He assured Radcliff that he could desire no better luck than to meet a dozen Indians on the war-path.

He considered his party quite strong enough to meet, at any time, three times their number.
Evening was approaching, and the full moon, in cloudless brilliance, was rising over the forest, flooding the whole landscape with extraordinary splendor.

After feeding their horses abundantly and feasting themselves from the fat larder of their host, they saddled their steeds and resumed their journey by moonlight.
The trail still led through the silent forest.

It was, as usual, very narrow, so that the horses walked along in single file.

As there was danger of falling into an ambush, not a word was spoken, and, as noiselessly as possible, they moved onward, every eye on the eager lookout.