No longer was heard either noise or voice--not the murmur of one.
It was a silence that resembled death; as if the vindictive savages had one and all met a deserved doom by being crushed under the falling cliff.
For some time after hearing this mysterious noise, which had caused the rock to tremble around them, the two men remained motionless within their place of concealment.
At length Wilder cautiously and deliberately pushed aside the curtain.
At first only a small portion of it--a corner, so as to make sure about the smoke.
It still oozed in, but not so voluminously as at first.

It had evidently become attenuated, and was growing thinner.

It appeared also to be ascending with rapidity, as up the funnel of a chimney having a good draught.

For this reason it was carried past the mouth of the grotto without much of it drifting in, and they saw that they could soon safely withdraw the curtain.

It was a welcome relaxation from the irksome task that had been so long imposed upon them, and the coat was at length permitted to drop down upon the ledge.
Although there were no longer any sounds heard, or other signs to indicate the presence of the Indians, the fugitives did not feel sure of their having gone; and it was some time before they made any attempt to reascend the shaft.