I hurried on as fast as I could venture to move, ignorant of what was before me.  It would be useless, I knew, to attempt concealing my trail, but as I did not intend to go nearer the camp-fire than was necessary to make out who were there, I hoped some time would elapse after I had retreated before the Indians could discover that any one had been near them.  Now and then, when crossing a hill, I lost sight of the fire, and had to direct my course by the stars overhead.  Again I saw it before me, blazing brightly.  I hoped that Uncle Stephen was right in his conjectures.  The fire, however, was further off than I had supposed, and the greater part of an hour was consumed before I got close enough to see the figures moving about it.