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As the day was drawing to a close we were looking out for a spot on which to camp for the night. As I gazed ahead I saw some objects moving across the plain. "Can those be Indians?" I asked, pointing them out to Mr Tidey; "if so, they may be Sioux or Blackfeet and give us some trouble." He reined up his horse, and, shading his eyes with his hand, gazed at them steadily.
We made rapid progress, an evidence that he possessed the art of teaching; and, as Kathleen grew older, she also came in for her lessons. Mr Tidey was of opinion, much to our satisfaction, that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy; and we consequently spent a portion of each day in shooting or trapping, often making excursions to a considerable distance from home.
On hearing this remark, I told him what Mr Tidey proposed, and begged leave to accompany the Dominie. "I cannot forbid my own son to perform a duty which I would impose on others," he answered. "You may go, Mike, and I must charge you as I should anybody else, to be cautious; you have a wily foe to deal with, and you must take care not to let any of the Indians get between you and the camp."
We reached the ground selected by Mr Tidey in good time to camp before dark, and our arrangements had just been concluded when the strangers approached. As they drew near, my father and I went to meet them, to show them a spot near ours where they might encamp.
"Come on, Mr Tidey; let us pursue the fellows, and perhaps they'll grow tired of dragging him along, and set him at liberty." "Yes, yes, Massa Tidey, you go 'long, me take care ob de little girls. See dar' is rifle, me fight for dem if anybody comes!" exclaimed Rose. Sure enough one of the men in his terror had left his rifle behind him.
"They seem to me to be running away from enemies," I observed, "however, we shall soon know." "At all events we must try to select our camping-ground before they come up, or they may occupy it," answered Mr Tidey, "there is a stream to the right bordered by trees. It is just the spot we want. Ride back, Mike, and hurry on the waggons. We shall have formed our camp before the strangers arrive."
I suggested that we should haul up the canoe, and knock a hole in her, to prevent the stranger, should he escape us, from getting off; but Mr Tidey thought that she might be of use to us, and advised instead that we should hide the paddles, which would answer the purpose equally well. We listened as we drew near the spot where the canoe lay, but we could hear no one approaching.
We took good care during this time not to leave the house unguarded, my father, Uncle Denis, or Mr Tidey remaining at home with either Dan or me as well as Biddy and Peter while the windows, unless some one was on the watch near them, were kept closed and barred.
He told us that his fear of being captured by the emissaries of his old master had prevented him going out in search of food, and that he had imprudently on the first day consumed the provisions left by Mr Tidey, which, eked out, might have lasted almost to the present time.
On running back to the hill on which Dan was standing, I saw the waggon coming along, driven at a quick rate by Peter, while Mr Tidey was seated with his rifle between his knees, close behind him. I could not discover a third person, and I began to fear that the negro had died or been captured by his pursuers.
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