He heard it a second time, to his right, down the hill, and he was quite sure that it indicated the presence of man, man who in reality was near, but whom the fog took far away.

The vapors, however, would lift, then man might come close, and he felt that it was his part to discover who and what he was.
Still wrapped in the buffalo robe, he rose and took a few steps from the fire.

Tayoga did not stir, and he was proud that his tread had been without noise.

Beyond the rim of firelight, he paused and listening again heard the clank twice, not very loud but coming sharp and definite as before through the vapory air.

He parted the bushes very carefully and went down the side of a ravine, the wet boughs and twigs making no noise as they closed up after his passage.
But his progress was very slow, purposely so, as he knew that any mistake or accident might be fatal, and he intended that no fault of his should precipitate such a crisis.