The silence became terrible, full of omens and presages, like the stillness before coming thunder.
"It means something," said Henry; "I think we've stumbled into a regular nest of those Shawnees, and they're likely to be all about us." As if confirming his words, the far, faint note came from their right, and then, in reply, from their left.

Henry stopped so quickly that Paul almost ran into him.
"I was afraid it would be that way," he said.

"They're certainly all around us except in front, and maybe there, too." Visions of the torture rose before Paul again.
"What are we to do ?" he said.
"We must hide." "Hide I Why, they could find us in the forest, as I would find a man in an open field." "I don't mean hide here," said Henry; "the river is just ahead, and I think that if we reach it in time we can find a place.

Come, Paul, we must run as we never ran before." The two boys sped with long, swift bounds through the forest as only those who run for their lives can run.

Now the voices of the pursuit became frequent, and began to multiply.