The one with the torch went back to his companions.
The incident warned our friends of a new form of danger, which until then had not been counted among the probabilities.
The Indians, as you know, can trace a person through the woods with wonderful skill, seeing signs where the untrained eye observes nothing.
If these three chose to wait where they were until daylight, there was nothing to prevent their taking up the trail and tracing the fugitives wherever they went.
"It won't do to stay here," said Ben, "for they will be right upon us at daylight." "Providing they wait where they are." "Why should they not do so?
They are looking for us." Mrs.Ripley dared not answer the question as her heart prompted.

At the same time, she could think of no means of throwing them off their track.
"It might have been better had we stayed with Zitner and Burwink--no, it would not have been," she corrected herself, "for they were unfriendly to Linna.

But we must go." The only hope that presented itself was that they might travel so far during the darkness that the Indians would not keep up the pursuit when the trail was revealed to them.
The moon did not rise until very late, and there being no path, while all were in total ignorance of the neighborhood, it will be understood that they had set to work to do a very hard, if not impossible thing.
Ben as usual took the lead, and, before he had gone twenty steps, was caught under the chin by a protruding limb that almost lifted him off his feet.

Then he went headlong into a hollow and bruised himself against some stones.

Still, he did not give up, and by and by the ground became more level and his mishaps less frequent.
Alice and Linna, like little heroines, never murmured.