This beautiful weapon the lad held grasped in his hand, determined to blaze away at the prowling murderers the instant they should reveal themselves with sufficient distinctness to make his shots certain.
An annoying delay followed.

The Apaches seemed to know very nearly where the right spot was, without being able to locate it definitely.

The footsteps were heard first in one direction and then they changed off to another.

The warriors acted precisely as if they knew the location of their intended victims, but were seeking to find whether they were in the right position to be easily attacked.
Thus matters remained for ten or fifteen minutes longer, during which the lad held himself on the alert, and was no little puzzled to comprehend the meaning for the course of their enemies.
"They daren't do anything, now that they know where we are.

They're afraid we're on the watch, and think if they wait a while longer, we will drop off to sleep; but they will find---" A sudden light just then broke in upon young Munson.