noon
The food that they had brought from the Wyoming fort was almost exhausted , and the wild whortleberries were far from sustaining . Fortunately there was plenty of water flowing tinder the dark woods and along the mountainside . But they were compelled to stop at intervals of an hour or two to rest , and the more timid continually expected Indian ambush . The five met shortly after noon and took another reckoning of the situation . They still realized to the full the dangers of Indian pursuit , which in this case might be a mere matter of accident . Anybody could follow the broad trail left by the fugitives , but the Iroquois , busy with destruction in the valley , might not follow , even if they saw it . No one could tell .