Foot by foot, closer and closer, it came, and as the labored
breath of the panting boys came shorter and quicker, while the
perspiration rolled in great beads from their faces, it seemed as
though they were moving at a snail's pace, and they knew that the
unequal struggle could not last much longer.
Suddenly Has-se paused from his labor for an instant, and placing a
hand to his mouth, uttered a long, tremulous cry, so wild and shrill
that it roused the forest echoes for miles around.
He had hardly resumed his paddle, after a quick backward glance that
showed the other canoe to be fearfully near them, when his cry was
answered by one precisely similar, uttered only a short distance ahead
of them.
In another minute an arrow from behind whizzed so close to Has-se's
head that it cut the red feather from his hair, and passing on, it
buried itself in Rene's shoulder. At the same instant a canoe filled
with Micco's warriors appeared around a point ahead of them, and the
two hunted and exhausted boys, seeing it, knew they were saved.
CHAPTER X
MUTINY AT FORT CAROLINE
During the progress of the exciting events related in the preceding
chapters, troublous times had come to Fort Caroline, on the banks of
the Great River of May. Above it hung the three black clouds of
starvation, mutiny, and war.
Before the sudden departure of Rene de Veaux on his journey in search
of food, a party of ten men had been sent out by Laudonniere to explore
the country to the south of the fort, and discover, if possible, the
mountains of gold that were supposed to exist there.
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