THE HUNTERS OF THE HILLS

A Story of the Great French and Indian War

by

JOSEPH A. ALTSHELER

Author of _The Tree Of Appomattox_, _The Keepers Of The Trail_, _TheForest Of Swords_, etc. 

Appleton-Century-Crofts, Inc. New York

1916

FOREWORD

"The Hunters of the Hills" is the first volume of a series dealing withthe great struggle of France and England and their colonies for dominionin North America, culminating with the fall of Quebec. It is alsoconcerned to a large extent with the Iroquois, the mighty league knownin their own language as the Hodenosaunee, for the favor of which bothFrench and English were high bidders. In his treatment of the theme theauthor has consulted many authorities, and he is not conscious of anyhistorical error. 

CHARACTERS IN THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR SERIES

 ROBERT LENNOX A lad of unknown origin TAYOGA A young Onondaga warrior DAVID WILLET A hunter RAYMOND LOUIS DE ST. LUC A brilliant French officer AGUSTE DE COURCELLES A French officer FRANÇOIS DE JUMONVILLE A French officer LOUIS DE GALISONNIÈRE A young French officer JEAN DE MÉZY A corrupt Frenchman ARMAND GLANDELET A young Frenchman PIERRE BOUCHER A bully and bravo PHILIBERT DROUILLARD A French priest THE MARQUIS DUQUESNE Governor-General of Canada MARQUIS DE VAUDREUIL Governor-General of Canada FRANÇOIS BIGOT Intendant of Canada MARQUIS DE MONTCALM French commander-in-chief DE LEVIS A French general BOURLAMAQUE A French general BOUGAINVILLE A French general ARMAND DUBOIS A follower of St. Luc M. DE CHATILLARD An old French Seigneur CHARLES LANGLADE A French partisan THE DOVE The Indian wife of Langlade TANDAKORA An Ojibway chief DAGANOWEDA A young Mohawk chief HENDRICK An old Mohawk chief BRADDOCK A British general ABERCROMBIE A British general WOLFE A British general COL. WILLIAM JOHNSON Anglo-American leader MOLLY BRANT Col. Wm. Johnson's Indian wife JOSEPH BRANT Young brother of Molly Brant, afterward the great Mohawk chief, Thayendanegea ROBERT DINWIDDIE Lieutenant-Governor of Virginia WILLIAM SHIRLEY Governor of Massachusetts BENJAMIN FRANKLIN Famous American patriot JAMES COLDEN A young Philadelphia captain WILLIAM WILTON A young Philadelphia lieutenant HUGH CARSON A young Philadelphia lieutenant JACOBUS HUYSMAN An Albany burgher CATERINA Jacobus Huysman's cook ALEXANDER MCLEAN An Albany schoolmaster BENJAMIN HARDY A New York merchant JOHNATHAN PILLSBURY Clerk to Benjamin Hardy ADRIAN VAN ZOON A New York merchant THE SLAVER A nameless rover ACHILLE GARAY A French spy ALFRED GROSVENOR A young English officer JAMES CABELL A young Virginian WALTER STUART A young Virginian BLACK RIFLE A famous "Indian fighter" ELIHU STRONG A Massachusetts colonel ALAN HERVEY A New York financier STUART WHYTE Captain of the British sloop, _Hawk_ JOHN LATHAM Lieutenant of the British sloop, _Hawk_ EDWARD CHARTERIS A young officer of the Royal Americans ZEBEDEE CRANE A young scout and forest runner ROBERT ROGERS Famous Captain of American Rangers

CONTENTS

 CHAPTER

 I. THE THREE FRIENDS

 II. ST. LUC

 III. THE TOMAHAWK

 IV. THE INTELLIGENT CANOE

 V. THE MOHAWK CHIEF

 VI. THE TWO FRENCHMEN

 VII. NEW FRANCE

 VIII. GUESTS OF THE ENEMY

 IX. AT THE INN

 X. THE MEETING

 XI. BIGOT'S BALL

 XII. THE HUNTER AND THE BRAVO

 XIII. THE BOWMEN

 XIV. ON CHAMPLAIN

 XV. THE VALE OF ONONDAGA

 XVI. THE GREAT TEST

CHAPTER I

THE THREE FRIENDS

A canoe containing two boys and a man was moving slowly on one of thelittle lakes in the great northern wilderness of what is now the Stateof New York. The water, a brilliant blue under skies of the same intensesapphire tint, rippled away gently on either side of the prow, or rosein heaps of glittering bubbles, as the paddles were lifted for a newstroke. 

Vast masses of dense foliage in the tender green of early spring crownedthe high banks of the lake on every side. The eye found no breakanywhere. Only the pink or delicate red of a wild flower just burstinginto bloom varied the solid expanse of emerald walls; and save for thecanoe and a bird of prey, darting in a streak of silver for a fish, thesurface of the water was lone and silent. 

The three who used the paddles were individual and unlike, none of thembearing any resemblance to the other two. The man sat in the stern. Hewas of middle years, built very powerfully and with muscles and sinewsdeveloped to an amazing degree. His face, in childhood quite fair, hadbeen burned almost as brown as that of an Indian by long exposure. Hewas clothed wholly in tanned deerskin adorned with many little coloredbeads. A hatchet and knife were in the broad belt at his waist, and along rifle lay at his feet. 

His face was fine and open and he would have been noticed anywhere. Butthe eyes of the curious would surely have rested first upon the twoyouths with him. 

One was back of the canoe's center on the right side and the other wasforward on the left. The weight of the three occupants was balanced sonicely that their delicate craft floated on a perfectly even keel. Thelad near the prow was an Indian of a nobler type than is often seen inthese later days, when he has been deprived of the native surroundingsthat fit him like the setting of a gem. 

The Indian, although several years short of full manhood, was tall, withlimbs slender as was usual in his kind; but his shoulders were broad andhis chest wide and deep. His color was a light copper, the tint vergingtoward red, and his face was illumined wonderfully by black eyes thatoften flashed with a lofty look of courage and pride. 

The young warrior, Tayoga, a coming chief of the clan of the Bear, ofthe nation Onondaga, of the League of the Hodenosaunee, known to whitemen as the Iroquois, was in all the wild splendor of full forestattire. His headdress, _gustoweh_, was the product of long and carefullabor. It was a splint arch, curving over the head, and crossed byanother arch from side to side, the whole inclosed by a cap of finenetwork, fastened with a silver band. From the crest, like the plume ofa Roman knight, a cluster of pure white feathers hung, and on the sideof it a white feather of uncommon size projected upward and backward, the end of the feather set in a little tube which revolved with thewind, the whole imparting a further air of distinction to his strong andhaughty countenance. 

The upper part of his body was clothed in the garment called by theHodenosaunee _gakaah_, a long tunic of deerskin tanned beautifully, descending to the knees, belted at the waist, and decorated elaboratelywith the quills of the porcupine, stained red, yellow and blue andvaried with the natural white. 

His leggings, called in his own language _giseha_, were fastened bybands above the knees, and met his moccasins. They too were of deerskintanned with the same skill, and along the seams and around the bottom, were adorned with the quills of the porcupine and rows of small, coloredbeads. The moccasins, _ahtaquaoweh_, of deerskin, were also decoratedwith quills and beads, but the broad belt, _gagehta_, holding in histunic at the waist, was of rich blue velvet, heavy with bead work. Theknife at his belt had a silver hilt, and the rifle in the bottom of thecanoe was silver-mounted. Nowhere in the world could one have found ayoung forest warrior more splendid in figure, manner and dress. 

The white youth was the equal in age and height of his red comrade, butwas built a little more heavily. His face, tanned red instead of brown, was of the blonde type and bore an aspect of refinement unusual in thewoods. The blue eyes were thoughtful and the chin, curving ratherdelicately, indicated gentleness and a sense of humor, allied withfirmness of purpose and great courage. His dress was similar in fashionto that of the older man, but was finer in quality. He was armed likethe others. 

"I suppose we're the only people on the lake, " said the hunter andscout, David Willet, "and I'm glad of it, lads. It's not a time, justwhen the spring has come and the woods are so fine, to be shot at byHuron warriors and their like down from Canada. "

"I don't want 'em to send their bullets at me in the spring or any othertime, " said the white lad, Robert Lennox. "Hurons are not good marksmen, but if they kept on firing they'd be likely to hit at last. I don'tthink, though, that we'll find any of 'em here. What do you say, Tayoga?"

The Indian youth flashed a swift look along the green wall of forest, and replied in pure Onondaga, which both Lennox and Willet understood:

"I think they do not come. Nothing stirs in the woods on the high banks. Yet Onontio (the Governor General of Canada) would send the Hurons andthe other nations allied with the French against the people of Corlear(the Governor of the Province of New York). But they fear theHodenosaunee. "

"Well they may!" said Willet. "The Iroquois have stopped many a forayof the French. More than one little settlement has thriven in the shadeof the Long House. "

The young warrior smiled and lifted his head a little. Nobody had morepride of birth and race than an Onondaga or a Mohawk. The home of theHodenosaunee was in New York, but their hunting grounds and real domain, over which they were lords, extended from the Hudson to the Ohio andfrom the St. Lawrence to the Cumberland and the Tennessee, where theland of the Cherokees began. No truer kings of the forest ever lived, and for generations their warlike spirit fed upon the fact. 

"It is true, " said Tayoga gravely, "but a shadow gathers in the north. The children of Corlear wish to plow the land and raise corn, but thesons of Onontio go into the forest and become hunters and warriors withthe Hurons. It is easy for the man in the woods to shoot down the man inthe field. "

"You put it well, Tayoga, " exclaimed Willet. "That's the kernel in thenut. The English settle upon the land, but the French take to the wildlife and would rather be rovers. When it comes to fighting it puts ourpeople at a great disadvantage. I know that some sort of a wicked brothis brewing at Quebec, but none of us can tell just when it will boilover. "

"Have you ever been to Quebec, Dave?" asked Robert. 

"Twice. It's a fortress on a rock high above the St. Lawrence, and it'sthe seat of the French power in North America. We English in thiscountry rule our selves mostly, but the French in Canada don't havemuch to say. It's the officials sent out from France who govern as theyplease. "

"And you believe they'll attack us, Dave?"

"When they're ready, yes, but they intend to choose time and place. Ithink they've been sending war belts to the tribes in the north, but Ican't prove it. "

"The French in France are a brave and gallant race, Dave, and they arebrave and gallant here too, but I think they're often more cruel than weare. "

It was in David Willet's mind to say it was because the French hadadapted themselves more readily than the English to the ways of theIndian, but consideration for the feelings of Tayoga restrained him. Thewilderness ranger had an innate delicacy and to him Tayoga was always anobleman of the forest. 

"You've often told me, Dave, " said Lennox, "that I've French blood inme. "

"There's evidence pointing that way, " said Willet, "and when I was inQuebec I saw some of the men from Northern France. I suppose we mostlythink of the French as short and dark, but these were tall and fair. Some of them had blue eyes and yellow hair, and they made me think alittle of you, Robert. "

Young Lennox sighed and became very thoughtful. The mystery of hislineage puzzled and saddened him at times. It was a loss never to haveknown a father or a mother, and for his kindest and best friends to beof a blood not his own. The moments of depression, however, were brief, as he had that greatest of all gifts from the gods, a cheerful andhopeful temperament. 

The three began to paddle with renewed vigor. Gasna Gaowo, the canoe inwhich they sat, was a noble example of Onondaga art. It was aboutsixteen feet in length and was made of the bark of the red elm, the rim, however, being of white ash, stitched thoroughly to the bark. The ribsalso were of white ash, strong and flexible, and fastened at each endunder the rim. The prow, where the ends of the bark came together, wasquite sharp, and the canoe, while very light and apparently frail, wasexceedingly strong, able to carry a weight of more than a thousandpounds. The Indians surpassed all other people in an art so useful in aland of many lakes and rivers and they lavished willing labor upon theircanoes, often decorating them with great beauty and taste. 

"We're now within the land of the Mohawks, are we not, Tayoga?" askedLennox. 

"Ganeagaono, the Keepers of the Eastern Gate, rule here, " replied theyoung warrior, "but the Hurons dispute their claim. "

"I've heard that the Mohawks and the Hurons, who now fight one another, were once of the same blood. "

"It is so. The old men have had it from those who were old men when theywere boys. The Mohawks in a far, far time were a clan of the Wanedote, called in your language the Hurons, and lived where the French havebuilt their capital of Quebec. Thence their power spread, and becoming agreat nation themselves they separated from the Wanedote. But manyenemies attacked them and they moved to the south, where they joined theOnondagas and Oneidas, and in time the League of the Hodenosaunee grewup. That, though, was far, far back, eight or ten of what the white mencall generations. "

"But it's interesting, tremendously so, " said Robert, reflectively. "Ifind that the red races and the white don't differ much. The flux andmovement have been going on always among them just as it has among us. Races disappear, and new ones appear. "

"It is so, Lennox, " said Tayoga gravely, "but the League of theHodenosaunee is the chosen of Manitou. We, the Onundagaono, in yourlanguage Onondagas, Keepers of the Council, the Brand and the Wampum, know it. The power of the Long House cannot be broken. Onundagaono, Ganeogaono, Nundawaono (Senecas), Gweugwehono (Cayugas), Onayotekaono(Oneidas) and the new nation that we made our brethren, Dusgaowehono(Tuscaroras), will defend it forever. "

Robert glanced at him. Tayoga's nostrils expanded as he spoke, the chinwas thrown up again and his eyes flashed with a look of immeasurablepride. White youth understood red youth. The forest could be as truly akingdom as cities and fields, and within the limits of his horizonTayoga, a coming chief of the clan of the Bear, of the nation Onondaga, of the League of the Hodenosaunee, was as thoroughly of royal blood asany sovereign on his throne. He and his father and his father's fatherbefore him and others before them had heard the old men and the womenchant the prowess and invincibility of the Hodenosaunee, and of thatgreat league, the Onondagas, the Keepers of the Wampum, the Brand andthe Council Fire, were in Tayoga's belief first, its heart and soul. 

Robert had pride of race himself--it was a time when an ancient stockwas thought to count for much--and he was sure that the blood in hisveins was noble, but, white though he was, he did not feel anysuperiority to Tayoga. Instead he paid him respect where respect was duebecause, born to a great place in a great race, he was equal to it. Heunderstood, too, why the Hodenosaunee seemed immutable and eternal toits people, as ancient Rome had once seemed unshakable and everlastingto the Romans, and, understanding, he kept his peace. 

The lake, slender and long, now narrowed to a width of forty or fiftyyards and curved sharply toward the east. They slowed down with habitualcaution, until they could see what lay in front of them. Robert andTayoga rested their paddles, and Willet sent the canoe around the curve. The fresh reach of water was peaceful too, unruffled by the craft of anyenemy, and on either side the same lofty banks of solid green stretchedahead. Above and beyond the cliffs rose the distant peaks and ridges ofthe high mountains. The whole was majestic and magnificent beyondcomparison. Robert and Tayoga, their paddles still idle, breathed it inand felt that Manitou, who is the same as God, had lavished work uponthis region, making it good to the eye of all men for all time. 

"How far ahead is the cove, Tayoga?" asked Willet. 

"About a mile, " replied the Onondaga. 

"Then we'd better put in there, and look for game. We've got mightylittle venison. "

"It is so, " said Tayoga, using his favorite words of assent. Neither henor Robert resumed the paddle, leaving the work for the rest of the wayto the hunter, who was fully equal to the task. His powerful arms sweptthe broad blade through the water, and the canoe shot forward at arenewed pace. Long practice and training had made him so skillful at thetask that his breath was not quickened by the exertion. It was apleasure to Robert to watch the ease and power with which he did somuch. 

The lake widened as they advanced, and through a change in the color ofthe sky the water here seemed silver rather than blue. A flock of wildducks swam near the edge and he saw two darting loons, but there was noother presence. Silence, beauty and majesty were everywhere, and he wascontent to go on, without speaking, infused with the spirit of thewilderness. 

The cove showed after a while, at first a mere slit that only a wary eyecould have seen, and then a narrow opening through which a small creekflowed into the lake. Willet, with swift and skillful strokes of thepaddle, turned the canoe into the stream and advanced some distance upit, until he stopped at a point where it broadened into an expanse likea pool, covered partly with water lilies, and fringed with tall reeds. Behind the reeds were slanting banks clothed with dense, green foliage. It was an ideal covert, and there were thousands like it in thewonderful wilderness of the North Woods. 

"You find this a good place, don't you, Tayoga?" said Willet, with acertain deference. 

"It suits us well, " replied the young Onondaga in his measured tones. "No man, Indian or white, has been here today. The lilies areundisturbed. Not a reed has been bent. Ducks that have not yet seen usare swimming quietly up the creek, and farther on a stag is drinking atits edge. I can hear him lapping the water. "

"That was wonderful, Tayoga, " said Willet with admiration. "I wouldn'thave noticed it, but since you've spoken of it I can hear the stag too. Now he's gone away. Maybe he's heard us. "

"Like as not, " said Robert, "and he'd have been a good prize, but he'staken the alarm, and he's safe. We'll have to look for something else. Just there on the right you can see an opening among the leaves, Dave, and that's our place for landing. "

Willet sent the canoe through the open water between the tall reeds, then slowed it down with his paddle, and the prow touched the bankgently. 

The three stepped out and drew the canoe with great care upon the shore, in order that it might dry. The bank at that point was not steep and thepresence of the deer at the water's edge farther up indicated a slopeyet easier there. 

"Appears to be a likely place for game, " said Willet. "While the staghas scented us and gone, there must be more deer in the woods. Maybethey're full of 'em, since this is doubtful ground and warriors andwhite men too are scarce. "

"But red scouts from the north may be abroad, " said Robert, "and itwould be unwise to use our rifles. We don't want a brush with Hurons orTionontati. "

"The Tionontati went into the west some years ago, " said Tayoga, "andbut few of their warriors are left with their kinsmen, the Hurons. "

"But those few would be too many, should they chance to be near. We mustnot use our rifles. Instead we must resort to your bow and arrows, Tayoga. "

"Perhaps _waano_ (the bow) will serve us, " said the young chief, withhis confident smile. 

"That being the case, then, " said Willet, "I'll stay here and mind thecanoe, while the pair of you boys go and find the deer. You're youngerthan I am, an' I'm willing for you to do the work. "

The white teeth of Tayoga flashed into a deeper smile. 

"Does our friend, the Great Bear, who calls himself Willet, grow old?"he asked. 

"Not by a long sight, Tayoga, " replied Willet with energy. "I'm nobraggart, I hope, but you Iroquois don't call me Great Bear for nothing. My muscles are as hard as ever, and my wind's as good. I can lift moreand carry more upon my shoulders than any other man in all thiswilderness. "

"I but jested with the Great Bear, " said Tayoga, smiling. "Did I not seelast winter how quick he could be when I was about to be cut to piecesunder the sharp hoofs of the wounded and enraged moose, and he darted inand slew the animal with his long knife?"

"Don't speak of it, Tayoga. That was just a little matter betweenfriends. You'd do as much for me if the chance came. "

"But you've done it already, Great Bear. "

Willet said something more in deprecation, and picking up the canoe, putit in a better place. Its weight was nothing to him, and Robert noticedwith admiration the play of the great arms and shoulders. Seen now uponthe land and standing at his full height Willet was a giant, proportioned perfectly, a titanic figure fitted by nature to cope withthe hardships and dangers of the wilderness. 

"I'm thinking stronger than ever that this is good deer country, " hesaid. "It has all the looks of it, since they can find here the foodthey like, and it hasn't been ranged over for a long time by white manor red. Tayoga, you and Robert oughtn't to be long in finding the gamewe want. "

"I think like the Great Bear that we'll not have to look far for deer, "said the Onondaga, "and I leave my rifle with you while I take my bowand arrows. "

"I'll keep your rifle for you, Tayoga, and if I didn't have anythingelse to do I'd go along with you two lads and see you use the bow. Iknow that you're a regular king with it. "

Tayoga said nothing, although he was secretly pleased with thecompliment, and took from the canoe a long slender package, wrappedcarefully in white, tanned deerskin, which he unrolled, disclosing thebow, _waano_. 

The young Onondaga's bow, like everything he wore or used, was of thefinest make, four feet in length, and of such powerful wood that onlyone of great strength and equal skill could bend it. He brought it tothe proper curve with a sudden, swift effort, and strung it. There hetested the string with a quick sweeping motion of his hand, making itgive back a sound like that of a violin, and seemed satisfied. 

He also took from the canoe the quiver, _gadasha_, which was made ofcarefully dressed deerskin, elaborately decorated with the stainedquills of the porcupine. It was two feet in length and containedtwenty-five arrows, _gano_. 

The arrows were three feet long, pointed with deer's horn, each carryingtwo feathers twisted about the shaft. They, like the bow and quiver, were fine specimens of workmanship and would have compared favorablywith those used by the great English archers of the Middle Ages. 

Tayoga examined the sharp tips of the arrows, and, poising the quiverover his left shoulder, fastened it on his back, securing the lower endat his waist with the sinews of the deer, and the upper with the samekind of cord, which he carried around the neck and then under his leftarm. The ends of the arrows were thus convenient to his right hand, andwith one sweeping circular motion he could draw them from the quiver andfit them to the bowstring. 

The Iroquois had long since learned the use of the rifle and musket, buton occasion they still relied upon the bow, with which they had wontheir kingdom, the finest expanse of mountain and forest, lake andriver, ever ruled over by man. Tayoga, as he strung his bow and hunghis quiver, felt a great emotion, the spirit of his ancestors he wouldhave called it, descending upon him. _Waano_ and he fitted together andfor the time he cherished it more than his rifle, the weapon that thewhite man had brought from another world. The feel of the wood in hishand made him see visions of a vast green wilderness in which the Indianalone roamed and knew no equal. 

"What are you dreaming about, Tayoga?" asked Robert, who also dreameddreams. 

The Onondaga shook himself and laughed a little. 

"Of nothing, " he replied. "No, that was wrong. I was dreaming of thedeer that we'll soon find. Come, Lennox, we'll go seek him. "

"And while you're finding him, " said Willet, "I'll be building the fireon which we'll cook the best parts of him. "

Tayoga and Robert went together into the forest, the white youth takingwith him his rifle, which, however, he did not expect to use. It wasmerely a precaution, as the Hurons, Abenakis, Caughnawagas and othertribes in the north were beginning to stir and mutter under the Frenchinfluence. And for that reason, and because they did not wish to alarmpossible game, the two went on silent foot. 

No other human beings were present there, but the forest was filled withinhabitants, and hundreds of eyes regarded the red youth with the bow, and the white youth with the rifle, as they passed among the trees. Rabbits looked at them from small red eyes. A muskrat, at a brook'sedge, gazed a moment and then dived from sight. A chipmunk cocked uphis ears, listened and scuttled away. 

But most of the population of the forest was in the trees. Squirrelschattering with anger at the invaders, or with curiosity about them, ranalong the boughs, their bushy tails curving over their backs. A hugewildcat crouched in a fork, swelled with anger, his eyes reddening andhis sharp claws thrusting forth as he looked at the two beings whom heinstinctively hated much and feared more. The leaves swarmed with birds, robins and wrens and catbirds and all the feathered tribe keeping up anincessant quivering and trilling, while a distant woodpecker drummedportentously on the trunk of an old oak. They too saw the passingyouths, but since no hand was raised to hurt them they sang, in theirway, as they worked and played. 

