"Even if I were, I couldn't be called a savage," retorted Ned.

The hours wore on, and the moon came up in a cloudless sky, much to
the relief of the boy down in the canyon. Just before dark he had
observed that there was quite a strip of rock and sand on his side of
the rushing mountain torrent. It extended further than he could see
and the lad wondered where it might lead to.

After a time he cuddled up, but could not sleep. Perhaps it was the
loneliness of his position. Yet he had been alone in mountain and
forest many times before.

"Hello, up there!" he shouted, pulling himself to a sitting position.

"Hello!" answered Walter.

"I'm going to bed. Don't worry about me. I suppose the Indian has
not returned?"

"No such luck," answered Ned, who had come up beside Walter and
replied to Tad's question.

"And he won't be back till morning," sang the boy down there in the
shadows.

"Right you are," laughed Ned. "If he gets back then we are in great
luck. I'll let the rope down to you if he should happen to return
during the night."

"No; wait till morning. I wouldn't care to try to climb up in the