Isaac knew the habits of the black squirrel, that it was a denizen of the wildest woods and frequented only places remote from civilization.

The song of the hermit and the sight of the black squirrel caused Isaac to stop and reflect, with the result that he concluded he had gone much farther from the fort than he had intended.

He turned to retrace his steps when a faint sound from down the ravine came to his sharp ears.
There was no instinct to warn him that a hideously painted face was raised a moment over the clump of laurel bushes to his left, and that a pair of keen eyes watched every move he made.
Unconscious of impending evil Isaac stopped and looked around him.
Suddenly above the musical babble of the brook and the rustle of the leaves by the breeze came a repetition of the sound.

He crouched close by the trunk of a tree and strained his ears.

All was quiet for some moments.