The captain and Nick led, and the whole party followed, observing the silence which had been enjoined on them.  The usual manner of marching on a war-path, in the woods, was for the men to follow each other singly; an order that has obtained the name of ‘Indian file,’ the object being to diminish the trail, and conceal the force of the expedition, by each man treading in his leader’s footsteps.  On the present occasion, however, the captain induced Nick to walk at his side, feeling an uneasiness on the subject of the Tuscarora’s fidelity that he could not entirely conquer.  The pretext given was very different, as the reader will suppose.  By seeing the print of a moccasin in company with that of a boot, any straggler that crossed the trail might be led to suppose it had been left by the passage of a party from the clearing or the mill.  Nick quietly assented to this reasoning, and fell in by the side of the captain without remonstrance.

Vigilant eyes were kept on all sides of the line of march, though it, was hoped and believed that the adventurers had struck upon a route too far west to be exposed to interruption.  A quarter of a mile nearer to the flats might have brought them within the range of stragglers; but, following the summit of the ridge, there was a certain security in the indolence which would be apt to prevent mere idlers from sauntering up an ascent.  At all events, no interruption occurred, the party reaching in safety the rocks that were a continuation of the range which formed the precipice at the falls—­the sign that they had gone far enough to the south.  At this period, the precipice was nearly lost in the rising of the lower land, but its margin was sufficiently distinct to form a good mask.

Descending to the plateau beneath, the captain and Nick now inclined to the east, the intention being to come in upon the mills from the rear.  As the buildings lay in the ravine, this could only be done by making a rapid descent immediately in their vicinity; a formation of the ground that rendered the march, until within pistol-shot of its termination, reasonably secure.  Nick also assured his companions that he had several times traversed this very plateau, and that he had met no signs of footsteps on it; from which he inferred that the invaders had not taken the trouble to ascend the rugged cliffs that bounded the western side of the glen.

The approach to the summit of the cliff was made with caution, though the left flank of the adventurers was well protected by the abrupt descent they had already made from the terrace above.  This left little more than the right flank and the front to be watched, the falling away of the land forming, also, a species of cover for the rear.  It is not surprising, then, that the verge of the ravine or glen was attained, and no discovery was made.  The spot being favourable, the captain immediately led down a winding path, that was densely fringed with bushes, towards the level of the buildings.