The wilderness spell was strong upon Tayoga, whose ancestors had livedunknown ages in the forest. The wind from the north as it rustled theleaves filled his strong lungs and made the great pulses leap. The bowin his hand fitted into the palm like a knife in its sheath. He heardthe animals and the birds, and the sounds were those to which hisancestors had listened a thousand years and more. Once again he wasproud of his heritage. He was Tayoga, a coming chief of the Clan of theBear, of the nation Onondaga, of the League of the Hodenosaunee, and hewould not exchange places with any man of whom he had heard in all theworld. 

The forest was the friend of Tayoga and he knew it. He could name thetrees, the elm and the maple, and the spruce and the cedar and all theothers. He knew the qualities of their wood and bark and the uses forwhich every one was best fitted. He noticed particularly the greatmaples, so precious to the Iroquois, from which they took sap and madesugar, and which gave an occasion and name to one of their most sacredfestivals and dances. He also observed the trees from which the bestbows and arrows were made, and the red elms and butternut hickories, thebark of which served the Iroquois for canoes. 

When Tayoga passed through a forest it was not merely a journey, it wasalso an inspection. He had been trained from his baby frame, _gaoseha_, always to observe everything that met the human eye, and now he not onlyexamined the trees, but also the brooks and the little ravines and theswell of the hills and the summits of the mountains that towered high, many miles away. If ever he came back there he would know the ground andall its marks. 

His questing eye alighted presently upon the delicate traces of hoofs, and, calling Robert's attention, the two examined them with the fullcare demanded by their purpose. 

"New, " said Tayoga; "scarce an hour old. "

"Less than that, " said Robert. "The deer can't be far away. "

"He is near, because there has been nothing to make him run. Here go thetraces in almost a half circle. He is feeding and taking his time. "

"It's a good chase to follow. The wind is blowing toward us, and he cantake no alarm, unless he sees or hears us. "

"It would be shame to an Onondaga if a deer heard him coming. "

"You don't stand in any danger of being made ashamed, Tayoga. As you'reto be the hunter, lead and I'll follow. "

The Onondaga slipped through the undergrowth, and Robert, a skillfulyoung woodsman also, came after with such care and lightness of footthat neither made a twig or leaf rustle. Tayoga always followed thetraces. The deer had nibbled tender young shoots, but he had notremained long in one place. The forest was such an abundant garden tohim that, fastidious as an epicure, he required the most delicate foodto please his palate. 

Tayoga stopped suddenly in a few minutes and raised his hand. Robert, following his gaze, saw a stag about a hundred yards away, a splendidfellow with head upraised, not in alarm, but to nuzzle some tender youngleaves. 

"I will go to the right, " whispered the young warrior, "and will you, myfriend, remain here?"

Robert nodded, and Tayoga slid silently among the bushes to secure anearer and better position for aim. The Indian admired the stag which, like himself, fitted into the forest. He would not have hunted him forsport, nor at any other time would he have shot him, but food was neededand Manitou had sent the deer for that purpose. He was not one to opposethe will of Manitou. 

The greatest bowman in the Northern wilderness crouched in the thicket, and reaching his right hand over his left shoulder, withdrew an arrow, which he promptly fitted to the string. It was a perfect arrow, made bythe young chief himself, and the two feathers were curved in the rightmanner to secure the utmost degree of speed and accuracy. He fitted itto the string and drew the bow far back, almost to the head of theshaft. Now he was the hunter only and the spirit of hunting ancestorsfor many generations was poured into him. His eye followed the line ofcoming flight and he chose the exact spot on the sleek body beneathwhich the great heart lay. 

The stag, with his head upraised, still pulled at the tender top of abush, and the deceitful wind, which blew from him toward Tayoga, broughtno warning. Nor did the squirrel chattering in the tree or the birdsinging on the bough just over his head tell him that the hunter wasnear. Tayoga looked again down the arrow at the chosen place on thegleaming body of the deer, and with a sudden and powerful contraction ofthe muscles, bending the bow a little further, loosed the shaft. 

The arrow flew singing through the air as swift and deadly as a steeldart and was buried in the heart of the stag, which, leaping upward, fell, writhed convulsively a moment or two, and died. The young Onondagaregarded his work a moment with satisfaction, and then walked forward, followed by his white comrade. 

"One arrow was enough, Tayoga, " said Robert, "and I knew before youshot that another would not be needed. "

"The distance was not great, " said Tayoga modestly. "I should have beena poor marksman had I missed. "

He pulled his arrow with a great effort from the body of the deer, wipedit carefully upon the grass, and returned it to _gadasha_, the quiver. Arrows required time and labor for the making, but unlike the powder andbullet in a rifle, they could be used often, and hence at times the bowhad its advantage. 

Then the two worked rapidly and skillfully with their great huntingknives, skinning and removing all the choicer portions of the deer, andbefore they finished they heard the pattering of light feet in thewoods, accompanied now and then by an evil whine. 

"The wolves come early, " said Tayoga. 

"And they're over hungry, " said Robert, "or they wouldn't let us know sosoon that they're in the thickets. "

"It is told sometimes, among my people, that the soul of a wicked manhas gone into the wolf, " said Tayoga, not ceasing in his work, hisshining blade flashing back and forth. "Then the wolf can understandwhat we say, although he may not speak himself. "

"And suppose we kill such a wolf, Tayoga, what becomes of the wickedsoul?"

"It goes at once into the body of another wolf, and passes on from wolfto wolf, being condemned to live in that foul home forever. Such apunishment is only for the most vile, and they are few. It is but thehundredth among the wicked who suffers thus. "

"The other ninety-nine go after death to _Hanegoategeh_, the land ofperpetual darkness, where they suffer in proportion to the crimes theycommitted on earth, but _Hawenneyu_, the Divine Being, takes pity onthem and gives them another chance. When they have suffered long enoughin _Hanegoategeh_ to be purified he calls them before him and looks intotheir souls. Nothing can be hidden from him. He sees the evil thought, Lennox, as you or I would see a leaf upon the water, and then he judges. And he is merciful. He does not condemn and send to everlasting torture, because evil may yet be left in the soul, but if the good outweighs thebad the good shall prevail and the suffering soul is sent to_Hawenneyugeh_, the home of the just, where it suffers no more. But ifthe bad still outweighs the good then its chance is lost and it is sentto _Hanishaonogeh_, the home of the wicked, where it is condemned totorture forever. "

"A reasonable religion, Tayoga. Your _Hanegoategeh_ is like thepurgatory, in which the Catholic church believes. Your God like ours ismerciful, and the more I learn about your religion the more similar itseems to ours. "

"I think your God and our Manitou are the same, Lennox, we only see himthrough different glasses, but our religion is old, old, very old, perhaps older than yours. "

Although Tayoga did not raise his voice or change the inflection Robertknew that he spoke with great pride. The young Onondaga did not believehis religion resembled the white man's but that the white man'sresembled his. Robert respected him though, and knowing the reasons forhis pride, said nothing in contradiction. 

"The whining wolf is hungry, " said Tayoga, "and since the soul of awarrior may dwell in his body I will feed him. "

He took a discarded piece of the deer and threw it far into the bushes. A fearful growling, and the noise of struggling ensued at once. 

"The wolf with the wicked soul in him may be there, " said Robert, "buteven so he has to fight with the other wolves for the meat you flung. "

"It is a part of his fate, " said Tayoga gravely. "Seeing and thinking asa man, he must yet bite and claw with beasts for his food. Now I thinkwe have all of the deer we wish. "

As they could not take it with them for tanning, they cut the skin inhalf, and each wrapped in his piece a goodly portion of the body to becarried to the canoe. Both were fastidious, wishing to get no stain upontheir clothing, and, their task completed, they carefully washed theirhands and knives at the edge of a brook. Then as they lifted up theirburdens the whining and growling in the bushes increased rapidly. 

"They see that we are going, " said Tayoga. "The wolf even without thesoul of a warrior in it knows much. It is the wisest of all the animals, unless the fox be its equal. The foolish bear and the mad panther fightalone, but the wolf, who is too small to face either, bands with hisbrothers into a league, even as the Hodenosaunee, and together theypull down the deer and the moose, and in the lands of the Ohio they dareto attack and slay the mighty bull buffalo. "

"They know the strength of union, Tayoga, and they know, too, just nowthat they're safe from our weapons. I can see their noses poking alreadyin their eagerness through the bushes. They're so hungry and soconfident that they'll hardly wait until we get away. "

As they passed with their burdens into the bushes on the far side of thelittle opening they heard a rush of light feet, and angry snarling. Looking back, Robert saw that the carcass of the stag was alreadycovered with hungry wolves, every one fighting for a portion, and heknew it was the way of the forest. 

CHAPTER II

ST. LUC

Willet hailed them joyfully when they returned. 

"I'll wager that only one arrow was shot, " he said, smiling. 

"Just one, " said Robert. "It struck the stag in the heart and he did notmove ten feet from where he stood. "

"And the Great Bear has the fire ready, " said Tayoga. "I breathe thesmoke. "

"I knew you would notice it, " said Willet, "although it's only a littlefire yet and I've built it in a hollow. "

Dry sticks were burning in a sunken place surrounded by great trees, andthey increased the fire, veiling the smoke as much as possible. Thenthey broiled luscious steaks of the deer and ate abundantly, thoughwithout the appearance of eagerness. Robert had been educated carefullyat Fort Orange, which men were now calling Albany, and Tayoga and thehunter were equally fastidious. 

"The deer is the friend of both the red man and the white, " said Willet, appreciatively. "In the woods he feeds us and clothes us, and then hishorn tips the arrow with which you kill him, Tayoga. "

"It was so ordered by Manitou, " said the young Onondaga, earnestly. "The deer was given to us that we might live. "

"And that being the case, " said Willet, "we'll cook all you and Roberthave brought and take it with us in the canoe. Since we keep on goingnorth the time will come when we won't have any chance for hunting. "

The fire had now formed a great bed of coals and the task was not hard. It was all cooked by and by and they stowed it away wrapped in the twopieces of skin. Then Willet and Tayoga decided to examine the countrytogether, leaving Robert on guard beside the canoe. 

Robert had no objection to remaining behind. Although circumstances hadmade him a lad of action he was also contemplative by nature. Somepeople think with effort, in others thoughts flow in a stream, and nowas he sat with his back to a tree, much that he had thought and heardpassed before him like a moving panorama and in this shifting belt ofcolor Indians, Frenchmen, Colonials and Englishmen appeared. 

He knew that he stood upon the edge of great events. Deeply sensitive toimpressions, he felt that a crisis in North America was at hand. Englandand France were not yet at war, and so the British colonies and theFrench colonies remained at peace too, but every breeze that blew fromone to the other was heavy with menace. The signs were unmistakable, butone did not have to see. One breathed it in at every breath. He knew, too, that intrigue was already going on all about him, and that theIroquois were the great pawn in the game. British and French werealready playing for the favor of the powerful Hodenosaunee, and Robertunderstood even better than many of those in authority that as theHodenosaunee went so might go the war. It was certain that the Indiansof the St. Lawrence and the North would be with the French, but he wasconfident that the Indians of the Long House would not swerve from theirancient alliance with the British colonies. 

Two hours passed and Willet and Tayoga did not return, but he had notexpected them. He knew that when they decided to go on a scout theywould do the work thoroughly, and he waited with patience, sittingbeside the canoe, his rifle on his knees. Before him the creek flowedwith a pleasant, rippling noise and through the trees he caught aglimpse of the lake, unruffled by any wind. 

The rest was so soothing, and his muscles and nerves relaxed so muchthat he felt like closing his eyes and going to sleep, but he was rousedby the sound of a footstep. It was so distant that only an ear trainedto the forest would have heard it, but he knew that it was made by ahuman being approaching, and that the man was neither Willet nor Tayoga. 

He put his ear to the earth and heard three men instead of one, and thenhe rose, cocking his rifle. In the great wilderness in those surchargeddays a stranger was an enemy until he was proved to be otherwise, andthe lad was alert in every faculty. He saw them presently, threefigures walking in Indian file, and his heart leaped because the leaderwas so obviously a Frenchman. 

His uniform was of the battalion Royal Roussillon, white faced withblue, and his hat was black and three-cornered, but face and manner wereso unmistakably French that Robert did not think of his uniform, whichwas neat and trim to a degree not to be expected in the forest. He borehimself in the carelessly defiant manner peculiar to the French cadetsand younger sons of noble families in North America at the time, anaccentuation of the French at home, and to some extent a survival of thespirit which Richelieu partially checked. Even in the forest he wore aslender rapier at his belt, and his hand rested now upon its goldenhilt. 

He was about thirty years old, tall, slender, and with the light hairand blue eyes seen so often in Northern France, telling, perhaps, ofNorman blood. His glance was apparently light, but Robert felt when itrested upon him that it was sharp, penetrating and hard to endure. Nevertheless he met it without lowering his own gaze. The man behind theleader was swart, short, heavy and of middle years, a Canadian dressedin deerskin and armed with rifle, hatchet and knife. The third man wasan Indian, one of the most extraordinary figures that Robert had everseen. He was of great stature and heavy build, his shoulders and chestimmense and covered with knotted muscles, disclosed to the eye, as hewas bare to the waist. All the upper part of his body was painted instrange and hideous designs which Robert did not recognize, although heknew the fashions of all the tribes in the New York and St. Lawrenceregions. His cheek bones were unusually high even for an Indian and hisgaze was heavy, keen and full of challenge. Robert judged that hebelonged to some western tribe, that he was a Pottawatomie, an Ojibwayor a Chippewa or that perhaps he came from the distant Sioux race. 

He was conscious that all three represented strength, each in adifferent way, and he felt the gaze of three pairs of eyes resting uponhim in a manner that contained either secret or open hostility. But hefaced them boldly, a gallant and defiant young figure himself, instinctwith courage and an intellectual quality that is superior to courageitself. The Frenchman who confronted him recognized at once the thinker. 

"I bid you good day, " said Robert politely. "I did not expect to meettravelers in these woods. "

The Frenchman smiled. 

"We are all travelers, " he said, "but it is you who are our guest, sincethese rivers and mountains and lakes and forests acknowledge thesuzerainty of my royal master, King Louis of France. "

His tone was light and bantering and Robert, seeing the advantage of it, chose to speak in the same vein. 

"The wilderness itself is king, " he said, "and it acknowledges nomaster, save perhaps the Hodenosaunee. But I had thought that the law ofEngland ran here, at least where white men are concerned. "

He saw the eyes of the great savage flash when he mentioned theHodenosaunee, and he inferred at once that he was a bitter enemy of theIroquois. Some of the tribes had a hereditary hatred toward one anothermore ferocious than that which they felt against the whites. 

The Frenchman smiled again, and swept his hand in a graceful curvetoward the green expanse. 

"It is true, " he said, "that the forest is yet lord over these lands, but in the future I think the lilies of France will wave here. Youperhaps have an equal faith that the shadow of the British flag will beover the wilderness, but it would be most unfitting for you and me toquarrel about it now. I infer from the canoe and the three paddles thatyou did not come here alone. "

"Two friends are with me. They have gone into the forest on a briefexpedition. They should return soon. We have food in abundance, a deerthat we killed a few hours ago. Will you share it?"

"Gladly. Courtesy, I see, is not lost in the woods. Permit me tointroduce ourselves. The chief is Tandakora of the Ojibways, from theregion about the great western lake that you call Superior. He is amighty warrior, and his fame is great, justly earned in many a battle. My friend in deerskin is Armand Dubois, born a Canadian of good Frenchstock, and a most valiant and trustworthy man. As for me, I am RaymondLouis de St. Luc, Chevalier of France and soldier of fortune in the NewWorld. And now you know the list of us. It's not so long as Homer'scatalogue of the ships, nor so interesting, but it's complete. "

His manner had remained light, almost jesting, and Robert judged that itwas habitual with him like a cloak in winter, and, like the cloak, itwould be laid away when it was not needed. The man's blue eyes, evenwhen he used the easy manner of the high-bred Frenchman, were questingand resolute. But the youth still found it easier than he had thought tomeet him in like fashion. Now he replied to frankness with frankness. 

"Ours isn't and shouldn't be a hostile meeting in the forest, Chevalierde St. Luc, " he said. "To you and your good friends I offer mygreetings. As for myself, I am Robert Lennox, with two homes, one inAlbany, and the other in the wilderness, wherever I choose to make it. "

He paused a moment, because he felt the gaze of St. Luc upon him, veryintent and penetrating, but in an instant he resumed:

"I came here with two friends whom you shall see if you stay with melong enough. One is David Willet, a hunter and scout, well known fromthe Hudson to the Great Lakes, a man to whom I owe much, one who hasstood to me almost in the place of a father. The other I can truly calla brother. He is Tayoga, a young warrior of the clan of the Bear, of thenation Onondaga, of the League of the Hodenosaunee. My catalogue, sir, is just the same length as yours, and it also is complete. "

The Chevalier Raymond Louis de St. Luc laughed, and the laugh wasgenuine. 

"A youth of spirit, I see, " he said. "Well, I am glad. It's a pleasureto meet with wit and perception in the wilderness. One prefers to talkwith gentlemen. 'Tis said that the English are heavy, but I do notalways find them so. Perhaps it's merely a slur that one nation wishesto cast upon another. "

"It's scarcely correct to call me English, " said Robert, "since I am anative of this country, and the term American applies more properly. "

The eyes of St. Luc glistened. 

"I note the spirit, " he said. "The British colonies left to themselvesgrow strong and proud, while ours, drawing their strength from the Kingand the government, would resent being called anything but Frenchmen. Now, I'll wager you a louis against any odds that you'll claim theAmerican to be as good as the Englishman anywhere and at any time. "

"Certainly!" said Robert, with emphasis. 

St. Luc laughed again and with real pleasure, his blue eyes dancing andhis white teeth flashing. 

"And some day that independence will cause trouble for the good Britishmother, " he said, "but we'll pass from the future to the present. Sitdown, Tandakora, and you too, Dubois. Monsieur Lennox is, for thepresent, our host, and that too in the woods we claim to be our own. Butwe are none the less grateful for his hospitality. "

Robert unwrapped the venison and cut off large slices as he surmisedthat all three were hungry. St. Luc ate delicately but the other two didnot conceal their pleasure in food. Robert now and then glanced a littleanxiously at the woods, hoping his comrades would return. He did notknow exactly how to deal with the strangers and he would find comfort innumbers. He was conscious, too, that St. Luc was watching him all thetime intently, reading his expression and looking into his thoughts. 

"How are the good Dutch burghers at Albany?" asked the chevalier. "Idon't seek to penetrate any of your secrets. I merely makeconversation. "

"I reveal nothing, " replied Robert, "when I say they still barter withsuccess and enjoy the pleasant ways of commerce. I am not one tounderrate the merchant. More than the soldier they build up a nation. "

"It's a large spirit that can put the trade of another before one's own, because I am a soldier, and you, I judge, will become one if you are notsuch now. Peace, Tandakora, it is doubtless the friends of MonsieurLennox who come!"

The gigantic Indian had risen suddenly and had thrust forward the goodFrench musket that he carried. Robert had never beheld a more sinisterfigure. The lips were drawn back a little from his long white teeth andhis eyes were those of a hunter who sought to kill for the sake ofkilling. But at the chiding words of St. Luc the tense muscles relaxedand he lowered the weapon. Robert was compelled to notice anew the greatinfluence the French had acquired over the Indians, and he recognized itwith dread, knowing what it might portend. 

The footsteps which the savage had heard first were now audible to him, and he stood up, knowing that Tayoga and Willet were returning, and hewas glad of it. 

"My friends are here, " he said. 

The Chevalier de St. Luc, with his customary politeness, rose to hisfeet and Dubois rose with him. The Ojibway remained sitting, a hugepiece of deer meat in his hand. Tayoga and Willet appeared through thebushes, and whatever surprise they may have felt they concealed it well. The faces of both were a blank. 

"Guests have come since your departure, " said Robert, with the formalpoliteness of the time. "These gentlemen are the Chevalier Raymond Louisde St. Luc, from Quebec, Monsieur Armand Dubois, from the same place, Ipresume, and Tandakora, a mighty Ojibway chief, who, it seems, haswandered far from his own country, on what errand I know not. Chevaliermy friends of whom I spoke, Mr. David Willet, the great hunter, andTayoga of the clan of the Bear, of the nation Onondaga, of the League ofthe Hodenosaunee, my brother of the forest and a great chief. "

He spoke purposely with sonority, and also with a tinge of satire, particularly when he alluded to the presence of Tandakora at such agreat distance from his tribe. But St. Luc, of course, though noticingit, ignored it in manner. He extended his hand promptly to the greathunter who grasped it in his mighty palm and shook it. 

"I have heard of you, Mr. Willet, " he said. "Our brave Canadians areexpert in the forest and the chase, and the good Dubois here is one ofthe best, but I know that none of them can excel you. "

Robert, watching him, could not say that he spoke without sincerity, and Willet took the words as they were uttered. 

"I've had a long time for learning, " he said modestly, "and I supposeexperience teaches the dullest of us. "

Robert saw that the Ojibway had now risen and that he and the Onondagawere regarding each other with a gaze so intent and fierce, so compactof hatred that he was startled and his great pulses began to beat hard. But it was only for an instant or two that the two warriors looked thusinto hostile eyes. Then both sat down and their faces became blank andexpressionless. 

The gaze of St. Luc roved to the Onondaga and rested longest upon him. Robert saw the blue eyes sparkle, and he knew that the mind of thechevalier was arrested by some important thought. He could almostsurmise what it was, but for the present he preferred to keep silent andwatch, because his curiosity was great and natural, and he wondered whatSt. Luc would say next. 

The Onondaga and the hunter sat down on a fallen tree trunk andinspected the others with a quiet but observant gaze. Each in his ownway had the best of manners. Tayoga, as became a forest chief, wasdignified, saying little, while Willet cut more slices from the deermeat and offered them to the guests. But it was the Onondaga and not St. Luc who now spoke first. 

"The son of Onontio wanders far, " he said. "It is a march of many daysfrom here to Quebec. "

"It is, Tayoga, " replied St. Luc gravely, "but the dominions of theKing of France, whom Onontio serves, also extend far. "

It was a significant speech, and Robert glanced at Tayoga, but the eyesof the young chief were veiled. If he resented the French claim to thelands over which the Hodenosaunee hunted it was in silence. St. Lucpaused, as if for an answer, but none coming he continued:

"Shadows gather over the great nations beyond the seas. The French kingand the English king begin to look upon each other with hostile eyes. "

Tayoga was silent. 

"But Onontio, who stands in the French king's place at Quebec, is thefriend of the Hodenosaunee. The French and the great Six Nations arefriends. "

"There was Frontenac, " said Tayoga quietly. 

"It was long ago. "

"He came among us when the Six Nations were the Five, burned our housesand slew our warriors! Our old men have told how they heard it fromtheir fathers. We did not have guns then, and our bows and arrows werenot a match for the muskets of the French. But we have muskets andrifles now, plenty of them, the best that are made. "

Tayoga's eyes were still veiled, and his face was without expression, but his words were full of meaning. Robert glanced at St. Luc, who couldnot fail to understand. The chevalier was still smooth and smiling. 

