The days passed more rapidly to Tom and Joe, too, and the whole party grew more cheerful under the influence of work.

It was now ten days, however, since Sam had gone away, and his non-appearance was really alarming.
When work stopped for the night, the thought of Sam was uppermost in the minds of all three, and for the first time they talked freely of the matter.
Tom was disposed to cheer himself by cheering the others, and so he explained: "It's about forty-five miles to where Fort Mims stood, so Sam told me, and he said he might go nearly that far, if he didn't see Indians.

If he went only thirty-five miles it would take him four or five nights; say five nights, and five more to come back would make ten.

But may be his foot got sore, or Indians got in the way, and so it has taken him longer than he thought.

I don't think we ought to be uneasy even if he should stay two weeks in all." That was all very well as a theory, and true enough too, but Tom was uneasy, nevertheless, and so were Joe and Judie.