The sun was high in the heavens by this time, the golden light
brightening the little clearing and dissipating the gloom of the
surrounding forest. All suspicion that the murderer, or murderers,
might still remain in the immediate neighborhood of their crime had
entirely deserted my mind. Where, and by what means, they had fled
could not be determined, but I felt assured they were no longer near
by, I had sought in vain for any other path than the one we had
followed from the mouth of the creek, while the suggestion which Rene
had advanced, that the steamer had tied up to the shore, permitting the
raiding party to land, grew more and more plausible to my mind. It
scarcely seemed probable that one man alone, or even two men, had
committed this crime, and the sole survivor disappear so completely
with the prisoners. I had turned each detail over and over in my
thought, while I worked, yet to but little purpose. The only present
solution of the problem seemed to be our return to that hidden basin
where our boat lay, and the remaining there in concealment until the
darkness of another night rendered it safe to once more venture upon.
the river. Perhaps during those intervening hours, we might, by
conferring together, decide our future course; some new thought might
guide us in the right direction, or some occurrence drive us into
definite action.
I spoke of this to her, as I finally approached where she rested on the
stump, eager and glad to escape from all memories of that somber cabin
I had just left.
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