"Frontenac was a great man, " he said, "but he has been gathered longsince to his fathers. Great men themselves make mistakes. There was badblood between Onontio and the Hodenosaunee, but if the blood is bad mustit remain bad forever? The evil was gone before you and I were born, Tayoga, and now the blood flows pure and clean in the veins of both theFrench and the Hodenosaunee. "

"The Hodenosaunee and Corlear have no quarrel. "

"Nor have the Hodenosaunee and Onontio. Behold how the English spreadover the land, cut down the forests and drive away all the game! But thechildren of Onontio hunt with the Indians, marry with their women, leavethe forests untouched, and the great hunting grounds swarm with game asbefore. While Onontio abides at Quebec the lands of the Hodenosaunee aresafe. "

"There was Frontenac, " repeated Tayoga. 

St. Luc frowned at the insistence of the Onondaga upon an old wound, butthe cloud passed swiftly. In an instant the blue eyes were smiling oncemore. 

"The memory of Frontenac shall not come between us, " he said. "The heartof Onontio beats for the Hodenosaunee, and he has sent me to say so tothe valiant League. I bring you a belt, a great belt of peace. "

Dubois handed him a large knapsack and he took from it a beautiful beltof pure white wampum, uncommon in size, a full five feet in length, fiveinches wide, and covered with many thousands of beads, woven in symbolicfigures. He held it up and the eyes of the Onondaga glistened. 

"It is a great belt, a belt of peace, " continued St. Luc. "There isnone nobler, and Onontio would send no other kind. I give it to you, Tayoga. "

The young warrior drew back and his hands remained at his sides. 

"I am Tayoga, of the clan of the Bear, of the nation Onondaga, of thegreat League of the Hodenosaunee, " he said, "but I am not yet a chief. My years are too few. It is a great matter of which you speak, St. Luc, and it must be laid before the fifty sachems of the allied tribes in theLong House. The belt may be offered to them. I cannot take it. "

The flitting cloud passed again over the face of St. Luc, but he did notallow any change to show in his manner. He returned the splendid belt toDubois, who folded it carefully and put it back in the great knapsack. 

"Doubtless you are right, Tayoga, " he said. "I shall go to the LongHouse with the belt, but meantime we thank you for the courtesy ofyourself and your friends. You have given us food when we were hungry, and a Frenchman does not forget. "

"The Onondagas keep the council fire in their valley, and the sachemswill gather there, " said Tayoga. 

"Where they will receive the belt of peace that I shall offer them, "said St. Luc. 

The Onondaga was silent. St. Luc, who had centered his attention uponTayoga, now turned it to Robert. 

"Mr. Lennox, " he said, "we dwell in a world of alarms, and I am Frenchand you are English, or rather American, but I wish that you and I couldremain friends. "

The frankness and obvious sincerity of his tone surprised Robert. Heknew now that he liked the man. He felt that there was steel in hiscomposition, and that upon occasion, and in the service to which hebelonged, he could be hard and merciless, but the spirit seemed brightand gallant. 

"I know nothing that will keep us from being friends, " replied the lad, although he knew well what the Frenchman meant. 

"Nor do I, " said St. Luc. "It was merely a casual reference to thechanges that affect us all. I shall come to Albany some day, Mr. Lennox. It is an interesting town, though perhaps somewhat staid and sober. "

"If you come, " said Robert sincerely, "I hope I shall be there, and itwould please me to have you as a guest. "

St. Luc gave him a sharp, examining look. 

"I believe you mean it, " he said. "It's possible that you and I aregoing to see much of each other. One can never tell what meetings timewill bring about. And now having accepted your hospitality and thankingyou for it, we must go. "

He rose. Dubois, who had not spoken at all, threw over his shoulder theheavy knapsack, and the Ojibway also stood up, gigantic and sinister. 

"We go to the Vale of Onondaga, " said St. Luc, turning his attentionback to Tayoga, "and as you advised I shall lay the peace belt beforethe fifty sachems of the Hodenosaunee, assembled in council in the LongHouse. "

"Go to the southwest, " said Tayoga, "and you will find the great trailthat leads from the Hudson to the mighty lakes of the west. The warriorsof the Hodenosaunee have trod it for generations, and it is open to theson of Onontio. "

The young Indian's face was a mask, but his words and their tone alikewere polite and dignified. St. Luc bowed, and then bowed to the othersin turn. 

"At Albany some day, " he said to young Lennox, and his smile was verywinning. 

"At Albany some day, " repeated Robert, and he hoped the prophecy wouldcome true. 

Then St. Luc turned away, followed by the Canadian, with the Indian inthe rear. None of the three looked back and the last Robert saw of themwas a fugitive gleam of the chevalier's white uniform through the greenleaves of the forest. Then the mighty wilderness swallowed them up, as apebble is lost in a lake. Robert looked awhile in the direction in whichthey had gone, still seeing them in fancy. 

"How much does their presence here signify?" he asked thoughtfully. 

"They would have the Hodenosaunee to forget Frontenac, " replied Tayoga. 

"And will the Six Nations forget him?"

"The fifty sachems in council alone can tell. "

Robert saw that the young Onondaga would not commit himself, even tohim, and he did not ask anything more, but the hunter spoke plainly. 

"We must wake up those fat Indian commissioners at Albany, " he said. "Those Dutchmen think more of cheating the tribes than they do of thegood of either white man or red man, but I can tell you, Robert, and youtoo, Tayoga, that I'm worried about that Frenchman coming down hereamong the Six Nations. He's as sharp as a razor, and as quick aslightning. I could see that, and there's mischief brewing. He's notgoing to the Onondaga Valley for nothing. "

"Tandakora, the Ojibway, goes with a heavy foot, " said the Onondaga. 

"What do you mean, Tayoga?" asked Willet. 

"He comes of a savage tribe, which is hostile to the Hodenosaunee andall white men. He has seen three scalps which still grow on the heads oftheir owners. "

"Which means that he might not keep on following St. Luc. Well, we'll beon our guard and now I don't see any reason why we should stay herelonger. "

"Nor I, " said Robert, and, Tayoga agreeing with them, they returned thecanoe to the stream, paddling back into the lake, and continuing theircourse until they came to its end. There they carried the canoe across aportage and launched it on a second lake as beautiful as the first. Noneof the three spoke much now, their minds being filled with thoughts ofSt. Luc and his companions. 

They were yet on the water when the day began to wane. The green foreston the high western shore was touched with flame from the setting sun. Then the surface of the lake blazed with red light, and in the east thegray of twilight came. 

"It will be night in half an hour, " said Robert, "and I think we'dbetter make a landing, and camp. "

"Here's a cove on the right, " said Willet. "We'll take the canoe upamong the trees, and wrap ourselves in our blankets. It's a good thingwe have them, as the darkness is going to bring a chill with it. "

They found good shelter among the trees and bushes, a small hollowprotected by great trees and undergrowth, into which they carried thecanoe. 

"Since it's not raining this is as good as a house for us, " said Willet. 

"I think it's better, " said Robert. "The odor of spruce and hemlock isso wonderful I wouldn't like to have it shut away from me by walls. "

The Onondaga drew in deep inhalations of the pure, healing air, and ashis black eyes gleamed he walked to the edge of the little hollow andlooked out in the dusk over the vast tangled wilderness of mountain andlake, forest and river. The twilight was still infused with the red fromthe setting sun, and in the glow the whole world was luminous andglorified. Now the eyes of Tayoga, which had flashed but lately, gaveback the glow in a steady flame. 

"Hawenneyu, the Divine Being whom all the red people worship, made manygreat lands, " he said, "but he spent his work and love upon that whichlies between the Hudson and the vast lakes of the west. Then he restedand looking upon what he had done he was satisfied because he knew it tobe the best in all the world, created by him. "

"How do you know it to be the best, Tayoga?" asked Willet. "You haven'tseen all the countries. You haven't been across the sea. "

"Because none other can be so good, " replied the Iroquois with simplefaith. "When Hawenneyu, in your language the Great Spirit, found theland that he had made so good he did not know then to whom to give it, but in the greatness of his wisdom he left it to those who were mostfitted to come and take it. And in time came the tribes which Tododaho, helped by Hayowentha, often called by the English Hiawatha, formed intothe great League of the Hodenosaunee, and because they were brave andfar-seeing and abided by the laws of Tododaho and Hayowentha, they tookthe land which they have kept ever since, and which they will keepforever. "

"I like your good, strong beliefs, Tayoga, " said the hunter heartily. "The country does belong to the Iroquois, and if it was left to me todecide about it they'd keep it till the crack of doom. Now you boys rollin your blankets. I'll take the first watch, and when it's over I'llcall one of you. "

But Tayoga waited a little until the last glow of the sun died in thewest, looking intently where the great orb had shone. Into his religiona reverence for the sun, Giver of Light and Warmth, entered, and notuntil the last faint radiance from it was gone did he turn away. 

Then he took from the canoe and unfolded _eyose_, his blanket, which wasmade of fine blue broadcloth, thick and warm but light, six feet longand four feet wide. It was embroidered around the edges with anothercloth in darker blue, and the body of it bore many warlike or huntingdesigns worked skillfully in thread. If the weather were cold Tayogawould drape the blanket about his body much like a Roman toga, and if helay in the forest at night he would sleep in it. Now he raked deadleaves together, spread the blanket on them, lay on one half of it andused the other half as a cover. 

Robert imitated him, but his blanket was not so fine as Tayoga's, although he found it soft and warm enough. Willet sat on a log higherup, his rifle across his knees and gazed humorously at them. 

"You two lads look pretty snug down there, " he said, "and after allyou're only lads. Tayoga may have a head plumb full of the wisdom of thewilderness, and Robert may have a head stuffed with different kinds ofknowledge, but you're young, mighty young, anyhow. An' now, as I'mwatching over you, I'll give a prize to the one that goes to sleepfirst. "

In three minutes deep regular breathing showed that both had gone to theland of slumber, and Willet could not decide which had led the way. Thedarkness increased so much that their figures looked dim in the hollow, but he glanced at them occasionally. The big man had many friends, butyoung Lennox and Tayoga were almost like sons to him, and he was glad tobe with them now. He felt that danger lurked in the northern wilderness, and three were better than two. 

CHAPTER III

THE TOMAHAWK

Willet awakened Robert about two o'clock in the morning--it wascharacteristic of him to take more than his share of the work--and theyouth stood up, with his rifle in the hollow of his arm, ready at once. 

"Tayoga did more yesterday than either of us, " said the hunter, "and sowe'll let him sleep. "

But the Onondago had awakened, though he did not move. Forest disciplinewas perfect among them, and, knowing that it was Robert's time to watch, he wasted no time in vain talk about it. His eyes closed again and hereturned to sleep as the white lad walked up the bank, while the hunterwas soon in the dreams that Tarenyawagon, who makes them, sent to him. 

Robert on the bank, although he expected no danger, was alert. He hadplenty of wilderness skill and his senses, naturally acute, had beentrained so highly that he could discern a hostile approach in thedarkness. The same lore of the forest told him to keep himselfconcealed, and he sat on a fallen tree trunk between two bushes that hidhim completely, although his own good eyes, looking through the leaves, could see a long distance, despite the night. 

It was inevitable as he sat there in the silence and darkness with hissleeping comrades below that his thoughts should turn to St. Luc. He hadrecognized in the first moment of their meeting that the young Frenchmanwas a personality. He was a personality in the sense that Tayoga was, one who radiated a spirit or light that others were compelled to notice. He knew that there was no such thing as looking into the future, but hefelt with conviction that this man was going to impinge sharply upon hislife, whether as a friend or an enemy not even Tarenyawagon, who sentthe dreams, would tell, but he could not be insensible to the personalcharm of the Chevalier Raymond Louis de St. Luc. 

What reception would the fifty sachems give to the belt that thechevalier would bring? Would they be proof against his lightness, hisease, his fluency and his ability to paint a glowing picture of Frenchmight and French gratitude? Robert knew far better than most of his ownrace the immensity of the stake. He who roamed the forest with Tayogaand the Great Bear understood to the full the power of the Hodenosaunee. It was true, too, that the Indian commissioners at Albany had not donetheir duty and had given the Indians just cause of complaint, at thevery moment when the great League should be propitiated. Yet thefriendship between the Iroquois and the English had been ancient andstrong, and he would not have feared so much had it been any other thanSt. Luc who was going to meet the sachems in council. 

Robert shook his head as if the physical motion would dismiss hisapprehensions, and walked farther up the hill to a point where he couldsee the lake. A light wind was blowing, and little waves of crumblingsilver pursued one another across its surface. On the far side the bank, crowned with dense forest showing black in the dusk, rose to a greatheight, but the lad's eyes came back to the water, his heart missing abeat as he thought he saw a shadow on its surface, but so near theopposite shore that it almost merged with a fringe of bushes there. 

Then he rebuked himself for easy alarm. It was merely the reflectionfrom a bough above in the water below. Yet it played tricks with him. The shadow reappeared again and again, always close to the far bank, butthere were many boughs also to reproduce themselves in the mirror of thelake. He convinced himself that his eyes and his mind were having sportwith him, and turning away, he made a little circle in the woods abouttheir camp. All was well. He heard a swish overhead, but he knew that itwas a night bird, a rustling came, and an ungainly form lumbered througha thicket, but it was a small black bear, and coming back to the hollow, he looked down at his comrades. 

Tayoga and Willet slept well. Neither had stirred, and wrapped in theirblankets lying on the soft leaves, they were true pictures of forestcomfort. They were fine and loyal comrades, as good as anybody ever had, and he was glad they were so near, because he began to have a feelingnow that something unusual was going to occur. The shadows on the laketroubled him again, and he went back for another look. He did not seethem now, and that, too, troubled him. It proved that they had been madeby some moving object, and not by the boughs and bushes still there. 

Robert examined the lake, his eyes following the line where the far bankmet the water, but he saw no trace of anything moving, and his attentioncame back to the woods in which he stood. Presently, he crouched indense bush, and concentrated all his powers of hearing, knowing that hemust rely upon ear rather than eye. He could not say that he had reallyseen or heard, but he had felt that something was moving in the forest, something that threatened him. 

His first impulse was to go back to the little hollow and awaken hiscomrades, but his second told him to stay where he was until the dangercame or should pass, and he crouched lower in the undergrowth with hishand on the hammer and trigger of his rifle. He did not stir or make anynoise for a long time. The forest, too, was silent. The wind that hadruffled the surface of the lake ceased, and the leaves over his headwere still. 

But he understood too well the ways of the wilderness to move yet. Hedid not believe that his faculties, attuned to the slightest alarm, haddeceived him, and he had learned the patience of the Indian from theIroquois themselves. His eyes continually pierced the thickets for ahostile object moving there, and his ears were ready to notice the soundof a leaf should it fall. 

He heard, or thought he heard after a while, a slight sliding motion, like that which a great serpent would make as it drew its glisteningcoils through leaves or grass. But it was impossible for him to tell hownear it was to him or from what point it came, and his blood becamechill in his veins. He was not afraid of a danger seen, but when it cameintangible and invisible the boldest might shudder. 

The noise, real or imaginary, ceased, and as he waited he becameconvinced that it was only his strained fancy. A man might mistake theblood pounding in his ears or the beat of his own pulse for a soundwithout, and after another five minutes, taking the rifle from thehollow of his arm, he stood upright. Certainly nothing was moving in theforest. The leaves hung lifeless. His fancies had been foolish. 

He stepped boldly from the undergrowth in which he had knelt, and aglimpse of a flitting shadow made him kneel again. It was instinct thatcaused him to drop down so quickly, but he knew that it had saved hislife. Something glittering whistled where his head had been, and thenstruck with a sound like a sigh against the trunk of a tree. 

Robert sank from his knees, until he lay almost fiat, and brought hisrifle forward for instant use. But, for a minute or two, he would nothave been steady enough to aim at anything. His tongue was dry in hismouth, and his hair lifted a little at his marvelous escape. 

He looked for the shadow, his eyes searching every thicket; but he didnot find it, and now he believed that the one who had sped the blow hadgone, biding his time for a second chance. Another wait to make sure, and hurrying to the hollow he awoke Tayoga and the hunter, who returnedat once with him to the place where the ambush had miscarried. 

"Ah!" said the Onondaga, as they looked about. _"Osquesont_! Behold!"

The blade of an Indian tomahawk, _osquesont_, was buried deep in thetrunk of a tree, and Robert knew that the same deadly weapon hadwhistled where his head had been but a second before. He shuddered. Hadit not been for his glimpse of the flitting shadow his head would havebeen cloven to the chin. Tayoga, with a mighty wrench, pulled out thetomahawk and examined it. It was somewhat heavier than the usual weaponof the type and he pronounced it of French make. 

"Did it come from Quebec, Tayoga?" asked Willet. 

"Perhaps, " replied the young warrior, "but I saw it yesterday. "

"You did! Where?"

"In the belt of Tandakora, the Ojibway. "

"I thought so, " said Robert. 

"And he threw it with all the strength of a mighty arm, " said theOnondaga. "There is none near us in the forest except Tandakora whocould bury it so deep in the tree. It was all I could do to pull it outagain. "

"And seeing his throw miss he slipped away as fast as he could!" saidWillet. 

"Yes, Great Bear, the Ojibway is cunning. After hurling the tomahawk hewould not stay to risk a shot from Lennox. He was willing even toabandon a weapon which he must have prized. Ah, here is his trail! Itleads through the forest toward the lake!"

They were able to follow it a little distance but it was lost on thehard ground, although it led toward the water. Robert told of the shadowhe had seen near the farther bank, and both Willet and Tayoga were quitesure it had been a small canoe, and that its occupant was Tandakora. 

"It's not possible that St. Luc sent the Ojibway back to murder us!"exclaimed Robert, his mind rebelling at the thought. 

"I don't think it likely, " said Willet, but the Onondaga was much moreemphatic. 

"The Ojibway came of his own wish, " he said. "While the sons of Onontioslept he slipped away, and it was the lure of scalps that drew him. Hecomes of a savage tribe far in the west. An Iroquois would have scornedsuch treachery. "

Robert felt an immense relief. He had become almost as jealous of theFrenchman's honor as of his own, and knowing that Tayoga understood hisrace, he accepted his words as final. It was hideous to have the thoughtin his mind, even for a moment, that a man who had appeared so gallantand friendly as St. Luc had sent a savage back to murder them. 

"The French do not control the western tribes, " continued Tayoga, "though if war comes they will be on the side of Onontio, but as equalsthey will come hither and go thither as they please. "

"Which means, I take it, " said the hunter, "that if St. Luc discoverswhat Tandakora has been trying to do here tonight he'll be afraid tofind much fault with it, because the Ojibway and all the other Ojibwayswould go straight home?"

"It is so, " said the Onondaga. 

"Well, we're thankful that his foul blow went wrong. You've had a mightynarrow escape, Robert, my lad, but we've gained one good tomahawk which, you boys willing, I mean to take. "

Tayoga handed it to him, and with an air of satisfaction he put theweapon in his belt. 

"I may have good use for it some day, " he said. "The chance may come forme to throw it back to the savage who left it here. And now, as oursleep is broken up for the night, I think we'd better scout the woods abit, and then come back here for breakfast. "

They found nothing hostile in the forest, and when they returned to thehollow the thin gray edge of dawn showed on the far side of the lake. Having no fear of further attack, they lighted a small fire and warmedtheir food. As they ate day came in all its splendor and Robert saw thebirds flashing back and forth in the thick leaves over his head. 

"Where did the Ojibway get his canoe?" he asked. 

"The Frenchmen like as not used it when they came down from Canada, "replied the hunter, "and left it hid to be used again when they wentback. It won't be worth our while to look for it. Besides, we've got tobe moving soon. "

After breakfast they carried their own canoe to the lake and paddlednorthward to its end. Then they took their craft a long portage across arange of hills and launched it anew on a swift stream flowing northward, on the current of which they traveled until nightfall, seeing throughoutthat time no sign of a human being. It was the primeval wilderness, andsince it lay between the British colonies on the south and the French onthe north it had been abandoned almost wholly in the last year or two, letting the game, abundant at any time, increase greatly. They saw deerin the thickets, they heard the splash of a beaver, and a black bear, sitting on a tiny island in the river, watched them as they passed. 

On the second day after Robert's escape from the tomahawk they left theriver, made a long portage and entered another river, also flowingnorthward, having in mind a double purpose, to throw off the trailanyone who might be following them and to obtain a more direct coursetoward their journey's end. Knowing the dangers of the wilderness, theyalso increased their caution, traveling sometimes at night and lying incamp by day. 

But they lived well. All three knew the importance of preserving theirstrength, and to do so an abundance of food was the first requisite. Tayoga shot another deer with the bow and arrow, and with the use offishing tackle which they had brought in the canoe they made the riverpay ample tribute. They lighted the cooking fires, however, in the mostsheltered places they could find, and invariably extinguished them assoon as possible. 

"You can't be too careful in the woods, " said Willet, "especially intimes like these. While the English and French are not yet fightingthere's always danger from the savages. "

"The warriors from the wild tribes in Canada and the west will take ascalp wherever there's a chance, " said the young Onondaga. 

Robert often noticed the manner in which Tayoga spoke of the tribesoutside the great League. To him those that did not belong to theHodenosaunee, while they might be of the same red race, werenevertheless inferior. He looked upon them as an ancient Greek lookedupon those who were not Greeks. 

"The French are a brave people, " said the hunter, "but the most warlikeamong them if they knew our errand would be willing for some of theirpainted allies to drop us in the wilderness, and no questions would beasked. You can do things on the border that you can't in the towns. Wemight be tomahawked in here and nobody would ever know what became ofus. "

"I think, " said Tayoga, "that our danger increases. Tandakora afterleaving the son of Onontio, St. Luc, might not go back to him. He mightfear the anger of the Frenchman, and, too, he would still crave a scalp. A warrior has followed an enemy for weeks to obtain such a trophy. "

"You believe then, " said Robert, "that the Ojibway is still on ourtrail?"

Tayoga nodded. After a moment's silence he added:

"We come, too, to a region in which the St. Regis, the Caughnawaga, theOttawa and the Micmac, all allies of Onontio, hunt. The Ojibway maymeet a band and tell the warriors we are in the woods. "

His look was full of significance and Robert understood thoroughly. 

"I shall be glad, " he said, "when we reach the St. Lawrence. We'll thenbe in real Canada, and, while the French are undoubtedly our enemies, we'll not be exposed to treacherous attack. "

They were in the canoe as they talked and Tayoga was paddling, theswiftness of the current now making the efforts of only one mannecessary. A few minutes later he turned the canoe to the shore and thethree got out upon the bank. Robert did not know why, but he was quitesure the reason was good. 

"Falls below, " said Tayoga, as they drew the canoe upon the land. "Allthe river drops over a cliff. Much white water. "

They carried the canoe without difficulty through the woods, and whenthey came to the falls they stopped a little while to look at thedescent, and listen to the roar of the tumbling water. 

"I was here once before, three years ago, " said Willet. 

"Others have been here much later, " said the Onondaga. 

"What do you mean, Tayoga?"

"My white brother is not looking. Let him turn his eyes to the left. Hewill see two wild flowers broken off at the stem, a feather which hasnot fallen from the plumage of a bird, because the quill is painted, andtwo traces of footsteps in the earth. "

"As surely as the sun shines, you're right, Tayoga! Warriors havepassed here, though we can't tell how many! But the traces are notmore'n a half day old. "

He picked up the feather and examined it carefully. 

"That fell from a warrior's scalplock, " he said, "but we don't know towhat tribe the warrior belonged. "

"But it's likely to be a hostile trail, " said Robert. 

Tayoga nodded, and then the three considered. It was only a fragment ofa trail they had seen, but it told them danger was near. Where they weretraveling strangers were enemies until they were proved to be friends, and the proof had to be of the first class, also. They agreed finally toturn aside into the woods with the canoe, and stop until night. Thenunder cover of the friendly darkness they would resume their journey onthe river. 

