It was while effecting the first of these
changes, that the agitation of the tops of the plants caught the eye
of a lookout on the shore. By signals, understood among themselves,
this man communicated his discovery to a canoe that was acting as
one of the guard-boats, thus giving a general alarm along the whole
line of sentinels, as well as to the chiefs down at the hut or at
the mouth of the river. The fierce delight with which this news was
received, after so long a delay, became ungovernable, and presently
yells and cries filled the air, proceeding from both sides of the
stream, as well as from the river itself.
There was not a white person in those canoes who did not conceive
that their party was lost, when this clamor was heard. With Peter it
was different. Instead of admitting of alarm, he turned all his
faculties to use. While le Bourdon himself was nearly in despair,
Peter was listening with his nice ears, to catch the points on the
river whence the yells arose. For the banks he cared nothing. The
danger was from the canoes. By the keenness of his faculties, the
chief ascertained that there were four canoes out, and that they
would have to run the gauntlet between them, or escape would be
hopeless.
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