it's so difficult to decide upon me duty, as the owld lady obsarved when
the bear got her husband down. I'll let 'em think I'm aslaap, and see what
they'll do."

And thus, as the reader already knows, the rolled-up blanket was lowered
and raised again without molestation, almost grazing the upturned face of
the Irishman as it did so.

"And the next will be one of the spalpeens himself. Begorrah! there he is
this minute!"

Just as he anticipated, a short time after the blanket began its descent,
enfolding the form of one of the swarthy warriors, the Irishman at once
detecting the ruse.

His rifle was brought to his shoulder, but yielding to a whim, which he
could hardly explain, he lowered it, without firing, resolved that he
would do nothing at all, unless compelled to in self-defense. About this
time an idea began to dawn upon him that silence and inaction upon his
part might do himself more good than the most vigorous defense.

He might shoot the first Indian, and then the others would only keep
themselves out of reach, and he would be no nearer escape than before. On
the other hand, if he studiously forced himself into the background, they
might begin to believe that he had discovered the means of exit which was
unknown to them. He had no fear of not being able to keep out of their
way, where he had such abundant room and where no light possibly could
reach the interior and reveal his presence to a hundred searchers. If they
chose to attempt to carry torches, then he could pick them off at his own
convenience.