They chose the heavily wooded crest of a low hill for the place in whichto wait, because they could see some distance from it and remain unseen. They put the canoe down there and Robert and Tayoga sat beside it, whileWillet went into the woods to see if any further signs of a passing bandcould be discovered, returning in an hour with the information that hehad discovered more footprints. 

"All led to the north, " he said, "and they're well ahead of us. There'sno reason why we can't follow. We're three, used to the wilderness, armed well and able to take care of ourselves. And I take it the nightwill be dark, which ought to help us. "

The Onondaga looked up at the skies, which were of a salmon color, andshook his head a little. 

"What's the matter?" asked Robert. 

"The night will bring much darkness, " he replied, "but it will bringsomething else with it--wind, rain. "

"You may be right, Tayoga, but we must be moving, just the same, " saidWillet. 

At dusk they were again afloat on the river and, all three using thepaddles, they sent the canoe forward with great speed. But it soonbecame apparent that Tayoga's prediction would be justified. Cloudstrailed up from the southwest and obscured all the heavens. A wind aroseand it was heavy and damp upon their faces. The water seemed black asink. Low thunder far away began to mutter. The wilderness became uncannyand lonely. All save forest rovers would have been appalled, and ofthese three one at least felt that the night was black and sinister. Robert looked intently at the forest on either shore, rising now likesolid black walls, but his eyes, unable to penetrate them, found nothingthere. Then the lightning flamed in the west, and for a moment thesurface of the river was in a blaze. 

"What do you think of it, Tayoga?" asked Willet, anxiety showing in histone, "Ought we to make a landing now?"

"Not yet, " replied the Onondaga. "The storm merely growls and threatensat present. It will not strike for perhaps an hour. "

"But when it does strike it's going to hit a mighty blow unless allsigns fail. I've seen 'em gather before, and this is going to be a kingof storms! Hear that thunder now! It doesn't growl any more, but goesoff like the cracking of big cannon. "

"But it's still far in the west, " persisted Tayoga, as the three bentover their paddles. 

The forest, however, was groaning with the wind, and little waves roseon the river. Now the lightning flared again and again, so fierce andbright that Robert, despite his control of himself, instinctivelyrecoiled from it as from the stroke of a saber. 

"Do you recall any shelter farther on, Tayoga?" asked the hunter. 

"The overhanging bank and the big hollow in the stone, " replied theOnondaga. "On the left! Don't you remember?"

"Now I do, Tayoga, but I didn't know it was near. Do you think we canmake it before that sky over our heads splits wide open?"

"It will be a race, " replied the young Iroquois, "but we three arestrong, and we are skilled in the use of the paddle. "

"Then we'll bend to it, " said Willet. And they did. The canoe shotforward at amazing speed over the surface of the river, inky save whenthe lightning flashed upon it. Robert paddled as he had never paddledbefore, his muscles straining and the perspiration standing out on hisface. He was thoroughly inured to forest life, but he knew that even thescouts and Indians fled for shelter from the great wildernesshurricanes. 

There was every evidence that the storm would be of uncommon violence. The moan of the wind rose to a shriek and they heard the crash ofbreaking boughs and falling trees in the forest. The river, whippedcontinually by the gusts, was broken with waves upon which the canoerocked with such force that the three, expert though they were, werecompelled to use all their skill, every moment, to keep it from beingoverturned. If it had not been for the rapid and vivid strokes oflightning under which the waters turned blood red their vessel wouldhave crashed more than once upon the rocks, leaving them to swim forlife. 

"That incessant flare makes me shiver, " said Robert. "It seems everytime that I'm going to be struck by it, but I'm glad it comes, becausewithout it we'd never see our way on the river. "

"Manitou sends the good and evil together, " said Tayoga gravely. 

"Anyhow, " said Willet, "I hope we'll get to our shelter before the raincomes. Look out for that rock on the right, Robert!"

Young Lennox, with a swift and powerful motion of the paddle, shot thecanoe back toward the center of the river, and then the three tried tohold it there as they sped on. 

"Three or four hundred yards more, " said Tayoga, "and we can draw intothe smooth water we wish. "

"And not a minute too soon, " said Willet. "It seems to me I can hear therain coming now in a deluge, and the waves on the river make me think ofsome I've seen on one of the big lakes. Listen to that, will you!"

A huge tree, blown down, fell directly across the stream, not more thantwenty yards behind them. But the fierce and swollen waters tearing atit in torrents would soon bear it away on the current. 

"Manitou was watching over us then, " said Tayoga with the same gravity. 

"As sure as the Hudson runs into the sea, he was, " said Willet in a toneof reverence. "If that tree had hit us we and the canoe would all havebeen smashed together and a week later maybe the French would havefished our pieces out of the St. Lawrence. "

Robert, who was farthest forward in the canoe, noticed that the cliffahead, hollowed out at the base by the perpetual eating of the waters, seemed to project over the stream, and he concluded that it was theplace in Tayoga's mind. 

"Our shelter, isn't it?" he asked, pointing a finger by the lightning'sflare. 

Tayoga nodded, and the three, putting their last ounce of strength intothe sweep of the paddles, sent the canoe racing over the swift currenttoward the haven now needed so badly. As they approached, Robert sawthat the hollow went far back into the stone, having in truth almost theaspects of a cave. Beneath the mighty projection he saw also that thewater was smooth, unlashed by the wind and outside the sweep of thecurrent, and he felt immense relief when the canoe shot into its stilldepths and he was able to lay the paddle beside him. 

"Back a little farther, " said Tayoga, and he saw then, still by theflare of lightning, that the water ended against a low shelf at leastsix feet broad, upon which they stepped, lifting the canoe after them. 

"It's all that you claimed for it, and more, Tayoga, " said the hunter. "I fancy a ship in a storm would be glad enough to find a refuge as goodfor it as this is for us. "

Tayoga smiled, and Robert knew that he felt deep satisfaction because hehad brought them so well to port. Looking about after they had lifted upthe canoe, he saw that in truth nature had made a good harbor here forthose who traveled on the river, its waters so far never having beenparted by anything but a canoe. The hollow went back thirty or fortyfeet with a sloping roof of stone, and from the ledge, whenever thelightning flashed, they saw the river flowing before them in a rushingtorrent, but inside the hollow the waters were a still pool. 

"Now the rain comes, " said Tayoga. 

Then they heard its sweep and roar and it arrived in such mighty volumethat the surface of the river was beaten almost flat. But in their snugand well-roofed harbor not a drop touched them. Robert on the ledge withhis back to the wall had a pervading sense of comfort. The lightning andthe thunder were both dying now, but the rain came in a steady andmighty sweep. As the lightning ceased entirely it was so dark that theysaw the water in front of them but dimly, and they had to be verycareful in their movements on the ledge, lest they roll off and slipinto its depths. 

"Robert, " said Willet in a whimsical tone, "one of the first things Itried to teach you when you were a little boy was always to be calm, and under no circumstances to let your calm be broken up when there wasnothing to break it up. Now, we've every reason to be calm. We've got agood home here, and the storm can't touch us. "

"I was already calm, Dave, " replied Robert lightly. "I took your firstlesson to heart, learned it, and I've never forgotten it. I'm so calmthat I've unfolded my blanket and put it under me to soften the stone. "

"To think of your blanket is proof enough that you're not excited. I'lldo the same. Tayoga, in whose country is this new home of ours?"

"It is the land of no man, because it lies between the tribes from thenorth and the tribes from the south. Yet the Iroquois dare to come herewhen they choose. It's the fourth time I have been on this ledge, butbefore I was always with my brethren of the clan of the Bear of thenation Onondaga. "

"Well, Tayoga, " said Willet, in his humorous tone, "the company hasgrown no worse. "

"No, " said Tayoga, and his smile was invisible to them in the darkness. "The time is coming when the sachems of the Onondagas will be glad theyadopted Lennox and the Great Bear into our nation. "

Willet's laugh came at once, not loud, but with an inflection of intenseenjoyment. 

"You Onondagas are a bit proud, Tayoga, " he said. 

"Not without cause, Great Bear. "

"Oh, I admit it! I admit it! I suppose we're all proud of our race--it'sone of nature's happy ways of keeping us satisfied--and I'm free tosay, Tayoga, that I've no quarrel at having been born white, because I'mso used to being white that I'd hardly know how to be anything else. Butif I wasn't white--a thing that I had nothing to do with--and yourManitou who is my God was to say to me, 'Choose what else you'll be, 'I'd say, and I'd say it with all the respect and reverence I could bringinto the words, 'O Lord, All Wise and All Powerful, make me a strongyoung warrior of the clan of the Bear, of the nation Onondaga, of theLeague of the Hodenosaunee, hunting for my clan and fighting to protectits women and children, and keeping my word with everybody and trying tobe just to the red races and tribes that are not as good as mine, andeven to be the same to the poor white men around the towns that getdrunk, and steal, and rob one another, ' and maybe your Manitou who is myGod would give to me my wish. "

"The Great Bear has a silver tongue, and the words drop from his lipslike honey, " said Tayoga. But Robert knew that the young Onondaga wasintensely gratified and he knew, too, that Willet meant every word hesaid. 

"You'd better make yourself comfortable on the blanket, as we're doing, Tayoga, " the youth said. 

But the Onondaga did not intend to rest just yet. The wildness of theplace and the spirit of the storm stirred him. He stood upon the shelfand the others dimly saw his tall and erect young figure. Slowly hebegan to chant in his own tongue, and his song ran thus in English:

"The lightning cleaves the sky, The Brave Soul fears not; The thunder rolls and threatens, Manitou alone speeds the bolt; The waters are deep and swift, They carry the just man unhurt. "

"O Spirit of Good, hear me, Watch now over our path, Lead us in the way of the right, And, our great labors finished, Bring us back, safe and well, To the happy vale of Onondaga. "

"A good hymn, Tayoga, for such I take it to be, " said Willet. "I haven'theard my people sing any better. And now, since you've done more'n yourshare of the work you'd better take Robert's advice and lie down on yourblanket. "

Tayoga obeyed, and the three in silence listened to the rushing of thestorm. 

CHAPTER IV

THE INTELLIGENT CANOE

Lennox, Willet and Tayoga fell asleep, one by one, and the Onondaga wasthe last to close his eyes. Then the three, wrapped in their blankets, lay in complete darkness on the stone shelf, with the canoe beside them. They were no more than the point of a pin in the vast wilderness thatstretched unknown thousands of miles from the Hudson to the Pacific, apparently as lost to the world as the sleepers in a cave ages earlier, when the whole earth was dark with forest and desert. 

Although the storm could not reach them it beat heavily for long hourswhile they slept. The sweep of the rain maintained a continuous drivingsound. Boughs cracked and broke beneath it. The waters of the river, swollen by the floods of tributary creeks and brooks, rose fast, bearingupon their angry surface the wreckage of trees, but they did not reachthe stone shelf upon which the travelers lay. 

Tayoga awoke before the morning, while it was yet so dark that histrained eyes could see but dimly the figures of his comrades. He sat upand listened, knowing that he must depend for warning upon his hearing, which had been trained to extreme acuteness by the needs of forestlife. All three of them were great wilderness trailers and scouts, butTayoga was the first of the three. Back of him lay untold generationsthat had been compelled to depend upon the physical senses and theintuition that comes from their uttermost development and co-ordination. Now, Tayoga, the product of all those who had gone before, was alsotheir finest flower. 

He had listened at first, resting on his elbow, but after a minute ortwo he sat up. He heard the rushing of the rain, the crack ofsplintering boughs, the flowing of the rising river, and the gurgling ofits waters as they lapped against the stone shelf. They would not enterit he knew, as he had observed that the highest marks of the floods laybelow them. 

The sounds made by the rain and the river were steady and unchanged. Butthe intuition that came from the harmonious working of senses, developedto a marvelous degree, sounded a warning note. A danger threatened. Hedid not know what the danger was nor whence it would come, but the soulof the Onondaga was alive and every nerve and muscle in his body wasattuned for any task that might lie before him. He looked at hissleeping comrades. They did not stir, and their long, regular breathingtold him that no sinister threat was coming to them. 

But Tayoga never doubted. The silent and invisible warning, like amodern wireless current, reached him again. Now, he knelt at the veryedge of the shelf, and drew his long hunting knife. He tried to piercethe darkness with his eyes, and always he looked up the stream in thedirection in which they had come. He strained his ears too to theutmost, concentrating the full powers of his hearing upon the river, butthe only sounds that reached him were the flowing of the current, thebubbling of the water at the edges, and its lapping against a tree orbush torn up by the storm and floating on the surface of the stream. 

The Onondaga stepped from the shelf, finding a place for his feet increvices below, the water rising almost to his knees, and leaned fartherforward to listen. One hand held firmly to a projection of stone aboveand the other clasped the knife. 

Tayoga maintained the intense concentration of his faculties, as if hehad drawn them together in an actual physical way, until they bore uponone point, and he poured so much strength and vitality into them that hemade the darkness thin away before his eyes and he heard noises of thewater that had not come to him before. 

A broken bough, a bush and a sapling washed past. Then came a tree, anddeflecting somewhat from the current it floated toward the shelf. Leaning far over and extending the hand that held the knife, Tayogastruck. When the blade came back it was red and the young Onondagauttered a tremendous war whoop that rang and echoed in the confines ofthe stony hollow. 

Lennox and Willet sprang to their feet, all sleep driven away at once, and instinctively grasped their rifles. 

"What is it, Tayoga?" exclaimed the startled Willet. 

"The attack of the savage warriors, " replied the Onondaga. "One camefloating on a tree. He thought to slay us as we slept and take away ourscalps, but the river that brought him living has borne him away dead. "

"And so they know we're here, " said the hunter, "and your watchfulnesshas saved us. Well, Tayoga, it's one more deed for which we have tothank you, but I think you'd better get back on the shelf. They can firefrom the other side, farther up, and although it would be at random, abullet or two might strike here. "

The Onondaga swung himself back and all three flattened themselvesagainst the rock. After Tayoga's triumphant shout there was no soundsave those of the river and the rain. But Robert expected it. He knewthe horde would be quiet for a while, hoping for a surprise the secondtime after the first one had failed. 

"It was bold, " he said, "for a single warrior to come floating down thestream in search of us. "

"But it would have succeeded if Tayoga hadn't been awake, " said thehunter. "One warrior could have knifed us all at his leisure. "

"Where do you think they are now?"

"They must be crouched in the shelter of rocks. If they had nothing overthem the storm would take the fighting spirit for the time out ofsavages, even wild for scalps. I'm mighty glad we have the canoe. Itholds the food we need for a siege, and if the chance for escape comesit will bear us away. I think, Tayoga, I can see a figure stirringamong the boulders on the other side farther up. "

"I see two, " said the Onondaga, "and doubtless there are others whom wecannot see. Keep close, my friends, I think they are going to fire. "

A dozen rifles were discharged from a point about a hundred yards away, the exploding powder making red dots in the darkness, the bulletsrattling on the stone cliff or sending up little spurts of water fromthe river. The volley was followed by a shrill, fierce war whoop, andthen nothing was heard but the flowing of the river and the rushing ofthe rain. 

"You are not touched?" said Tayoga, and Robert and Willet quicklyanswered in the negative. 

"They don't know just which way to aim their guns, " said Willet, "and solong as we keep quiet now they won't learn. That shout of yours, Tayoga, was not enough to tell them. "

"But they must remember about where the hollow is, although they can'tpull trigger directly upon it, owing to the darkness and storm, " saidRobert. 

"That about sums it up, my boy, " said the hunter. "If they do a lot ofrandom firing the chances are about a hundred to one they won't hit us, and the Indians don't have enough ammunition to waste that way. "

"I don't suppose we can launch the canoe and slip away in it?"

"No, it would be swamped by the rain and the flood. It's likely, too, that they're on watch for us farther down the stream. "

"Then this is our home and fortress for an indefinite time, and, thatbeing the case, I'm going to make myself as easy as I can. "

He drew the blanket under his body again and lay on his elbow, but heheld his rifle before him, ready for battle at an instant's notice. Hisfeeling of comfort returned and with it the sense of safety. The bulletsof the savages had gone so wild and the darkness was so deep that theirshelter appeared to him truly as a fortress which no numbers ofbesiegers could storm. 

"Do you think they'll try floating down the stream on trees or logsagain, Tayoga?" he asked. 

"No, the danger is too great, " replied the Onondaga. "They know now thatwe're watching. "

An hour passed without any further sign from the foe. The rain decreasedsomewhat in violence, but, as the wind rose, its rush and sweep made asmuch sound as ever. Then the waiting was broken by scattering shots, accompanied by detached war whoops, as if different bands were near. From their shelter they watched the red dots that marked the dischargesfrom the rifles, but only one bullet came near them, and after chippinga piece of stone over their heads it dropped harmlessly to the floor. 

"That was the one chance out of a hundred, " said Willet, "and now we'resafe from the next ninety-nine bullets. "

"I trust the rule will work, " said Robert. 

"I wish you'd hold my left hand in a firm grip, " said Willet. 

"I will, but why?" returned the youth. 

"If I get a chance I'm going to drag up some of that dead and floatingwood and lay it along the edge of the shelf. In the dark the savagescan't pick us off, but we'll need a barrier in the morning. "

"You're right, Dave, of course. I'm sorry I didn't think of it myself. "

"One of us thought of it, and that's enough. Hold my hand hard, Robert. Don't let your grip slip. "

By patient waiting and help from the others Willet was able to draw uptwo logs of fair size, and some smaller pieces which they placedcarefully on the edge of the stone shelf. Lying flat behind them, theywould be almost hidden, and now they could await the coming of daylightwith more serenity. 

A long time passed. The three ate strips of the deer meat, and Roberteven slept for a short while. He awoke to find a further decrease in therain, although the river was still rising, and Tayoga and Willet were ofthe opinion that it would stop soon, a belief that was justified in anhour. Robert soon afterward saw the clouds move away, and disclose astrip of dark blue sky, into which the stars began to come one by one. 

"The night will grow light soon, " said Tayoga, "then it will darkenagain for a little time before the coming of the day. "

"And we've built our breastwork none too soon, " said Willet. "There'llbe so many stars by and by that those fellows can pick out our place andsend their bullets to it. What do you think, Tayoga? Is it just a bandtaking the chance to get some scalps, or are they sent out by theGovernor General of Canada to do wicked work in the forest and then bedisowned if need be?"

"I cannot tell, " replied the Onondaga. "Much goes on in the land ofOnontio at Stadacona (Quebec). He talks long in whispers with thenorthern chiefs, and often he does not let his left ear know what theright ear hears. Onontio moves in the night, while Corlear sleeps. "

"That may be so, Tayoga, but whether it's so or not I like ourstraightforward English and American way best. We may blunder along fora while and lose at first, but to be open and honest is to be strong. "

"I did not say the ways of Corlear would prevail. It is not the talk ofCorlear that will keep the Hodenosaunee faithful to the English side, but it is the knowledge of the fifty sachems that when Onontio isspeaking in a voice of honey he is to be trusted the least. "

Willet laughed. 

"I understand, Tayoga, " he said. "You're for us not because you have somuch faith in Corlear, but because you have less in Onontio. Well, it'sa good enough reason, I suppose. But all Frenchmen are not tricksters. Most of 'em are brave, and when they're friends they're good and true. About all I've got to say against 'em is that they're willing to shuttheir eyes to the terrible things their allies do in their name. ButI've had a lot to do with 'em on the border, and you can get to like'em. Now, that St. Luc we met was a fine upstanding man. "

"But if an enemy, an enemy to be dreaded, " said Tayoga with his usualgravity. 

"I wouldn't mind that if it came to war. In such cases the best men makethe best enemies, I suppose. He had a sharp eye. I could see how hemeasured us, and reckoned us up, but he looked most at Robert here. "

"His sharp eye recognized that I was the most important of the three, "said Robert lightly. 

"Every fellow is mighty important to himself, " said Willet, "and hecan't get away from it. Tayoga, do you think you see figures moving onthe other bank there, up the stream?"

"Two certainly, others perhaps, Great Bear, " replied the Onondaga. "Imight reach one with my rifle. "

"Don't try it, Tayoga. We're on the defense, and we'll let 'em make allthe beginnings. The sooner they shoot away their ammunition the betterit will be for us. I think they'll open fire pretty soon now, becausethe night is growing uncommon bright. The stars are so big and shining, and there are so many of them they all look as if they had come to aparty. Flatten yourselves down, boys! I can see a figure kneeling by abowlder and that means one shot, if not more. "

They lay close and Robert was very thankful now for the logs they haddragged up from the water, as they afforded almost complete shelter. Thecrouching warrior farther up the stream fired, and his bullet struck thehollow above their heads. 

"A better aim than they often show, " said Willet. 

More shots were fired, and one buried itself in the log in front ofRobert. He heard the thud made by the bullet as it entered, and oncemore he was thankful for their rude breastwork. But it was the only onethat struck so close and presently the savages ceased their fire, although the besieged three were still able to see them in the brilliantmoonlight among the bowlders. 

"They're getting a bit too insolent, " said the hunter. "Maybe they thinkit's a shorter distance from them to us than it is from us to them, andthat our bullets would drop before they got to 'em. I think, Tayoga, I'll prove that it's not so. "

"Choose the man at the edge of the water, " said Tayoga. "He has firedthree shots at us, and we should give him at least one in return. "

"I'll pay the debt, Tayoga. "

Robert saw the warrior, his head and shoulders and painted chestappearing above the stone. The distance was great for accuracy, but thelight was brilliant, and the rifle of the hunter rose to his shoulder. The muzzle bore directly upon the naked chest, and when Willet pulledthe trigger a stream of fire spurted from the weapon. 

The savage uttered a cry, shot forward and fell into the stream. Hislifeless body tossed like dead wood on the swift current, reappeared andfloated by the little fortress of the three. Robert shuddered as he sawthe savage face again, and then he saw it no more. 

The savages uttered a shout of grief and rage over the loss of thewarrior, but the besieged were silent. Willet, as he reloaded his rifle, gave it an affectionate little pat or two. 

"It's a good weapon, " he said, "and with a fair light I was sure Iwouldn't miss. We've given 'em fair warning that they've got a nest ofpanthers here to deal with, and that when they attack they're takingrisks. Can you see any of 'em now, Tayoga?"

"All have taken to cover. There is not one among them who is willing toface again the rifle of the Great Bear. "

Willet smiled with satisfaction at the compliment. He was proud of hissharp-shooting, and justly so, but he said modestly:

"I had a fair target, and it will do for a warning. I think we can lookfor another long rest now. "

The dark period that precedes the dawn came, and then the morningflashed over the woods. Robert, from the hollow, looking across the farshore, saw lofty, wooded hills and back of them blue mountains. Beads ofrain stood on the leaves, and the wilderness seemed to emerge, fresh anddripping, from a glorious bath. Pleasant odors of the wild came to him, and now he felt the sting of imprisonment there among the rocks. Hewished they could go at once on their errand. It was a most unfortunatechance to have been found there by the Indians and to be heldindefinitely in siege. The flooded river would have borne them swiftlyin their canoe toward the St. Lawrence. 

"Mourning, Robert?" said Willet who noticed his face. 

