Dick now led the way through the labyrinths of tents in the direction
of the lake, and they talked and laughed loudly, and whistled
to Crusoe as they went, in order to prevent their purpose being
suspected. For the purpose of further disarming suspicion, they went
without their rifles. Dick explained his plan by the way, and it was
at once warmly approved of by his comrades.

On reaching the lake they launched a small canoe, into which Crusoe
was ordered to jump; then, embarking, they paddled swiftly to the
opposite shore, singing a canoe song as they dipped their paddles in
the moonlit waters of the lake. Arrived at the other side, they hauled
the canoe up and hurried through the thin belt of wood and willows
that intervened between the lake and the prairie. Here they paused.

"Is that the bluff, Joe?"

"No, Dick; that's too near. T'other one'll be best--far away to the
right. It's a little one, and there's others near it. The sharp eyes
o' the Redskins won't be so likely to be prowlin' there."

"Come on, then; but we'll have to take down by the lake first."

In a few minutes the hunters were threading their way through the
outskirts of the wood at a rapid trot, in the opposite direction from
the bluff, or wooded knoll, which they wished to reach. This they did
lest prying eyes should have followed them. In quarter of an hour they
turned at right angles to their track, and struck straight out into
the prairie, and after a long run they edged round and came in upon
the bluff from behind.