The time was when Peter would not have hesitated to use his rifle on
these unwelcome intruders; but the better spirit that had come over
him, now led him to adopt a very different course. Motioning to the
young men, he ordered them to retire, while he led Margery within
the cover of the bushes. Formerly, Peter would not have scrupled to
resort to deception, in order to throw these two young men on a
wrong scent, and get rid of them in that mode; but now he had a
reluctance to deceive; and, no sooner did they fall back at his
beckoning, than he followed Margery to the camp. The latter was
giving her husband a hurried account of what had just happened, as
Peter joined them.
"Our camp is known!" exclaimed the bee-hunter the instant he beheld
the Indian.
"Juss so. Pottawattamie see squaw, and go and tell his chief. Dat
sartain," answered Peter.
"What is there to be done?--Fight for our lives, or fly?"
"Get in canoe quick as can. It take dem young men half-hour to reach
place where chief be. In dat half-hour we muss go as far as we can.
No good to stay here. Injin come in about one hour."
Le Bourdon knew his position well enough to understand this.
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