"For the moment, yes, " admitted young Lennox, "but it has passed. Iwanted to be going on this lively river and through the green wood, butsince I have to wait I can do it. "

"I feel the same way about it, and we're lucky to have such a fort asthe one we are in. I think the savages will hang on here for a longwhile. Indians always have plenty of time. That's why they're morepatient than white men. Like as not we won't get a peep out of them allthe morning. "

"Lennox feels the beauty of the day, " said Tayoga, "and that's why hewants to leave the hollow and go into the woods. But if Lennox will onlythink he'll know that other days as fine will come. "

The eye of the young Onondaga twinkled as he delivered his jestingadvice. 

"I'll be as patient as I can, " replied Robert in the same tone, "buttomorrow is never as good as today. I wait like you and Dave onlybecause I have to do so. "

"In the woods you must do as the people who live there do, " said thehunter philosophically. "They learn how to wait when they're young. Wedon't know how long we'll be here. A little more of the deer, Tayoga. It's close to the middle of the day now and we must keep our strength. Iwish we had better water than that of a flooded and muddy river todrink, but it's water, anyhow. "

They ate, drank and refreshed themselves and another long period ofinaction followed. The warriors--at intervals--fired a few shots butthey did no damage. Only one entered the hollow, and it buried itselfharmlessly in their wooden barrier. They suffered from nothing exceptthe soreness and stiffness that came from lying almost flat and so longin one position. The afternoon, cloudless and brilliant, waned, and theair in the recess grew warm and heavy. Had it not been for the necessityof keeping guard Robert could have gone to sleep again. The flood in theriver passed its zenith and was now sinking visibly. No more trees orbushes came floating on the water. Willet showed disappointment over thefailure of the besiegers to make any decided movement. 

"I was telling you, Robert, a while ago, " he said, "that Indians mostlyhave a lot of time, but I'm afraid the band that's cornered us here hasgot too much. They may send out a warrior or two to hunt, and the othersmay sit at a distance and wait a week for us to come out. At least itlooks that way to a 'possum up a tree. What do you think of it, Tayoga?"

"The Great Bear is right, " replied the Onondaga. "He is always rightwhen he is not wrong. "

"Come now, Tayoga, are you making game of me?"

"Not so, my brother, because the Great Bear is nearly always right andvery seldom wrong. It is given only to Manitou never to be wrong. "

"That's better, Tayoga. If I can keep up a high average of accuracy I'msatisfied. "

Tayoga's English was always precise and a trifle bookish, like that of aman speaking a language he has learned in a school, which in truth wasthe case with the Onondaga. Like the celebrated Thayendanegea, theMohawk, otherwise known as Joseph Brant, he had been sent to a whiteschool and he had learned the English of the grammarian. Willet toospoke in a manner much superior to that of the usual scout and hunter. 

"If the Indians post lines out of range and merely maintain a watch whatwill we do?" asked Robert. "I, for one, don't want to stay hereindefinitely. "

"Nor do any of us, " replied Willet. "We ought to be moving. A long delayhere won't help us. We've got to think of something. "

The two, actuated by the same impulse, looked at Tayoga. He was verythoughtful and presently glanced up at the heavens. 

"What does the Great Bear think of the sky?" he asked. 

"I think it's a fine sky, Tayoga, " Willet replied with a humorousinflection. "But I've always admired it, whether it's blue or gray orjust black, spangled with stars. "

Tayoga smiled. 

"What does the Great Bear think of the sky?" he repeated. "Do the signssay to him that the coming night will be dark like the one that has justgone before?"

"They say it will be dark, Tayoga, but I don't believe we'll have therain again. "

"We do not want the rain, but we do want the dark. Tonight when the moonand stars fail to come we must leave the hollow. "

"By what way, Tayoga?"

The Onondaga pointed to the river. 

"We have the canoe, " he said. 

"But if they should hear or see us we'd make a fine target in it, " saidRobert. 

"We won't be in it, " said the Onondaga, "although our weapons andclothes will. "

"Ah, I understand! We're to launch the canoe, put in it everythingincluding our clothes, except ourselves, and swim by the side of it. Three good swimmers are we, Tayoga, and I believe we can do it. "

The Onondaga looked at Willet, who nodded his approval. 

"The chances will favor us, and we'd better try it, " he said, "that is, if the night is dark, as I think it will be. "

"Then it is agreed, " said Robert. 

"It is so, " said Tayoga. 

No more words were needed, and they strengthened their hearts for thedaring attempt, waiting patiently for the afternoon to wane and die intothe night, which, arrived moonless and starless and heavy with dark, asthey had hoped and predicted. Just before, a little spasmodic firingcame from the besiegers, but they did not deign to answer. Instead theywaited patiently until the night was far advanced and then they preparedquickly for running the gauntlet, a task that would require the greatestskill, courage and presence of mind. Robert's heart beat hard. Like theothers he was weary of the friendly hollow that had served them so well, and the murmuring of the river, as it flowed, invited them to come onand use it as the road of escape. 

The three took off all their clothing and disposed everything carefullyin the canoe, laying the rifles on top where they could be reached witha single swift movement of the arm. Then they stared up and down thestream, and listened with all their powers of hearing. No savage was tobe seen nor did anyone make a sound that reached the three, althoughRobert knew they lay behind the rocks not so very far away. 

"They're not stirring, Tayoga, " whispered the hunter. "Perhaps theythink we don't dare try the river, and in this case as in most othersthe boldest way is the best. Take the other end of the canoe, and we'lllift it down gently. "

He and the Onondaga lowered the canoe so slowly that it made no splashwhen it took the water, and then the three lowered themselves in turn, sinking into the stream to their throats. 

"Keep close to the bank, " whispered the hunter, "and whatever you dodon't make any splash as you swim. "

The three were on the side of the craft next to the cliff and theirheads did not appear above its side. Then the canoe moved down thestream at just about the speed of the current, and no human handsappeared, nor was any human agency visible. It was just a wanderinglittle boat, set adrift upon the wilderness waters, a light shell, butwith an explorer's soul. It moved casually along, keeping nearest to thecliff, the safest place for so frail a structure, hesitating two orthree times at points of rocks, but always making up its mind to go ononce more, and see where this fine but strange river led. 

Luckily it was very dark by the cliff. The shadows fell there like blackblankets, and no eye yet rested upon the questing canoe which kept itsway, idly exploring the reaches of the river. Gasna Gaowo, this barkcanoe of red elm, was not large, but it was a noble specimen of itskind, a forest product of Onondaga patience and skill. On either sidenear the prow was painted in scarlet a great eagle's eye, and now thetwo large red eyes of the canoe gazed ahead into the darkness, seekingto pierce the unknown. 

The canoe went on with a gentle, rocking motion made by the current, strayed now and then a little way from the cliff, but always came backto it. The pair of great red eyes stared at the cliff so close and atthe other cliff farther away and at the middle of the stream, which wasnow tranquil and unruffled by the wreckage of the forest blown into thewater by the storm. The canoe also looked into one or two little coves, and seeing nothing there but the river edge bubbling against the stone, went on, came to a curve, rounded it in an easy, sauntering but skillfulfashion, and entered a straight reach of the stream. 

So far the canoe was having a lone and untroubled journey. The riverwidening now and flowing between descending banks was wholly its own, but clinging to the habit it had formed when it started it still hung tothe western bank. The night grew more and more favorable to theundiscovered voyage it wished to make. Masses of clouds gathered andhovered over that particular river, as if they had some especial objectin doing so, and they made the night so dark that the red eyes of thecanoe, great in size though they were, could see but a little way downthe stream. Yet it kept on boldly and there was a purpose in its course. Often it seemed to be on the point of recklessly running against therocky shore, but always it sheered off in time, and though its advancewas apparently casual it was moving down the stream at a great rate. 

The canoe had gone fully four hundred yards when an Abenaki warrior onthe far side of the river caught a glimpse of a shadow moving in theshadow of the bank, and a sustained gaze soon showed to him that it wasa canoe, and, in his opinion, a derelict, washed by the flood from somecamp a long distance up the stream. He watched it for a little while, and was then confirmed in his opinion by its motion as it floated lazilywith the current. 

The darkness was not too great to keep the Abenaki from seeing that itwas a good canoe, a fine shell of Iroquois make, and canoes werevaluable. He had not been able to secure any scalp, which was a saddisappointment, and now Manitou had sent this stray craft to him as aconsolation prize. He was not one to decline the gifts of the gods, andhe ran along the edge of the cliff until he came to a low point wellahead of the canoe. Then he put his rifle on the ground, dropped lightlyinto the stream, and swam with swift sure strokes for the derelict. 

As the warrior approached he saw that his opinion of the canoe was morethan justified. It had been made with uncommon skill and he admired itsstrong, graceful lines. It was not often that such a valuable prize cameto a man and asked to be taken. He reached it and put one hand upon theside. Then a heavy fist stretched entirely over the canoe and struck himsuch a mighty blow upon the jaw that he sank senseless, and when herevived two minutes later on a low bank where the current had cast him, he did not know what had happened to him. 

Meanwhile the uncaptured canoe sailed on in lonely majesty down thestream. 

"That was a shrewd blow of yours, Dave, " said Robert. "You struck fairlyupon his jaw bone. "

"It's not often that I fight an Indian with my fists, and the chancehaving come I made the most of it, " said the hunter. "He may have been asentinel set to watch for just such an attempt as we are making, butit's likely they thought if we made a dash for it we'd be in the canoe. "

"It was great wisdom for us to swim, " said Tayoga. "Another sentinelseeing the canoe may also think it was washed away somewhere and ismerely floating on the waters. I can see a heap of underbrush that hasgathered against a projecting point, and the current would naturallybring the canoe into it. Suppose we let it rest there until it seems towork free by the action of the water, and then go on down the river. "

"It's a good idea, Tayoga, but it's a pretty severe test to remain underfire, so to speak, in order to deceive your enemy, when the road is openfor you to run away. "

"But we can do it, all three of us, " said Tayoga, confidently. 

A spit of high ground projected into the river and in the course of timeenough driftwood brought by the stream and lodged there had made a raftof considerable width and depth, against which the canoe in itswandering course lodged. But it was evident that its stay in such a portwould be but temporary, as the current continually pushed and sucked atit, and the light craft quivered and swayed continually under the actionof the current. 

The three behind the canoe thrust themselves back into the mass ofvegetation, reckless of scratches, and were hidden completely for thetime. Since he was no longer kept warm by the act of swimming Robertfelt the chill of the water entering his bones. His physical desire toshiver he controlled by a powerful effort of the will, and, standing onthe bottom with his head among the boughs, he remained quiet. 

None of the three spoke and in a few minutes a warrior on the other sideof the stream, watching in the bushes, saw the dim outline of the canoein the darkness. He came to the edge of the water and looked at itattentively. It was apparent to him, as it had been to the other savage, that it was a stray canoe, and valuable, a fine prize for the taking. But he was less impulsive than the first man had been and at that pointthe river spread out to a much greater width. He did not know that hiscomrade was lying on the bank farther up in a half stunned condition, but he was naturally cautious and he stared at the canoe a long time. He saw that the action of the current would eventually work it loosefrom the raft, but he believed it would yet hang there for at least tenminutes. So he would have time to go back to his nearest comrade andreturn with him. Then one could enter the water and salvage the canoe, while the other stayed on the bank and watched. Having reached this wiseconclusion he disappeared in the woods, seeking the second Indian, butbefore the two could come together the canoe had worked loose and wasgone. 

The three hidden in the bushes had watched the Indian as well as thedusk would permit and they read his mind. They knew that when he turnedaway he had gone for help and they knew equally well that it was timefor the full power of the current to take effect. 

"Shove it off, Tayoga, " whispered Willet, "and I think we'd better helpalong with some strokes of our own. "

"It is so, " said Tayoga. 

Now the wandering canoe was suddenly endowed with more life and purpose, or else the current grew much swifter. After an uneasy stay with theboughs, it left them quickly, sailed out toward the middle of thestream, and floated at great speed between banks that were growing highagain. The friendly dark was also an increasing protection to the threewho were steering it. The heavy but rainless clouds continued to gatherover them, and the canoe sped on at accelerated speed in an opaqueatmosphere. A mile farther and Willet suggested that they get into thecanoe and paddle with all their might. The embarkation, a matter ofdelicacy and difficulty, was made with success, and then they used thepaddles furiously. 

The canoe, suddenly becoming a live thing, leaped forward in the water, and sped down the stream, as if it were the leader in a race. Far behindthem rose a sudden war cry, and the three laughed. 

"I suppose they've discovered in some way that we've fled, " said Robert. 

"That is so, " said Tayoga. 

"And they'll come down the river as fast as they can, " said Willet, "butthey'll do no more business with us. I don't want to brag, but you can'tfind three better paddlers in the wilderness than we are, and with amile start we ought soon to leave behind any number of warriors who haveto run through the woods and follow the windings of the stream. "

"They cannot catch us now, " said Tayoga, "and I will tell them so. "

He uttered a war whoop so piercing and fierce that Robert was startled. It cut the air like the slash of a sword, but it was a long cry, full ofvaried meaning. It expressed satisfaction, triumph, a taunt for the foe, and then it died away in a sinister note like a threat for any who triedto follow. Willet laughed under his breath. 

"That'll stir 'em, Tayoga, " he said. "You put a little dart squarely intheir hearts, and they don't like it. But they can squirm as much asthey please, we're out of their reach now. Hark, they're answering!"

They heard a cry from the savage who had besieged them, but it wasfollowed by a long silence. The three paddled with their utmoststrength, the great muscles on their arms rising and falling with theirexertions, and beads of perspiration standing out on their foreheads. 

Hours passed. Mile after mile fell behind them. The darkness began tothin, and then the air was shot with golden beams from the rising sun. Willet, heaving an immense sigh of relief, laid his paddle across thecanoe. 

"The danger has passed, " he said. "Now we'll land, put on our clothesand become respectable. "

CHAPTER V

THE MOHAWK CHIEF

The canoe was passing between low shores, and they landed on the leftbank, lifting out of the water the little vessel that had served them sowell, and carrying it to a point some distance in the bushes. There theysat down beside it a while and drew long, deep and panting breaths. 

"I don't want to repeat that experience soon, " said Robert. "I thinkevery muscle and bone in me is aching. "

"So do mine, " said Willet, "but they ache in a good cause, and what's ofmore importance just now a successful one too. Having left no trail theIndians won't be able to follow us, and we can rest here a long time, which compels me to tell you again to put on your clothes and becomerespectable. "

They were quite dry now, and they dressed. They also saw that their armsand ammunition were in order, and after Willet had scouted the country abit, seeing that no human-being was near, they ate breakfast of the deermeat and felt thankful. 

"The aches are leaving me, " said Willet, "and in another half-hour I'llbe the man I was yesterday. Not I'll be a better man. I've been indanger lots of times and always there's a wonderful feeling ofhappiness when I get out of it. "

"That is, risk goes before real rest, " said Robert. 

"That's about the way to put it, and escaping as we've just done from asiege, this dawn is about the finest I've ever seen. Isn't that a bigand glorious sun over there? I suppose it's the same sun I've beenlooking at for years, but it seems to me that it has a new anduncommonly splendid coat of gilding this morning. "

"I think it was put on to celebrate our successful flight, " said Robert. "It's not only a splendid sun, Dave, but it's an uncommonly friendly onetoo. I can look it squarely in the eye for just a second and it fairlybeams on me. "

"My brothers are right, " said Tayoga gravely. "If it had not been thewill of Manitou for us to escape from the trap that had been set for usthe sun rising newly behind the mountains would not smile upon us. "

"I take that as allegorical, " said Robert. "We see with our souls, andour eyes are merely the mirrors through which we look. Seeing, or atleast the color of it, is a state of mind. "

Tayoga followed him perfectly and nodded. 

"You are getting too deep, " interrupted the hunter. "Let's be satisfiedwith our escape. Here, each of you take another piece of venison. I'mglad you still have your bow and arrows, Tayoga, because it won't belong before we'll have to begin looking for another deer. "

"The woods swarm with game. It will not be difficult to find one, " saidTayoga. 

"But for the present I think we'd better lie close. Of course the chiefdanger of attack from those savages has passed, but we're some distancefrom Canada, and it's still doubtful ground. Another wandering band mayrun upon us and that Ojibway, Tandakora, will never quit hunting us, until a bullet stops him. He has a terrible attack of the scalp fever. We want to make good time on our journey, but we mustn't spoileverything by trying to go too fast. "

"It might be wise for us to remain the entire day in the forest, "replied the Onondaga. "After the great and long trial of our strengthlast night, we need much rest. And tonight we can make speed on theriver again. What says Lennox?"

"I'm for it, " replied Robert, "but I suggest that we go deeper into theforest, taking the canoe with us, and hide our trail. I think I see thegleam of water to our right and if I'm correct it means a brook, upwhich we can walk carrying the canoe with us. "

"A good idea, Robert, " said Willet. "Suppose you look first and see ifit's really a brook. "

The lad returned in a moment or two with a verification. The water ofthe little stream was clear, but it had a fine sandy bottom on whichfootprints were effaced in a few seconds. They waded up it nearly a mileuntil they came to stony ground, when they left the brook and walked onthe outcrop or detached stones a considerable distance, passing at lastthrough dense thickets into a tiny open space. They put the canoe downin the center of the opening, which was circular, and stretched theirown bodies on the grass close to the bushes, through which they couldsee without being seen. 

"That trail is well hidden, " said Willet, "or rather it's no trail atall. It's just about as much trace as a bird leaves, flying through theair. "

"Do you know where we are, Dave?" asked Robert. 

"We're not so far from the edge of the wilderness. Before long the landwill begin to slope down toward the St. Lawrence. But it's all wildenough. The French settlements themselves don't go very far back fromthe big river. And the St. Lawrence is a mighty stream, Robert. I reckonthere's not another such river on the globe. The Mississippi I supposeis longer, and carries more volume to the sea, but the St. Lawrence isfull of clear water, Robert, think of that! Most all the other bigrivers of the world, I hear, are muddy and yellow, but the St. Lawrence, being the overflow of the big lakes, is pure. Sometimes it's blue andsometimes it's green, according to the sunlight or the lack of it, andsometimes it's another color, but always it's good, fresh water, flowingbetween mighty banks to the sea, the stream getting deeper and deeperand broader and broader the farther it goes, till beyond Quebec it'sfive and then ten miles across, and near the ocean it's nigh as wide asErie or Ontario. I'm always betting on the St. Lawrence, Robert. Ihaven't been on all the other continents, but I don't believe they canshow anything to beat it. "

"Have you seen much of the big lakes, Dave?"

"A lot of Erie and Ontario, but not so much of those farther west, Michigan, Huron and Superior, although they're far bigger and grander. Nothing like 'em in the lake line in this world. We don't know muchabout Superior, but I gather from the Indians that it's nigh to fourhundred miles long, and maybe a hundred and fifty miles across in themiddle. What a power of water! That's not a lake! It's a fresh-watersea. I've seen Niagara, too, Robert, where the river comes tumbling overtwo mighty cliffs, and the foam rises up to the sky, and the rainbow isalways arching over the chasm below. It's a tremendous sight and itkeeps growing on you the longer you look at it. The Indians, who likemyths and allegories, have a fine story about it. They say that Heno, towhom Manitou gave charge of the thunderbolt, once lived in the greatcave or hollow behind the falls, liking the damp and the eternal roar ofthe waters. And Manitou to help him keep a watch over all thethunderbolts gave him three assistants who have never been named. Now, the nations of the Hodenosaunee call themselves the grandchildren ofHeno, and when they make invocation to him they call him grandfather. But they hold that Heno is always under the direction of Hawenneyu, theGreat Spirit, who I take it is the same in their minds as Manitou. Themore you learn of the Indians, and especially of the Hodenosaunee, Robert, the more you admire the beauty and power of their minds. "

Willet spoke with great earnestness, his own mind through theexperiences of many years being steeped in forest lore and imagery. Robert, although he knew less of Indian mythology, nevertheless knewenough to feel for it a great admiration. 

"I studied the myths of the Greeks and Romans at Albany, " he said, "andI don't see that they were very much superior to those of the Indians. "

"Maybe they weren't superior at all, " said Willet, "and I don't believethe Greeks and Romans ever had a country like the one in which we areroaming. The Book says God made the world in six days, and I think Hemust have spent one whole day, and His best day, too, on the country inhere. Think of the St Lawrence, and all the big lakes and middle-sizedlakes and little lakes, and the Hudson and the other splendid rivers, and the fine mountains east of the Hudson and west of it, and all thegrand valleys, and the great country of the Hodenosaunee, and thegorgeous green forest running hundreds and hundreds of miles, every way!I tell you, Robert--and it's no sacrilege either--after He did such asplendid and well-nigh perfect job He could stop for the night and callit a good and full day's work. I reckon that nowhere else on the earth'ssurface are so many fine and wonderful things crowded into one region. "

He took a deep breath and gazed with responsive eyes at the dim bluecrests of the mountains. 

"It's all that you call it, " said Robert, whose soul was filled with thesame love and admiration, "and I'm glad I was born within its limits. I've noticed, Dave, that the people of old lands think they alone havelove of country. New people may love a new land just as much, and I loveall this country about us, the lakes, and the rivers, and the mountainsand the valleys and the forests. "

He flung out his arms in a wide, embracing gesture, and he, too, tookdeep long breaths of the crisp air that came over the clean forest. Tayoga smiled, and the smile was fathomless. 

"I, Tayoga, of the clan of the Bear, of the nation Onondaga, of thegreat League of the Hodenosaunee, can rejoice more than either of you, my white friends, " he said, "because I and my fathers for ages before mewere born into this wonderful country of which you speak so well, butnot too well, and much of it belongs to the Hodenosaunee. The Englishand the French are but of yesterday. Tododaho lighted the first councilfire in the vale of Onondaga many generations before either came acrossthe sea. "

"It's true, Tayoga, " said Willet, "and I don't forget it for a moment. All of us white people, English, French, Dutch, Germans and all otherbreeds, are mere newcomers, and I'm not one ever to deny the rights ofthe Hodenosaunee. "

"I know that the Great Bear is always our friend, " said the youngOnondaga, "and Lennox too, no less. "

"I am, Tayoga, " said Robert fervently. 

The white lad went to sleep by and by, the others to follow in theirturn, and when he woke it was afternoon. About midway of his comrade'snap Tayoga had gone to sleep also, and now Willet followed him, leavingRobert alone on guard. 

His eyes could pierce the bushes, and for some distance beyond, and hesaw that no intruder had drawn near. Nor had he expected any. The placewas too remote and well hidden, and the keenest warriors in the worldcould not follow a vanished trail. 

He ate two or three strips of the deer meat, walked around the completecircle of the opening, examining the approaches from every side, andhaving satisfied himself once more that no stranger was near, returnedto his place on the grass near his comrades, full of the great peacethat can come only to those of sensitive mind and lofty imagination. Hissleep had rested him thoroughly. The overtaxed muscles were easy again, and with the vast green forest about him and the dim blue mountainsshowing on the horizon, he felt all the keen zest of living. 

He was glad to be there. He was glad to be with Tayoga. He was glad tobe with Willet and he was glad to be going on the important missionwhich the three hoped to carry out, according to promise, no matter whatdangers surrounded them, and that there would be many they already hadproof. But, for the present, at least, there was nothing but peace. 

