STALKED BY SAVAGES. 227 



the camp, Gaultier left his place of concealment and 

 followed the footsteps of the savages, taking care to 

 keep out of their sight. This was not difficult, for the 

 Indians only apprehended discovery from the front, to 

 which point, therefore, they directed all their attention. 

 In this manner he dogged them, until, finding them- 

 selves approaching the camp, with the position of 

 which they were evidently well acquainted, they 

 skulked with increasing caution from bush to bush 

 and from tree to tree, finally reaching the verge of the 

 open space in which, and close by the river, the camp 

 had been placed. 



From the position he occupied, Gaultier could see 

 that old Jake was standing by the verge of the water, 

 and was evidently engaged in fishing, as every now 

 and then he pulled out his line and seemed to be de- 

 taching a fish from the hook. 



Gaultier was now at a great loss how to act. On 

 the one hand, he had little doubt of the murderous in- 

 tentions of the Indians ; while, on the other hand, he 

 could not bring himself to fire at them until justified 

 by some overt act upon their part ; and in the mean- 

 time delay might be fatal to old Jake. 



While thus uncertain how to act, it occurred to him 

 to put the old hunter on his guard by a signal which 

 they had often used, and with which they were familiar. 

 This was the imitation of the note of the whip-poor-will, 

 or wawanaissa, whose plaintive voice had, during the 

 twilight, proceeded from the woods at frequent intervals. 



(786) 15 



