noon
The plan was cunning enough , and proved that the blackguards were no novices in their profession , but they had not yet sufficiently acquired that peculiar tact natural to savage life . Had they been Indians , they would have fixed small pieces of wood into the holes of the shoe to imitate the nails , and they would then have escaped . We returned to the camp to arm ourselves , and the lawyers , wishing to recover our confidence , entreated that they might be permitted to chase and recapture the fellows . At noon they returned quite exhausted , but they had been successful ; the prisoners were now bound hand and foot , and also tied by the waist to a young pine , which we felled for the purpose . It was useless to travel further on that day , as the lawyers ' horses were quite blown , and having now plenty of ammunition , some of us went in pursuit of turkeys and pheasants , for a day or two 's provisions . All my efforts to obtain information from the prisoners were vain . To my inquiries as to what direction lay the settlements , I received no answer .