He lay on his back and stared up at the blue sky, in which clouds fleecyand tiny were drifting. All were going toward the northeast and that waythe course of himself and his comrades lay. If Manitou prospered them, they would come to the Quebec of the French, which beforetime had beenthe Stadacona of old Indian tribes. That name, Quebec, was full ofsignificance to him. Standing upon its mighty rock, it was anotherGibraltar. It told him of the French power in North America, and heassociated it vaguely with young officers in brilliant uniforms, powdered ladies, and all the splendor of an Old World court reproducedin the New World. St. Luc had come from there, and with his handsomeface and figure and his gay and graceful manner he had typified theQuebec of the chevaliers, which the grave and solid burghers of Albanyregarded with dread and aversion and yet with a strange sort ofattraction. 

He did not deny to himself that he too felt the attraction. An unknownkinship with Quebec, either in blood or imagination, was calling. Hewondered if he would see St. Luc there, but on reflection he decidedthat it was impossible. The mission of the chevalier to the Hodenosauneewould require a long absence. He might arrive in the vale of Onondagaand have to wait many days before the fifty sachems should decide tomeet in council and hear him. 

But Robert believed that if St. Luc should appear before the fifty hewould prove to be eloquent, and he would neglect no artifice of word andmanner to make the Hodenosaunee think the French power at Quebecinvincible. He would describe the great deeds of the French officers andsoldiers. He would tell them of that glittering court of Versailles, andperhaps he would make them think their salvation depended upon analliance with France. 

Robert was sorry for the moment that his mission was taking him toQuebec and not to the vale of Onondaga, where Willet and he--and Tayogatoo--could appear before the sachems as friends true and tested, andprove to them that the English were their good and natural allies. Theywould recall again what Frontenac had done. They would dwell upon themanner in which he had carried sword and fire among the Six Nations, then the Five, and they would keep open the old wound that yet rankled. 

It was a passing wish. The Iroquois would remain faithful to theirancient allies, the English. The blood that Frontenac had shed would beforever a barrier between the Long House and the Stadacona that was. Once more Quebec filled his eye, and he gazed into the northeast wherethe French capital lay upon its mighty and frowning rock. His curiosityconcerning it increased. He wanted to see what kind of city it was, andhe wanted to see what kind of a man the Marquis Duquesne, theGovernor-General of Canada, was. Well, he would be there before manydays and he would see for himself. He and his comrades already had beentriumphant over a danger so great that nothing could stop them now. Hefelt all the elation and certainty that came from a victory over odds. 

He rose, parted the bushes and made another tour of the region abouttheir covert. When he was at a point about a hundred yards away hefancied that he heard a sound in a thicket a considerable distanceahead. Promptly taking shelter behind a large tree, he used both eyesand ears, watching the thicket closely, and listening for any othersound that might come. 

He heard nothing else but his keen eyes noted a bush swaying directlyinto the teeth of the wind, a movement that could not occur unlesssomething alive in the thicket caused it. He slid his rifle forward andstill watched. Now the bush shook violently, and an awkward blackfigure, shooting out, ran across the open. It was only a bear, and hewas about to resume his circling walk, but second thought told him thatthe bear was running as if he ran away from an object of which he wasafraid, and there was nothing in the northern forests except humanbeings to scare a bear. 

He settled back in his shelter and resumed his watch in the thicket, leaving the bear to run where he pleased, which he did, disappearingwith a snort in another thicket. A full ten minutes passed. Robert hadnot stirred. He was crouched behind the tree, blending with the grass, and he held his rifle ready to be fired in an instant, should the needarise. 

The bush that had moved against the wind had ceased stirring long since, but now he saw another shaking and it, too, paid no attention to thelaws of nature, defying the wind as the first had done. Robertconcentrated his gaze upon it, thankful that he had not made the blackbear the original cause of things, and presently he saw the featheredhead of an Indian appear among the leaves. It was only a glimpse, he didnot see the body or even the face of the warrior, but it was enough. Where one warrior was another was likely to be in those northernmarches, the most dangerous kind of neutral ground. 

He began to slide away, keeping the big tree trunk between him and thethicket, using all the arts of the forest trailer that he had learned bynatural aptitude and long practice. He went back slowly, but the grassstems moved only a little as he went, and he was confident that he notonly had not been seen, but would not be seen. Yet he scarcely dared tobreathe--until he reached the bushes inclosing the opening in which hiscomrades lay. 

He paused a few moments before waking the others and filled his lungswith air. He was surprised to find that the hands holding his rifle weredamp with perspiration, and he realized then how great the brief strainhad been. Suppose he had not seen the Indian in the bush, and had beenambushed while on his scouting round! Or suppose he had stayed with hiscomrades and had been ambushed there! But neither had happened, and, taking Willet by the shoulder, he shook him, at the same time whisperingin his ear to make no noise. The hunter, his trained faculties at onceawake and on guard, sat up quietly, and Tayoga, who seemed to awakeinstinctively at the same time, also, sat up. 

"What is it, Robert?" whispered Willet. 

"An Indian in the bush about two hundred yards away, " replied the youth. "I merely saw his hair and the feather in it, but it's safe to assumethat he's not the only one. "

"That is so, " said Tayoga. "A warrior does not come here alone. "

"It can't be the band we beat off when we were in the hollow, " saidWillet confidently. "They must be far south of us, even if they haven'tgiven up the chase. "

"It is so, Great Bear, " said Tayoga. "Was the warrior's head bare, Lennox, or did he have the headdress, gustoweh, like mine?"

"I think, " replied Robert, "that the feather projected something likeyours, perhaps from a cross-splint. "

"Could you tell from what bird the feather came?"

"Yes, I saw that much. It was the plume of an eagle. "

Tayoga mused a moment or two. Then he put two fingers to his mouth andblew between them a mellow, peculiar whistle, much like the notes of adeep-throated forest bird. He waited half a minute and a reply exactlysimilar came. 

"These, " said Tayoga, "are our people, " and rising and parting thebushes, he walked, upright and fearless, toward the thicket in whichRobert had seen the warrior. Robert and Willet, influenced by boldnessas people always are, followed him with confidence, their rifles notthrust forward, but lying in the hollows of their arms. 

A dozen warriors issued from the thicket, at their head a tall man ofmiddle age, open and noble in countenance and dignified in bearing. 

"These be Mohawks, Ganeagaono, the Keepers of the Eastern Gate, " saidTayoga, "and the sachem Dayohogo, which in English means, At the Forks, leads them. He is a great man, valiant in battle and wise in council. His words have great weight when the fifty sachems meet in the vale ofOnondaga to decide the questions of life and death. "

He paused and bent his head respectfully before the man of superiorage, and, as yet, of superior rank. A look of pleasure appeared upon theface of the Mohawk chief when he saw the young Onondaga. 

"It is Tayoga of the clan of the Bear, of the nation Onundagaono(Onondaga), " he said. 

"It is so, Dayohogo of the clan of the Wolf, of the nation Ganeagaono(Mohawk), " replied Tayoga. "Thou of the Keepers of the Eastern Gate andmy father, Daatgadose, of the Keepers of the Council Fire, have beenfriends since they stood at the knees of their mothers, and we too arefriends, Dayohogo. "

"You speak true words, Tayoga, " said the chief, looking with anappraising eye upon the handsome face and athletic figure of the youngOnondaga. "And the white people with you? One I know to be the GreatBear who calls himself Willet, but the boy I know not. "

"His name is Lennox, O Dayohogo. He is the true friend of the GreatBear, of Tayoga and of the Hodenosaunee. He has within the last twodays, standing beside us, fought a valiant battle against the Abenakis, the Hurons, the St. Regis and warriors of the other savage tribes thatcall themselves the allies of Onontio. "

Robert felt the penetrating eye of the Mohawk chief upon him. But thegaze of the Indian was friendly, and while he felt admiration for Tayogahe felt equal approval of Lennox. 

"You have fought against odds and you have come away safe, " he said. 

"None of us received any hurt, " replied Tayoga, modestly, "but we slewmore than one of those who attacked. It was in a gorge of the river farback, and we escaped in the night, swimming with our canoe. Now we resthere, and truly, Dayohogo, we are glad to see you and your warriors. Theforest has become safe for us. We have part of a deer left, and we askyou to share it with us. "

"Gladly, " said Dayohogo. "We bring venison and corn meal, and we willhave food together. "

His warriors were stalwart men, armed well, and they had no fear of anyfoe, lighting a fire in the open, warming their deer meat and makingbread of their corn meal. The three ate with them, and Robert felt thatthey were among friends. The Mohawks not only had Frontenac to remember, but further back Champlain, the French soldier and explorer, who haddefeated them before they knew the use of firearms. He felt thatDuquesne at Quebec would have great difficulty in overcoming the enmityof this warlike and powerful red nation, and he resolved to do what hecould to keep them attached to the British cause. It might be only alittle, but a little many times amounted to much. 

Dayohogo and his warriors had been on a scout toward the north to thevery borders of the French settlements, and the chief told the threethat an unusual movement was going on there. Regular soldiers wereexpected soon from France. War belts and splendid presents had been sentto the tribes about the Great Lakes, both to the north and to the south, and Onontio was addressing messages of uncommon politeness to hisbrethren, the valiant Ganeagaono, otherwise the Mohawks, the Keepers ofthe Eastern Gate. 

"And do the Mohawk chiefs listen to the words of Onontio?" asked Robertanxiously. 

Dayohogo did not reply at once. He looked at the green woods. Birds, blue or gray or brown, were darting here and there in the foliage, andhis eye rested for a moment on a tiny wren. 

"The voice of Onontio is the voice of a bird chattering in a tree, " hesaid. "In the day of my father's father's father the children ofOnontio, under Champlain, came with guns, which were strange to us, andwith presents they induced the Adirondack warriors to help them. Theycame up the great lake which the white people call Champlain, then theycrossed to Ticonderoga, near the outlet of the lake, Saint Sacrement, and fell upon two hundred warriors of the Ganeagaono, who then knew onlythe bow and arrow and the war club, and slew many of them. It was fourgenerations ago, but we do not forget. Then when my father was a youngwarrior Frontenac came with a host of white soldiers and the CanadianIndians and killed the warriors and laid waste with fire the lands ofthe Five Nations, now the Six. Can the Hodenosaunee forget?"

The chief gloomed into the fire, and his eyes flashed with the memory ofancient wrongs. 

"Onontio has sent belts to the Ganeagaono also, has he not?" askedRobert. 

The eyes of the chief flashed again. 

"He has tried to do so, " he replied, "but the Ganeagaono are loyal totheir brethren of the Hodenosaunee since Tododahoe first found thesacred wampum on the shore of the lake, Chautauqua. Our three clans, theTurtle, the Wolf and the Bear, met in our largest village south of theriver, Ganeagaono (Mohawk), and listened to the bearers of the belts. Then we sent them back to Onontio, telling them if they wished to beheard further they must bring the belt to the council of all the sachemsof the Hodenosaunee in the vale of Onondaga. "

"The other nations of the Hodenosaunee, " said Tayoga, "have always knownthat the Ganeagaono would do no less. The Keepers of the Eastern Gatehave never departed by the width of a single hair from theirobligations. "

Dayohogo turned his gloomy face upon the Onondaga youth, and it waslighted up suddenly by a smile of appreciation and pleasure. 

"Tayoga of the Onundagaono, " he said in measured tones, "you have spokenwell. The Onundagaono, the Keepers of the Council Fire, and theGaneagaono, the Keepers of the Eastern Gate, be the first tribes of theHodenosaunee, and better it be for a warrior of either to burn two daysand two nights in the fire than to violate in the least the ancientcustoms and laws of the Hodenosaunee. "

"Before we had the fight with the savage band, " said Robert, "we met aFrenchman, the Chevalier Raymond Louis de St. Luc, who was going to thevale of Onondaga with belts from Onontio. St. Luc is a brave man, agreat orator, and his words will fall, golden and sweet like honey, onthe ears of the fifty chiefs. He will say that Champlain and Frontenacbelonged to an ancient day, that the forests have turned green and thenturned red a hundred and fifty times since Champlain and sixty timessince Frontenac. He will say that what they did was due to a false windthat blew between the French and the Hodenosaunee, hiding the truth, andmaking friends see in the faces of friends the faces of enemies. He willsay that a true wind blows now, and that it has blown away all thefalsehoods. He will say that Onontio is a better friend than Corlear tothe Hodenosaunee, and far more powerful. "

The veteran Mohawk chief looked at young Lennox, and again his gaze wasone of approval, also of comprehension. 

"My young white friend is already a great warrior, " he said. "What hedid with Tayoga and the Great Bear proves it, but great as he is he iseven greater in the council. The words of the son of Onontio, St. Luc, may drip from his lips like honey, but the speech of Lennox is the voiceof the south wind singing among the reeds. Lennox will be a great oratoramong his people. "

Robert blushed, and yet his heart was beating at the praise of Dayohogo, obviously so sincere. He felt with a sudden instinctive rush ofconviction that the Mohawk was telling him the truth. It was an earlyand partial display of the liquid and powerful speech, which afterwardgave him renown in New York and far beyond, and which caused peopleeverywhere to call him the "Golden Mouthed. " And he was always eager toacknowledge that much of its strength came from the lofty thought andbrilliant imagery shown by many of the orators of the nations of theHodenosaunee, with whom so much of his youth was spent. 

"I only spoke the thought that was in my mind, Dayohogo, " he saidmodestly. 

"Wherein is the beginning of great speech, " said the sachem sagely. "When Lennox returns from the journey on which he is now going it wouldbe fit for him to go to the vale of Onondaga and meet St. Luc in debatebefore the fifty sachems. "

Robert's heart leaped again. It was like a call to battle, and now heknew what his great aim in life should be. He would strive with studyand practice to make himself first in it, but, for the present, he hadother thoughts and purpose. Willet, however, took fire too from thewords of the Mohawk chief. 

"I've noticed before, Robert, " he said, "that you had the gift oftongues, and we'll make a great orator of you. In times such as ours aman of that kind is needed bad. Maybe what Dayohogo thinks ought to be, will be, and you will yet oppose St. Luc before the fifty sachems in thevale of Onondaga. "

"It would be well, " said Dayohogo thoughtfully, "because the men atAlbany still give the Hodenosaunee trouble, making a promise seem onething when it is given, and another when the time to keep it comes. "

"I know, Dayohogo!" exclaimed Willet, vehemently. "I know how thosesleek traders who are appointed to deal with you cheat you out of yourfurs and try to cheat you out of your lands! But be patient a littlelonger, you who have been patient so long. Word has come from Englandthat the King will remove his commissioners, and make Sir WilliamJohnson his Indian agent for all North America. "

The eyes of Dayohogo and his warriors glistened. 

"Is it true?" he asked. "Is Waraiyageh (Johnson) to be the one who willtalk with us and make the treaties with us?"

"I know it to be a fact, Dayohogo. "

"Then it is well. We can trust Waraiyageh, and he knows that he cantrust us. Where our trail runs to Kolaneha (Johnstown) on a hill not farfrom our tower castle he has built a great house, and I and my brotherchiefs of all the three clans the Wolf, the Bear and the Turtle, havebeen there and have received presents from him. He is the friend of theGaneagaono, and he knew that he could build a house among us and livethere in peace, with our warriors to guard him. "

The news that Johnson would be the King's Indian agent had an electriceffect upon the Mohawks. Whether he talked English or Iroquois he talkeda language they understood, and his acts were comprehensible by them. Hehad their faith and he never lost it. 

Some of the hunters went out, and, the woods being full of game, theyquickly shot another deer. Then the warriors still feeling in theirstrength that they had nothing to dread from enemies, built high thefire, cut up the deer, cooked it and made a great feast. The goodfeeling that existed between the Mohawks and the two whites increased. Robert unconsciously began to exercise his gift of golden speech. Hedwelt upon the coming appointment of Waraiyageh, their best friend, todeal in behalf of the King with the Hodenosaunee, and he harpedcontinually upon Champlain and Frontenac. He made them seem to be ofyesterday, instead of long ago. He opened the old wounds the Mohawks hadreceived at the hands of the French and made them sting and burn again. He dwelt upon the faith of the English, their respect for the lands ofthe Hodenosaunee and the ancient friendship with the Six Nations. He hadforgotten the words of Dayohogo that he would be a great orator, butfive minutes after they were spoken he was justifying them. 

Tayoga and Willet glanced at each other, but remained silent. YoungLennox was saying enough for all three. Dayohogo did not take his eyesfrom the speaker, following all his words, and the warriors, lying ontheir elbows, watched him and believed what he said. When he stopped thechief and all the warriors together uttered a deep exclamation ofapproval. 

"You are called Lennox, " said Dayohogo, "and after the white custom itis the only name that you have ever had, but we have a better way. Whena warrior distinguishes himself greatly we give him a new name, whichtells what he has done. Hereafter, Lennox, you will be known to theGaneagaono as Dagaeoga, which is the name of a great chief of the clanof the Turtle, of our nation. "

"I thank you much, Dahoyogo, " said Robert, earnestly, knowing that ahigh honor was conferred upon him. "I shall try to deserve in some smallway the great name you have conferred upon me. "

"One can but do his best, " said the Mohawk gravely. 

But Willet rejoiced openly in the distinction that had been bestowedupon his young comrade, saying that some day it might be carried outwith formal ceremonies by the Mohawk nation, and was a fact of greatvalue. To be by adoption a son of any nation of the Hodenosaunee wouldbe of enormous assistance to him, if he negotiated with the League inbehalf of the English colonists. But to be adopted by both Onondagas andMohawks gave him a double power. 

Robert had already been influenced powerfully by Tayoga, the youngOnondaga, and now the words of Dayohogo, the Mohawk, carried thatinfluence yet further. He understood as few white men did the power ofthe Hodenosaunee and how its nations might be a deciding factor in thecoming war between French and English, just as he understood long afterthat war was over their enormous weight in the new war between theAmericans and English, and he formed a resolution as firm as temperedsteel that his main effort for many years to come should be devoted tostrengthening the ties that connected the people of New York and thegreat League. 

The afternoon went on in pleasant talk. The Indians, among themselves orwith those whom they knew from long experience to be good friends, werenot taciturn. Robert told the Mohawks that they were going to Quebec, and Dayohogo expressed curiosity. 

"It is the story in our nation, and it is true, " he said, "thatgenerations ago we held the great rock of Stadacona, and that the firstFrenchman, Cartier, who came to Canada, found us there, and drove usaway with firearms, which we had never seen before, and which we did notknow how to meet. It is said also by our old men that we had a town withpalisades around it at Hochelaga (Montreal), but whether it is true ornot I do not know. It may be that it was a town of the Wanedote(Hurons), our enemies. And yet the Wanedote are of our blood, though farback in the past we split asunder, and now they take the peace belts ofthe French, while we take those of the English. "

"And the capital of the French, which they call Quebec, and which youcall Stadacona, stands on land which really belongs to the Mohawks, "said Robert meaningly. 

Dayohogo made no answer, but gloomed into the fire again. After a whilehe said that his warriors and he must depart. They were going towardTiconderoga, where the French had built the fort, Carillon, within theterritory of the Mohawks. He had been glad to meet Tayoga, the GreatBear, and the new young white chief, Dagaeoga, whose speech was like theflowing of pleasant waters. It was a favoring wind that had brought themtogether, because they had enjoyed good talk, and had exchanged wisecounsel with one another. Robert agreed with him in flowery allegory andtook from the canoe where it had been stored among their other goods apresent for the chief--envoys seldom traveled through the Indiancountry without some such article for some such occasion. 

It was _gajewa_, a war club, beautifully carved and polished, made ofironwood about three feet long, and with tufts of brilliant feathers ateither end. Inserted at one end was a deer's horn, about five inches inlength, and as sharp as a razor. While it was called a war club, it wasthus more of a battle ax, and at close range and wielded by a powerfularm it was a deadly weapon. It had been made at Albany, and in order torender it more attractive three silver bands had been placed about it atequal intervals. 

It was at once a weapon and a decoration, and the eyes of Dayohogoglistened as he received it. 

"I take the gift, Dagaeoga, " he said, "and I will not forget. "

Then they exchanged salutations, and the Mohawks disappeared silently inthe forest. 

CHAPTER VI

THE TWO FRENCHMEN

When the three were left alone in the glade the hunter turned to youngLennox. 

"You've done good work today, Robert, " he said. "I didn't know you hadin you the makings of an orator and diplomatist. The governor of NewYork did better than he knew when he chose you for one of this mission. "

Robert blushed again at praise and modestly protested. 

"Lennox has found that for which he is best fitted, " said Tayoga, slyly. 

"If I'm to talk without end I'll do my best, " said Robert, laughing, "and I suggest that we resume our journey now. There doesn't appear tobe any further danger from the Indians who besieged us. "

"You're right about it, Robert, " said the hunter. "The coming of theMohawks has put a barrier between us and them. I've an idea thatDayohogo and his warriors won't go far toward Ticonderoga, but will soonturn south to meet those savages and acquire a few scalps if they can, and if they do meet 'em I hope they'll remove that Ojibway, Tandakora, who I think is likely to make us a lot of trouble. "

Willet never spoke of the Iroquois as "savages, " but he often appliedthe term to the Canadian and Western Indians. Like Robert, he regardedthose who had built up the great political and military power of theHodenosaunee as advanced, and, in a sense, civilized nations. 

"I think my friend, the Great Bear, is right, " said Tayoga. "UnlessTandakora and his band have gone toward the west it is likely thatDayohogo will meet them, and they cannot stand before the Mohawks. "

"I think it more probable, " said Robert, "that after the failure todestroy us Tandakora went back to St. Luc, giving a false explanation ofhis absence or none at all, just as he pleased. "

"It may be so, " said Tayoga, "but I have another opinion. "

While they talked they were taking the canoe from its shelter, and thenthey bore it down to the river again, putting it back into the streamand listening with pleasure to the gurgle of the water by its sides. 

"Paddling isn't the easiest work in the world, " said Willet withsatisfaction, "but when you're used to it your muscles can stand it along time, and it's far ahead of walking. Now, ho for Canada!"

"Ho for Canada!" said Robert, and the three paddles flashed again in theclear water. The canoe once more became a live thing and shot down thestream. They were still in the wilderness, racing between solid banks ofgreen forest, and they frequently saw deer and bear drinking at the edgeof the river, while the foliage was vivid with color, and musical withthe voices of singing birds. 

Robert had a great elation and he had reason to be satisfied withhimself. They had triumphed over the dangers of the gorge and savagesiege, and he had sowed fruitful seed in the mind of Dayohogo, thepowerful Mohawk chief. He had also come to a realization of himself, knowing for the first time that he had a great gift which might carryhim far, and which might be of vast service to his people. 

Therefore, the world was magnificent and beautiful. The air of forestand mountain was keen with life. His lungs expanded, all his facultiesincreased in power, and his figure seemed to grow. Swelling confidencebore him on. He was anxious to reach Quebec and fulfill his mission. Then he would go back to the vale of Onondaga and match himself againstthe clever St. Luc or any other spokesman whom the Marquis Duquesnemight choose to send. 

But his golden dreams were of Quebec, which was a continuous beacon andlure to him. Despite a life spent chiefly in the woods, which he loved, he always felt the distant spell of great capitals and a gorgeouscivilization. In the New World Quebec came nearer than any other city tofulfilling this idea. There the nobles of France, then the mostglittering country in the world, came in silks and laces and with goldhilted swords by their sides. The young French officers fought with ajest on their lips, but always with skill and courage, as none knewbetter than the British colonials themselves. There was a glow andglamor about Quebec which the sober English capitals farther south didnot have. It might be the glow and glamor of decay, but people did notknow it then, although they did know that the Frenchman, with his loveof the forest and skill in handling the Indians, was a formidable foe. 

"When do you think we'll reach the St. Lawrence, Dave?" he asked. 

