enough in the light, became exceedingly dangerous and difficult in the blackness of the night.

On they struggled painfully, now clinging to the sides of the gorge, now mounting up over a hill and again descending to the level of the foaming stream.
"Will they have sentries out, I wonder ?" whispered Cameron in Jerry's ear.
"No--beeg medicine going on--no sentry." "All right, then, we will walk straight in on them." "What you do ?" inquired Jerry.
"We will see what they are doing and send them about their business," said Cameron shortly.
"No," said Jerry firmly.

"S'pose Indian mak beeg medicine--bes' leave him go till morning." "Well, Jerry, we will take a look at them at any rate," said Cameron.
"But if they are fooling around with any rebellion nonsense I am going to step in and stop it." "No," said Jerry again very gravely.

"Beeg medicine mak' Indian man crazy--fool--dance--sing--mak' brave--then keel--queeck!" "Come along, then, Jerry," said Cameron impatiently.

And on they went.
The throb of the drum grew clearer until it seemed that the next turn in the trail should reveal the camp, while with the drum throb they began to catch, at first faintly and then more clearly, the monotonous chant "Hai-yai-kai-yai, Hai-yai-kai-yai," that ever accompanies the Indian dance.