"In two or three days if we're not attacked again, " replied the hunter, "and then we'll get a bigger boat and row down the river to Quebec. "

"Will they let us pass?"

"Why shouldn't they? There's no war, at least not yet. "

"That battle back there in the gorge may not have been war, but itlooked precisely like it. "

The hunter laughed deep in his throat, and it was a satisfied laugh. 

"It did look like it, " he said, "and it was war, red war, but nobody wasresponsible for it. The Marquis Duquesne, the Governor General ofCanada, who is Onontio to our Iroquois, will raise his jeweled hand, andprotest that he knew nothing about those Indians, that they were wildwarriors from the west, that none of his good, pious Indians of Canadacould possibly have been among them. And the Intendant, François Bigot, the most corrupt and ambitious man in North America, will say that theyobtained no rifles, no muskets, no powder, no lead from him or hisagents. Oh, no, these fine French gentlemen will disown the attack uponus, as they would have disavowed it, just the same, if we had beenkilled. I want to warn you, Robert, and you, Tayoga, that when you reachQuebec you'll breathe an air that's not that of the woods, nor yet ofAlbany or New York. It's a bit of old Europe, it's a reproduction on asmall scale of the gorgeous Versailles over there that's eating theheart out of France. The Canadian Frenchman is a good man, brave andenduring, as I ought to know, but he's plundered and fooled by thosepeople who come from France to make fame or quick fortunes here. "

He spoke with earnestness, but not as a hunter. Rather he seemed now toRobert, despite his forest dress, to be a man of the world, one whounderstood cities as well as the wilderness. 

"I don't know all your life, Dave, " said young Lennox, "but I'm quitesure you know a great deal more than you would have people to think. Sometimes I believe you've been across the great water. "

"Then you believe right, Robert. I never told you in so many wordsbefore, but I've been in Europe. I'll talk to you about it another time, not now, and I'll choose where and when. "

He spoke so positively that Robert did not pursue the topic, knowingthat if the hunter wished to avoid it he had good reasons. Yet he feltanew that David Willet, called the Great Bear by the Iroquois, had notspent his whole life in the woods and that when the time came he couldtell a tale. There was always the fact that Willet spoke excellentEnglish, so unlike the vernacular of the hunters. 

The afternoon was waning fast. The sun was setting in an ocean of firethat turned the blue line of the mountains in the east to red. The slopeof the land made the current of the river much swifter, and Robert andWillet drew in their paddles, leaving the work to Tayoga alone, who satin the prow and guided their light craft with occasional strokes, letting the stream do the rest. 

There was no more expert canoeman than Tayoga in the whole northernwilderness. A single sweep of his paddle would send the canoe to anypoint he wished, and apparently it was made without effort. There was noshortening of the breath nor any sudden and violent movement of hisfigure. It was all as smooth and easy as the flowing of the wateritself. It seemed that Tayoga was doing nothing, and that the canoe oncemore was alive, the master of its own course. 

The ocean of fire faded into a sea of gray, and then black night came, but the canoe sped on in the swift current toward the St. Lawrence. Itwas still the wilderness. The green forest on either side of the streamwas unbroken. No smoke from a settler's chimney trailed across the sky. It was the forest as the Indian had known it for centuries. Robert, sitting in the center of the canoe, quit dreaming of great cities andcame back to his own time and place. He felt the majesty of all thatsurrounded him, but he was not lonely, nor was he oppressed. Instead, the night, the great forest, the swift river and the gliding canoeappealed to his sensitive and highly imaginative mind. He was upliftedand he felt the confidence and elation that contribute so much tosuccess. 

It was characteristic of the three, so diverse in type, and yet knittedso closely together in friendship, that they would talk much at timesand at other times have silence long and complete. Now, neither spokefor at least three hours. Tayoga, in the prow, made occasional strokesof his paddle, but the current remained swift and the speed of the canoewas not slackened. The young Onondaga devoted most of his time towatching. Much wreckage from storms or the suction of flood water oftenfloated on the surface of these wild rivers, and his keen eyes searchedfor trunk or bough or snag. They also scanned at intervals the greenwalls speeding by on either side, lest they might pass some camp fireand not notice it, but finding no lighter note in the darkness he feltsure that no hostile bands were near. 

About midnight the force of the current began to abate and Robert andWillet used the paddles. The darkness also thinned. The rainless cloudsdrifted away and disclosed a full moon, which turned the dusk of thewater to silver. The stars came out in cluster after cluster and theskies became a shining blue. The wilderness revealed itself in anotherand splendid phase, and Robert saw and admired. 

"How long will we go on, Dave?" The words were his and they were thefirst to break the long silence. 

"Until nearly daylight, " replied Willet. "Then we can land, take thecanoe into the bushes and rest. What do you say, Tayoga?"

"It is good, " replied the Onondaga. "We are not weary, because theriver, of its own accord, has borne us on its bosom, but we must sleep. We would not wish to appear heavy of eye and mind before the children ofOnontio. "

"Well spoken, Tayoga, " said the hunter. "An Iroquois chief knows thatappearance and dignity count, and you were right to remind us of it. Ithink that by the next sunset we'll be meeting French, not the CanadianFrench that they call _habitants_, but outposts made up mostly ofofficers and soldiers from France. They'll be very curious about us, naturally so, and since your new friend Dayohogo has announced that youare a great orator, you can do most of the talking and explaining, Robert. "

"I'll talk my best, " replied young Lennox. "Nobody can do more. "

As agreed, they drew the canoe into the bushes shortly before daylight, and slept several hours. Then they returned to the river and resumedtheir journey. By the middle of the afternoon they saw signs ofhabitation, or at least of the presence of human beings. They beheld twosmokes on the right bank, and one on the left, trailing black linesagainst the blue of the sky, but they were all far away, and they didnot care to stop and determine their origin. 

Shortly before sunset they saw a camp fire, very close on the easternshore, and as they drew near the figures of men in uniform were visibleagainst the red glow. 

"I think we'd better draw in here, " said Robert. "This is undoubtedly anoutpost, and, likely, an officer of some importance is in charge. Oursis a mission of peace, and we want to placate as many people as we can, as we go. "

"It is so, " said Tayoga, making a sweep or two of the paddle, andsending the canoe in a diagonal line toward the designated shore. 

Two men in blue uniforms with white facings walked to the edge of thewater and looked at them with curiosity. Robert gave them a gaze asinquiring as their own, and after the habit of the forest, noted themcarefully. He took them to be French of France. One was about fortyyears of age, rather tall, built well, his face browned by forest life. He had black, piercing eyes and a strong hooked nose. A man ofresolution but cold of heart, Robert said to himself. The other, alittle smaller, and a little younger, was of much the same type. Theuniforms of both were fine and neat, and they bore themselves asofficers of importance. Like St. Luc, they fortified Robert's opinion ofwhat he was going to find at Quebec. 

Neither of the men spoke until the canoe touched the shore, and itsthree occupants sprang out. Then they bowed politely, though Robertfancied that he saw a trace of irony in their manner, and the elder saidin good English:

"Good evening, gentlemen. "

"Good evening, Messieurs, " said Robert, remembering that he was to bespokesman. "We are English. "

"I can see readily that two of you are. "

"The third, Tayoga, the son of a great Onondaga chief, is English alsoat heart. "

The lips of the Frenchman curled ever so little. Robert saw at oncethat he challenged his assertion about Tayoga, but he did not seem tonotice it, as he expected that his comrades and himself would be guestsin the French camp. 

"I have mentioned Tayoga, " he said, "but I will introduce him again. Heis of the clan of the Bear, of the nation Onondaga, of the great Leagueof the Hodenosaunee. I also present Mr. David Willet, a famous scout andhunter, known to the Indians, and perhaps to some of the French, too, asthe Great Bear. My own name is Robert Lennox, of Albany and New York, and I have done nothing that is descriptive of me, but I bear importantletters from the Governor of New York to Quebec, to be delivered to theMarquis Duquesne, the Governor General of Canada. "

"That, young sir, is no slight mission, " said the elder man, "and it isour good fortune to speed you on your way. My friend is the ChevalierFrançois de Jumonville, one of France's most gallant officers, and I amAuguste de Courcelles, a colonel by fortune's favor, in the service ofHis Majesty, King Louis. "

"I am sure, " said Robert, "that it is not chance or the favor of fortunethat has given you such important rank. Your manner and presence aresufficient assurance to me that you have won your rank with your ownmerits. "

De Courcelles laughed a little, but it was a pleased laugh. 

"You have a more graceful tongue than most of the English, " he said, "and I could almost believe you had been at court. "

"No nearer a court than Albany or New York. "

"Then, sir, your credit is all the greater, because you have acquired somuch with so little opportunity. "

Robert bowed formally and Colonel de Courcelles bowed back in the samemanner. 

"The roads from Albany to Quebec are but trails, " said de Courcelles, "but I hope your journey has been easy and pleasant. "

Willet gave Robert a warning glance, and the lad replied:

"Fairly pleasant. We have met a slight obstacle or two, but it was nothard to remove them. "

De Courcelles lifted his eyebrows a little. 

"'Tis reported, " he said, "that the savages are restless, that yourEnglish governors have been making them presents, and, as they interpretthem, 'tis an inducement for them to take up the tomahawk against ourgood Canadians. Oh, don't be offended, Mr. Lennox! I have not said Ibelieve such tales. Perhaps 'tis but the tongue of scandal wagging inthis way, because it must wag in some way. "

Robert believed much meaning underlay the man's words, and he made rapidsurmises. Was de Courcelles trying to draw him out? Did he know of theattack made upon them at the hollow beside the river? Did he seek toforestall by saying the English were corrupting the Indians and sendingthem forth with the tomahawk? All these questions passed swiftly in hismind, but the gift discovered so newly came to his aid. His faceexpressed nothing, and smiling a little, he replied:

"The tongue of scandal, sir, does indeed wag wildly. The Governor of NewYork seeks at all times to keep peace among the Indians, and the factthat I am bearing letters from him to the Marquis Duquesne is proof ofhis good intentions. "

"I accept your professions, " said de Courcelles, "as I trust you willaccept my own assurances of amity and good faith. Why should we discusspolitics, when we are well met here in the woods? We have a fairly goodcamp, and it's at your service. If I may judge by appearances yourjourney has been attended by some hardships. "

"You infer correctly, " replied Robert, "and we shall be glad indeed toshare your fire and food with you. "

De Courcelles and Jumonville led the way to a large camp fire aroundwhich at least fifty French, Canadians and Indians were seated. All theFrench and Canadians were in uniform, and the Canadians, although livingin a colder climate, had become much darker than the parent stock. Intruth, many of them were quite as dark as the Indians. 

These Canadians of the French stock were, for the present, silent men, and Robert regarded them with the deepest interest. Those who were notin uniform wore long frock coats of dark gray or dark brown, belted atthe waist with a woolen sash of bright colors, decorated heavily withbeads. Trousers and waistcoats were of the same material as the coats, but their feet were inclosed in Indian moccasins, also adornedprofusely with beads. They wore long hair in a queue, incased in aneel-skin, and with their swarthy complexions and high cheek bones theylooked like wild sons of the forest to Robert. Tayoga, the Onondaga, wasto him a more civilized being. All the Canadians were smoking shortpipes, and, while they did not speak, their black eyes, restless witheager curiosity, inspected the strangers. 

The Indians in de Courcelles' party were of two types, the convertedIndians of Canada, partly in white man's costume, and utterly savageIndians of the far west, in very little costume at all, one or two ofthem wearing only the breech cloth. The looks they bestowed upon Robertand his comrades were far from friendly, and he wondered if any Ojibway, a warrior who perhaps owned Tandakora as a chief, was among them. Theywere sitting about the fire and none of them spoke. 

"We cannot offer you a banquet, " said de Courcelles, "but we can giveyou variety, none the less. This portion of His Majesty's territory is awilderness, but it provides an abundance of fish and game. "

Robert believed that he had alluded purposely to the territory as "HisMajesty's, " and, his mind challenging it instantly, he was about toreply that in reality it was the northern part of the Province of NewYork, but his second and wiser thought caused him to refrain. He wouldenter upon no controversy with the older man, especially when he sawthat the latter wished to draw him into one. De Courcelles, seeing thathis lead was not followed, devoted himself to hospitality. 

"We have venison, beaver tail, quail, good light bread and some thinred wine, " he said. "You Americans or English--which shall I call you?"

"Either, " replied Robert, "because we are both. "

"Then English it shall be for the present, because you are under thatflag. I was going to say that you are somewhat hostile to wine, which weFrench love, and which we know how to drink in moderation. In somerespects we are a people of more restraint than you are. The slow, coldEnglish mind starts with an effort, but when it is started it is stoppedwith equal difficulty. You either do too little or too much. You lackthe logic and precision of the Frenchman. "

Robert smiled and replied lightly. Having avoided controversy upon onepoint, he was of no mind to enter it upon another, and de Courcelles, not pressing a third attack, entered with Jumonville upon his duties ashost. Both were graceful, easy, assured, and they fulfilled Robert'sconception of French officers, as men of the world who knew courts andmanners. It was a time when courts were more important than they aretoday, and they were recognized universally as the chief fountains fromwhich flowed honor and advancement. 

Robert did not like them as well as St. Luc, but he found a certaincharm in their company. They could talk of things that interested him, and they exerted themselves, telling indirectly of the glories of Quebecand alluding now and then to the greater splendors of Paris andVersailles. It was a time when the French monarchy loomed as thegreatest power in the world. The hollowness and decay of the House ofBourbon were not yet disclosed, even to the shrewdest observers, and aspell was cast upon all the civilized nations by the gorgeous andglittering world of fashion and the world of arms. The influence reachedeven into the depths of the vast North American wilderness and was feltby Robert as he sat beside the camp fire in the savage woods with theFrenchmen. 

He drank a little of the red wine, but only a very little, and Tayogawould not touch it at all. Willet took a small leather cup of it, butdeclined a second. The food was good, better cooked than it usually wasamong the English colonists, where the table was regarded as anecessity, and in no particular as a rite. Robert, despite his habitualcaution, found his heart warming toward his French hosts. It could notbe possible that the Indians had been set upon his comrades and himselfby the French! The warmth of his heart increased when one of theCanadians took a violin from a cloth cover and began to play wailing oldairs. Like so many others, Robert was not made melancholy by melancholymusic. Instead, he saw through a pleasing glow and the world grew poeticand tender. The fire sank and Americans, French, Canadians and Indianslistened with the same silent interest. Presently the violinist played alivelier tune and the _habitants_ sang to the music:

 "Malbrouck, s'en va t-en guerre Mironton, mironton, mirontaine; Malbrouck s'en va t-en guerre Ne sait quand reviendra. "

Then he left Malbrouck, and it was:

 "Hier sur le pont d'Avignon J'ai oui chanter la belle Lon, la, J'ai oui chanter la belle Elle chantait d'un ton si doux Comme une demoiselle Lon, la, Comme une demoiselle. "

The Canadians sang well, particularly in "The Bridge of Avignon, " andthe dying fire, the black woods around them and the sighing wind createdan effect that no stage scenery could ever have given it. When the lastnote melted with the wind de Courcelles sighed a little and stared intothe sinking fire. 

"It is a fair country, sweet France, " he said; "I myself have stood uponthe bridge of Avignon, and I have watched the pretty girls. It may bethat I have had a kiss or two, but all that is far away now. This is abolder country than France, Mr. Lennox, larger, more majestic, but it iswild and savage, and will be so for many years to come. Nor can therules that apply to old and civilized Europe apply here, where the deedsof men, like the land, are wilder, too. "

Robert was conscious of some meaning in his words, perhaps a trace ofapology for a deed that he had done or would do, but in the mind ofyoung Lennox men's standards should be the same, whether in thewilderness of New York and Canada or in the open fields of France andEngland. De Courcelles, thoughtful for a moment, turned suddenly to theman with the violin and cried:

"Play! Play again!"

The man played quaint old airs, folk songs that had been brought fromNormandy and Brittany, and the _habitants_ sang them in low voices orrather hummed them in the subdued manner that seemed fitting to thenight, since the black shadows were creeping up closer, leaving only thefire, as a core of light with the dusky figures around it. During allthe talk the Indians had been silent. They had eaten their food andremained now, sitting in Turkish fashion, the flickering flames thatplayed across their faces giving to them a look sinister and menacing tothe last degree. 

The Frenchmen, too, fell silent, as if their courtesy was exhausted andconversation had become an effort. The last of the old French airs wasfinished, and the player put his violin away. Jumonville, who had spokenbut little, threw a fresh stick on the fire and looked at the black wallof circling forest. 

"I can never get quite used to it, " he said. "The wilderness is soimmense, so menacing that when I am in it at night a little shiver willcome now and then. I suppose our remote ancestors who lived in cavesmust have had fear at their elbows all their lives. "

"Very likely, " said de Courcelles, thoughtfully, staring into the coals. "It isn't strange that many people have worshiped fire as God. Whyshouldn't they when it brings light in the dark, and lifts up our souls, when it warms us and makes us feel strong, when it cooks our food andwhen in the earlier day it drove away the great wild animals, withwhich man was not able to fight on equal terms?"

"I am not one to undervalue fire, " said Robert. 

"Few of us do in the forest. The night grows chill, but two of our goodCanadians will keep the coals alive until morning. And now I suppose youare weary with your day's travels and wish sleep. I see that you haveblankets of your own or I should offer you some of ours. "

Tayoga had been sitting before the fire, as silent as the CanadianIndians, his rifle across his knees, his eyes turned toward the blaze. The glow of the flames fell upon him, disclosing his lofty countenance, his splendidly molded figure, and his superiority to the other Indians, who were not of the Hodenosaunee and who to him were, therefore, as muchbarbarians as all people who were not Greeks were barbarians to theancient Greeks. Not a word of kinship or friendship had passed betweenhim and them. For him, haughty and uncompromising, they did not exist. For a long time his deep unfathomable eyes had never turned from thefire, but now he rose suddenly and said:

"Someone comes in the forest!"

De Courcelles looked up in surprise. 

"I hear nothing, " he said. 

"Someone comes in the forest!" repeated Tayoga with emphasis. 

De Courcelles glanced at his own Indians. They had not yet moved, but ina moment or two they too rose to their feet, and then he knew that theOnondaga was right. Now Robert also heard a moccasined and lightfootstep approaching. A darker shadow appeared against the darkness, andthe figure of an Indian, gigantic and sinister, stepped within thecircle of the firelight. 

It was Tandakora, the Ojibway. 

CHAPTER VII

NEW FRANCE

The huge and savage warrior had never looked more malignant. His faceand his bare chest were painted with the most hideous devices, and hiseyes, in the single glance that he cast upon Robert and his comrades, showed full of black and evil passions. Then, as if they were no longerpresent, he stalked to the fire, took up some cooked deer meat that laybeside it, and, sitting down Turkish fashion like the other Indians, began to eat, not saying a word to the Frenchmen. 

It was the action of a savage of the savages, but Robert, startled atfirst by the unexpected appearance of such an enemy, called to his aidthe forest stoicism that he had learned and sat down, calm, outwardly atleast. The initiative was not his now, nor that of his comrades, and heglanced anxiously at de Courcelles to see how he would take this rudeinvasion of his camp. The French colonel looked at Tandakora, then atJumonville, and Jumonville looked at him. The two shrugged theirshoulders, and in a flash of intuition he was convinced that they knewthe Ojibway well. 

Whatever anger de Courcelles may have felt at the manners of the savagehe showed none at all. All the tact and forbearance which the Frenchused with such wonderful effect in their dealings with the NorthAmerican Indians were summoned to his aid. He spoke courteously toTandakora, but, as his words were in the Ojibway dialect, Robert did notunderstand them. The Indian made a guttural reply and continued to gnawfiercely at the bone of the deer. De Courcelles still took no offense, and spoke again, his words smooth and his face smiling. Then Tandakora, in his deep guttural, spoke rapidly and with heat. When he had finishedde Courcelles turned to his guests, and with a deprecatory gesture, said:

"Tandakora's heart burns with wrath. He says that you attacked him andhis party in the forest and have slain some of his warriors. "

"Tandakora lies!"

It was the Onondaga who spoke. His voice was not raised, but everysyllable was articulated clearly, and the statement came with the impactof a bullet. The tan of de Courcelles' face could not keep a momentaryflush from breaking through, but he kept his presence of mind. 

"It is easy enough to call a man a liar, " he said, "but it is anotherthing to prove it. "

"Since when, " said Tayoga, haughtily, "has the word of an Ojibway, abarbarian who knows not the law, been worth more than that of one who isa member of the clan of the Bear, of the nation Onondaga, of the greatLeague of the Hodenosaunee?"

He spoke in English, which Robert knew the Ojibway understood and whichboth Frenchmen spoke fluently. The great hand of Tandakora drifted downtoward the handle of his tomahawk, but Tayoga apparently did not seehim, his fathomless eyes again staring into the fire. Robert looked atWillet, and he saw the hunter's eye also fall upon the handle of histomahawk, a weapon which he knew the Great Bear could hurl with aswiftness and precision equal to those of any Indian. He understood atonce that Tayoga was protected by the hunter from any sudden movement bythe Ojibway and his great strain relaxed. 

De Courcelles frowned, but his face cleared in an instant. Robert, watching him now, believed he was not at all averse to a quarrel betweenthe Onondaga and the Ojibway. 

"It is not a question for me to decide, " he replied. "The differences ofthe Hodenosaunee and the western tribes are not mine, though HisMajesty, King Louis of France, wishes all his red brethren to dwelltogether in peace. Yet I but tell to you, Tayoga, what Tandakora hastold to me. He says that you three attacked him and peaceful warriorsback there in a gorge of the river, and slew some of his comrades. "

"Tandakora lies, " repeated Tayoga in calm and measured tones. "It istrue that warriors who were with them fell beneath our bullets, but theycame swimming in the night, seeking to murder us while we slept, andwhile there is yet no war between us. An Onondaga or a Mohawk or anywarrior of the Hodenosaunee hates and despises a snake. "

The words, quiet though they were, were fairly filled with concentratedloathing. The eyes of the huge Ojibway flashed and his clutch on thehandle of his tomahawk tightened convulsively, but the fixed gaze of thehunter seemed to draw him at that moment. He saw that Willet's eyes wereupon him, that every muscle was attuned and that the tomahawk would leapfrom his belt like a flash of lightning, and seeing, Tandakora paused. 

The two Frenchmen looked at Tayoga, at Tandakora and at Willet. Thenthey looked at each other, and being acute men with a full experience offorest life, they understood the silent drama. 

"I don't undertake to pass any judgment here, " said de Courcelles, aftera pause. "It is the word of one warrior against another, and I cannotsay which is the better. But since you are going to the Marquis Duquesneat Quebec, Mr. Lennox, the matter may be laid before him, and it is forthose who make charges to bring proof. "

The words were silky, but Robert saw that they were intended to weave anet. 

"We are on an official mission from the Governor of the Province of NewYork to the Governor General of Canada, " he said. "We cannot be tried atQuebec for an offense that we have never committed, and for ourcommission of which you have only the word of a barbarian who twicetried to murder us. "

The hand of Tandakora on the handle of his tomahawk again made aconvulsive movement, but the gaze of the hunter was fixed upon him withdeadly menace, and another hand equally as powerful and perhaps quickerthan his own was clutched around the handle of another tomahawk. Againthe Ojibway paused and chose the way of peace. 

"Patience, Tandakora, " said Jumonville, taking the initiative for thefirst time. "If you have suffered wrongs Onontio will avenge them. Hiseye sees everything, and he does not forget his children of the westernforests. "

"When we first saw him, " said Robert, "he was with the Chevalier RaymondLouis de St. Luc, who was going with belts from the Marquis Duquesne tothe council of the fifty chiefs in the vale of Onondaga. Now he has comeon another course, and is here far from the vale of Onondaga. "

"We will dismiss the matter, " said de Courcelles, who evidently was forpeace also. "Since you and your friends are our guests, Mr. Lennox, wecannot treat you except as such. Take to your blankets and you rest assafely with us as if you were sleeping in your own town of Albany. "

Willet removed his hand from the handle of his tomahawk, and, rising tohis full height, stretched himself and yawned. 

"We accept your pledge in the spirit in which it is given, Colonel deCourcelles, " he said, "and being worn from a long day and long toil I, for one, shall find sweet slumber here on the leaves with a kindly skyabove me. "

"Then, sir, I bid you a happy good night, " said Colonel de Courcelles. 

Without further ado the three folded their blankets them and fell asleepon the leaves. 

Robert, before closing his eyes, had felt assured that no harm wouldbefall them while they were in the camp of de Courcelles, knowing thatthe French colonel could not permit any attack in his own camp uponthose who bore an important message from the Governor of New York to theGovernor General of Canada. Hence his heart was light as he was waftedaway to the land of slumber, and it was light again when he awoke thenext morning at the first rays of dawn. 

Tayoga and Willet still slept, and he knew that they shared hisconfidence, else these wary rovers of the woods would have been watchingrather than sleeping. Jumonville also was still rolled in his blankets, but de Courcelles was up, fully dressed, and alert. Several of theCanadians and Indians were building a fire. Robert's questing eye soughtat once for the Ojibway, but he was gone, and the youth was notsurprised. His departure in the night was a relief to everybody, even tothe French, and Robert felt that an evil influence was removed. The airthat for a space the night before had been poisonous to the lungs wasnow pure and bracing. He took deep breaths, and his eyes sparkled as helooked at the vast green forest curving about them. Once more he felt tothe full the beauty and majesty of the wilderness. Habit and use couldnever dull it for him. 

De Courcelles turned upon him a frank and appreciative eye. Robert sawthat he intended to be pleasant, even genial that morning, having noreason for not showing his better side, and the lad, who was learningnot only to fence and parry with words, but also to take anintellectual pleasure in their use, was willing to meet him half way. 

"I see, Mr. Lennox, " said de Courcelles gayly, "that you are in a finehumor this morning. Your experience with the Ojibway has left no illresults. He departed in the night. One can never tell what strange ideasthese savages will take into their heads. "

"I have forgotten it, " said Robert lightly. "I knew that a Frenchgentleman could not take the word of a wild Ojibway against ours. "

De Courcelles gave him a sharp glance, but the youth's face was a mask. 

"At least, " he said, "the matter is not one of which I could dispose. Nor can any government take note of everything that passes in a vastwilderness. I, too, shall forget it. Nor is it likely that it will everbe taken before the Marquis Duquesne. Come, our breakfast will soon beready and your comrades are awakening. "

Robert walked down to a small brook, bathed his face, and returned tofind the food ready. He did not wholly trust either de Courcelles orJumonville, but their manners were good, and it was quite evident thatthey no longer wished to interfere with the progress of the mission. Tayoga and Willet also seemed to have forgotten the episode of the nightbefore, and asked no questions about Tandakora. After breakfast, thethree put their canoe back in the river, and thanking their hosts forthe courtesy of a night in their camp, shot out into the stream. DeCourcelles and Jumonville, standing on the bank, waved them farewell, and they held their paddles aloft a moment or two in salute. Then a bendshut them from view. 

"I don't trust them, " said Robert, after a long silence. "This is oursoil, but they march over it and calmly assume that it's their own. "

"King George claims it, and King Louis claims it, too, " said Willet in awhimsical tone, "but I'm thinking it belongs to neither. The ownership, I dare say, will not be decided for many a year. Now, Tayoga, what doyou think has become of that demon, Tandakora?"

The Onondaga looked at the walls of foliage on either side of the streambefore answering. 

"One cannot tell, " he said in his precise language of the schools. "Themind of the Ojibway is a fitful thing, but always it is wild andlawless. He longs, night and day, for scalps, and he covets ours most. It is because we have defeated the attempts he has made already. "

"Do you think he has gone ahead with the intention of ambushing us?Would he dare?"

"Yes, he would dare. If he were to succeed he would have little to fear. A bullet in one of our hearts, fired from cover on the bank, and thenthe wilderness would swallow him up and hide him from pursuit. He couldgo to the country around the last and greatest of the lakes, where onlythe white trapper or explorer has been. "

"It gives me a tremendously uncomfortable feeling, Tayoga, to think thatbloodthirsty wretch may be waiting for a shot at us. How are we toguard against him?"

"We must go fast and watch as we go. Our eyes are keen, and we may seehim moving among the trees. The Ojibway is no marksman, and unless wesit still it is not likely that he can hit us. "

Tayoga spoke very calmly, but his words set Robert's heart to beating, understanding what an advantage Tandakora had if he sought to lie inambush. He knew that the soul of the Ojibway was full of malice and thathis craving for scalps was as strong as the Onondaga had said it was. Had it been anyone else he would not follow them, but Robert foresaw inTandakora a bitter and persistent enemy. Both he and Willet, feeling thewisdom of Tayoga's advice, began to paddle faster. But the hunterpresently slowed down a little. 

"No use to take so much out of ourselves now that we'll just creep alonglater on, " he said. 

"The temptation to go fast is very strong, " said Robert. "You feel thenthat you're really dodging bullets. "

Tayoga was looking far ahead toward a point where the stream became muchnarrower and both banks were densely wooded, as usual. 

"If Tandakora really means to ambush us, " he said, "he will be there, because it offers the best opportunity, and it is a place that the heartof a murderer would love. Suppose that Dagaeoga and I paddle, and thatthe Great Bear rests with his rifle across his knees ready to fire atthe first flash. We know what a wonderful marksman the Great Bear is, and it may be Tandakora who will fall. "

"The plan, like most of yours, is good, Tayoga, " said Willet. "The Lordhas given me some skill with the rifle, and I have improved it withdiligent practice. I think I can watch both sides of the stream prettywell, and if the Ojibway fires I can fire back at the flash. We'll relyupon our speed to make his bullet miss, and anyway we must take thechance. You lads needn't exert yourselves until we come to the narrowpart of the stream. Then use the paddles for your lives. "

Robert found it hard to be slow, but his will took command of hismuscles and he imitated the long easy strokes of Tayoga. As the currenthelped much, their speed was considerable, nevertheless. The riverflowed, a silver torrent, in the clear light of the morning, a fishleaping up now and then in the waters so seldom stirred by any strangepresence. The whole scene was saturated with the beauty and the majestyof the wilderness, and to the eye that did not know it suggested onlypeace. But Robert often lifted his gaze from the paddle and the river tosearch the green thickets on either side. They were only casual glances, Willet being at once their sentinel and guard. 

The great hunter was never more keenly alert. His thick, powerful figurewas poised evenly in the canoe, and the long-barreled rifle lay in thehollow of his arm, his hand on the lock and his finger on the trigger. Eyes, trained by many years in the forest, searched continually amongthe trees for a figure that did not belong there, and, at the sametime, he listened for the sound of any movement not natural to thewilderness. He felt his full responsibility as the rifleman of the fleetof one canoe, and he accepted it. 

"Lads, " he said, "we're approaching the narrowest part of the river. Itruns straight, I can see a full mile ahead, and for all that distanceit's not more than thirty yards from shore to shore. Now use thestrength that you've been saving, and send the canoe forward like anarrow. Those are grand strokes, Tayoga! And yours too, Robert! Now, ourspeed is increasing! We fairly fly! Good lads! I knew you were bothwonderful with the paddle, but I did not know you were such marvels!Never mind the woods, Robert, I'm watching 'em! Faster! A little faster, if you can! I think I see something moving in a thicket on our right!Bang, there goes his rifle! Just as I expected, his bullet hit the watertwenty feet from us! And bang goes my own rifle! How do you like that, my good friend Tandakora?"

"Did you make an end of him?" asked Robert breathlessly. 

"No, " replied the hunter, although his tone was one of satisfaction. "Ihad to shoot when I saw the flash of his rifle, and I had only a glimpseof him. But I saw enough to know that my bullet took him in theshoulder. His rifle fell from his hand, and then he dropped down in theunderbrush, thinking one of you might snatch up a weapon and fire. No, Ididn't make an end of him, Robert, but I did make an end of his warfareupon us for a while. That bullet must have gone clean through hisshoulder, and for the present at least he'll have to quit scalp hunting. But how he must hate us!"

"Let him hate, " said Robert. "I don't care how much his hate increases, so long as he can't lie in ambush for us. It's pretty oppressive to havean invisible death lurking around you, unable to fend it off, and neverknowing when or where it will strike. "

"But we did fend it off, " said the big hunter, as he reloaded the rifleof which he had made such good use. "And now I can see the streamwidening ahead of us, with natural meadows on either side, where noenemy can lay an ambush. Easy now, lads! The danger has passed. Thatfiend is lying in the thicket binding up his wounded shoulder as best hecan, and tomorrow we'll be in Canada. Draw in your paddles, and I'lltake mine. You're entitled to a rest. You couldn't have done better ifyou had been in a race, and, after all, it was a race for life. "

Robert lifted his paddle and watched the silver bubbles fall from itinto the stream. Then he sank back in his seat, relaxing after his greateffort, his breath coming at first in painful gasps, but graduallybecoming long and easy. 

"I'm glad we'll be in Canada tomorrow, Dave, " he said, "because thejourney has surely been most difficult. "

"Pretty thick with dangers, that's true, " laughed the hunter, "but we'verun past most of 'em. The rest of the day will be easy, safe andpleasant. "

His prediction came true, their journey on the river continuing withoutinterruption. Two or three times they saw distant smoke rising above theforest, but they judged that it came from the camp fires of hunters, andthey paid no further attention to it. That night they took the canoefrom the river once more, carrying it into the woods and sleeping besideit, and the next day they entered the mighty St. Lawrence. 

"This is Canada, " said Willet. "Farther west we claim that our territorycomes to the river and that we have a share in it. But here it's surelyFrench by right of long occupation. We can reach Montreal by night, where we'll get a bigger boat, and then we'll go on to Quebec. It's afine river, isn't it, Robert?"

"So it is, " replied Robert, looking at the vast sheet of water, bluethen under a perfectly blue sky, flowing in a mighty mass toward thesea. Tayoga's eyes sparkled also. The young warrior could feel to thefull the splendors of the great forests, rivers and lakes of his nativeland. 

"I too shall be glad to see Stadacona, " he said, "the mighty rock thatonce belonged to a nation of the Hodenosaunee, the Mohawks, the Keepersof the Eastern Gate. "

"It is the French who have pressed upon you and who have driven you fromsome of your old homes, but it is the English who have respected allyour rights, " said Robert, not wishing Tayoga to forget who were thefriends of the Hodenosaunee. 

"It is so, " said the Onondaga. 

Taking full advantage of the current, and sparing the paddles as much asthey could, they went down the stream, which was not bare of life. Theysaw two great canoes, each containing a dozen Indians, who lookedcuriously at them, but who showed no hostility. 

"It's likely they take us for French, " said Willet. "Of what tribe arethese men, Tayoga?"

"I cannot tell precisely, " replied the Onondaga, "but they belong to thewild tribes that live in the regions north of the Great Lakes. Theybring furs either to Montreal or Quebec, and they will carry backblankets and beads and guns and ammunition. Above the Great Lakes andrunning on, no man knows how far, are many other vast lakes. It is saidthat some in the distant north are as large as Erie or Ontario orlarger, but I cannot vouch for it, as we warriors of the Hodenosauneehave never been there, hearing the tales from warriors of other tribesthat have come down to trade. "

"It's true, Tayoga, " said Willet. "I've roamed north of the Great Lakesmyself, and I've met Indians of the tribes called Cree and Assiniboine, and they've told me about those lakes, worlds and worlds of 'em, andsome of 'em so big that you can paddle days without reaching the end. Isuppose there are chains and chains of lakes running up and down ahollow in the middle of this continent of ours, though it's only a guessof mine about the middle. Nobody knows how far it is across from sea tosea. "

"We better go in closer to the shore, " said Tayoga. "A wind is comingand on so big a river big waves will rise. "

"That's so, Tayoga, " said Willet. "A little bark canoe like ours wasn'tmade to fight with billows. "

They paddled near to the southern shore, and, being protected by thehigh banks, the chief force of the wind passed over their heads. In thecenter of the stream the water rose in long combers like those of thesea, and a distant boat with oarsmen rocked violently. 

"Hugging the land will be good for us until the wind passes, " saidWillet. "Suppose we draw in among those bushes growing in the edge ofthe water and stop entirely. "

"A good idea, " said Robert, who did not relish a swamping of the canoein the cold St. Lawrence. 

A few strokes of the paddle and they were in the haven, but the threestill watched the distant boat, which seemed to be of large size, andwhich still kept in the middle of the stream. 

"It has a mast and can carry a sail when it wishes, " said Willet, aftera long examination. 

"French officers are in it, " said Tayoga. 

"I believe you are right, boy. I think I caught the glitter of auniform. "

"And the boat has steered about and is coming this way, Great Bear. TheFrench officers no doubt have the glasses that magnify, and, having seenus, are coming to discover what we are. "

"Correct again, Tayoga. They've turned their prow toward us, and, as wedon't want to have even the appearance of hiding, I think we'd betterpaddle out of the bushes and make way slowly again close to the shore. "

A few sweeps of the paddle and the canoe was proceeding once more downthe St. Lawrence, keeping in comparatively quiet waters near thesouthern side. The large boat was approaching them fast, but theypretended not to have seen it. 

"Probably it comes from Hochelaga, " said Tayoga. 

"And your Hochelaga, which is the French Montreal, was Iroquois once, also, " said Robert. 

"Our fathers and grandfathers are not sure, " replied Tayoga. "Cartierfound there a great village surrounded by a palisade, and many of ourpeople think that a nation of the Hodenosaunee, perhaps the Mohawks, lived in it, but other of our old men say it was a Huron town. It iscertain though that the Hodenosaunee lived at Stadacona. "

"In any event, most of this country was yours or races kindred to yoursowned it. So, Tayoga, you are traveling on lands and waters that oncebelonged to your people. But we're right in believing that boat has cometo spy us out. I can see an officer standing up and watching us withglasses. "

"Let 'em come, " said Willet. "There's no war--at least, not yet--andthere's plenty of water in the St. Lawrence for all the canoes, boatsand ships that England and France have. "

"If they hail us, " said Robert, "and demand, as they probably will, whatwe're about, I shall tell them that we're going to the Marquis Duquesneat Quebec and show our credentials. "

The large boat rapidly came nearer, and as men on board furled the sailothers at the oars drew it alongside the little canoe, which seemed amere cork on the waves of the mighty St. Lawrence. But Robert, Tayogaand Willet paddled calmly on, as if boats, barges and ships wereeveryday matters to them, and were not to be noticed unduly. A tallyoung man standing up in the boat hailed them in French and then inEnglish. Robert, watching out of the corner of his eye, saw that he wasfair, like so many of the northern French, that he was dressed in auniform of white with violet facings, and that his hat was black andthree-cornered. He learned afterward that it was the uniform of abattalion of Languedoc. He saw also that the boat carried sixteen men, all except the oarsmen being in uniform. 

"Who are you?" demanded the officer imperiously. 

Robert, to whom the others conceded the position of spokesman, haddecided already that his course should be one of apparent indifference. 

"Travelers, " he replied briefly, and the three bent to their paddles. 

"What travelers are you and where are you going?" demanded the officer, in the same imperious manner. 

The wash of the heavy boat made the frail canoe rock perilously, but itsthree occupants appeared not to notice it. Using wonderful skill, theyalways brought it back to the true level and maintained a steady courseahead. On board the larger boat the oarsmen, rowing hard, kept near, andfor the third time the officer demanded:

"Who are you? I represent the authority of His Majesty, King Louis ofFrance, upon this river, and unless you answer explicitly I shall ordermy men to run you down. "

"But we are messengers, " said Robert calmly. "We bear letters of greatimportance to the Marquis Duquesne at Quebec. If you sink us it's likelythe letters will go down with us. "

"It's another matter if you are on such a mission, but I must demandonce more your names. "

"The highest in rank among us is the young chief, or coming chief, Tayoga, of the clan of the Bear, of the nation Onondaga, of the greatLeague of the Hodenosaunee. Next comes David Willet, a famous hunter andscout, well known throughout the provinces of New York and Massachusettsand even in Canada, and often called by his friends, the Iroquois, theGreat Bear. As for me, I am Robert Lennox, of Albany and sometimes ofNew York, without rank or office. "

The officer abated his haughty manner. The answer seemed to please him. 

"That surely is explicit enough, " he said. "I am Louis de Galisonnière, a captain of the battalion Languedoc, stationed for the present atMontreal and charged with the duty of watching the river for alldoubtful characters, in which class I was compelled to put the three ofyou, if you gave no explanations. "

"Galisonnière! That is a distinguished name. Was there not a GovernorGeneral of Canada who bore it?"

"A predecessor of the present Governor General, the Marquis Duquesne. Itgives me pride to say that the Count de Galisonnière was my uncle. "

Robert saw that he had found the way to young Galisonnière's goodgraces through his family and he added with the utmost sincerity, too:

"New France has had many a great Governor General, as we of the Englishcolonies ought to know, from the Sieur de Roberval, through Champlain, Frontenac, de Beauharnais and on to your uncle, the Count deGalisonnière. "

Willet and the Onondaga gave Robert approving looks, and the youngFrenchman flushed with pleasure. 

"You have more courtesy and appreciation for us than most of theBostonnais, " he said. "I would talk further with you, but conversationis carried on with difficulty under such circumstances. Suppose we runinto the first cove, lift your canoe aboard, and we'll take you toMontreal, since that's our own port of destination. "

Robert agreed promptly. He wished to make a good impression upon deGalisonnière, and, since the big boat was now far safer and morecomfortable than the canoe, two ends would be served at the same time. Willet and the Onondaga also nodded in acquiescence, and a mile or twofarther on they and the canoe too went aboard de Galisonnière's stoutcraft. Then the sail was set again, they steered to the center of thestream and made speed for Montreal. 

CHAPTER VIII

GUESTS OF THE ENEMY

Captain Louis de Galisonnière proved to be a genial host, pleased withhis guests, pleased with himself, and pleased with the situation. Braveand alert, he had also a certain amount of vanity which Robert hadtickled. It was not for nothing that he was a nephew of Count deGalisonnière, once Governor General of Canada, rank and birth countingfor so much then with the French nation, and it was not for nothing, either, that he had won his captaincy by valiant and diligent service ofhis own. So it afforded him great satisfaction to be hospitable now, andalso to patronize slightly these men from the south, with whom in allprobability New France would be at war before another year had passed. It was well also to impress the Onondaga, whom his vigilant mindrecognized at once as a youth of station. None knew better than deGalisonnière the power and importance of the Iroquois, and how theymight tip the scale in a great war between the French and Britishcolonies. 

His boat, which he proudly called the _Frontenac_, after the early andgreat Governor General of Canada, was equipped with supplies needed ontrips between ports on the St. Lawrence. After providing stools for hisguests, he offered them the light wine of France, even as de Courcelleshad done, but Robert and Tayoga declined, although Willet accepted aglass. 

"We appreciate your courtesy, " said Robert, "but we descendants of theEnglish in America do not take much to wine. I find that my head is muchbetter without it. "

"The intoxicating drinks of the white men are not good for the redrace, " said Tayoga gravely. "The warriors of the Hodenosaunee are ableto fight anything else, but strong liquors take away their brains andmake them like little children who fly into passions over trifles. "

De Galisonnière looked with great interest at the young Onondaga, beingimpressed by the dignity of his manner and the soberness of his speech. 

"You speak perfect English, " he observed. 

"I learned it in a white man's school at Albany, " said Tayoga. "Lennoxwas my comrade there, just as he has been in the woods. "

"You will see a much greater town than Albany when you arrive at Quebec. You will see a noble city, on a noble site, an impregnable fortress, guarded by the most valiant troops in the world. For its like you wouldhave to cross the sea to our old land of France. "

"I have heard much of Stadacona, which you call Quebec, " said Tayoga, without any alteration of tone. "Our old men speak often of it, when itbelonged to our brethren, the Ganeagaono, known to you as the Mohawks, who never sold or ceded it to anybody. "

De Galisonnière's face fell a little, but he recovered himself quickly. 

"That was generations ago, " he said, "and time makes many shifts andchanges. There is a flux and efflux of all people, including the white, like the ceaseless movement of sand upon a beach. "

The Onondaga was silent, but Robert saw that he did not unbend, and deGalisonnière, feeling that it was unwise to pursue the topic, turned hisattention to the mighty river and its lofty wooded banks. 

"I don't believe there's another river in the world the equal of thisgiant French stream of ours, " he said. 

"Our noble British river, the Hudson, has much to say for itself, " saidRobert. 

"A grand river, in truth. I have seen it, but large and splendid as itis it lacks the length and size of the St. Lawrence. "

"It is beyond question a noble stream to travel on. One makes greaterspeed here and suffers less hardship than in the forest. "

"I am glad that I can take you to Montreal. "

"Your hospitality to us, Captain de Galisonnière, is appreciated. I havefound French officers courteous and ready to share with us all they had. You are not the first whom we have met on this journey. We encounteredfar down in our province of New York the Chevalier Raymond de St. Luc. "

"St. Luc! St. Luc! The very flower of French chivalry! He is a relativeof the famous La Corne de St. Luc, of whom you have doubtless heard, andat Quebec he is considered a model of all the qualities that make asoldier and a gentleman. "

"He made a like impression upon me. Farther north we were so fortunateas to meet more of your countrymen, Colonel de Courcelles and Captain deJumonville. "

"I know them both! Brave officers!" said de Galisonnière. 

But he turned away the conversation from the Frenchmen who had gone downinto territory that Robert considered a portion of the Province of NewYork, and the lad surmised that, knowing a good deal about the nature oftheir errands, he feared lest he might reveal something through chanceallusions. Instead, he talked of the St. Lawrence, Montreal, and theglories of Quebec to which he hoped he might return soon. He addressedmost of his talk to Robert, but he spoke at times to Willet and Tayoga, both of whom responded briefly. The wind meanwhile remained strong, andit was not necessary to use the oars, the large sail carrying themswiftly toward Montreal. Robert, while talking with de Galisonnière, watched eagerly the two shores, seeing the smoke rise from the stout loghouses of the Canadians, and once the tall steeple of a churchdominating a little village, and seeming out of all proportion to thecongregation that surrounded it. 

"Yes, the church is very powerful with us, " said de Galisonnière, following his eyes and noting his expression. "It suits our people, particularly our good Canadian French. Our priests are patriotic, brave, self-sacrificing, and are a power in our dealings with the Indians. "

"I know it, " said Robert. 

At night they reached Montreal, then much inferior in size andimportance to Quebec, the canoe was lifted from the _Frontenac_, andafter many exchanges of courtesies, the three went to an inn. 

"If chance offers, " said Robert, "we shall be glad to help you as youhave helped us. "

"One never knows, " said de Galisonnière. "You and I need not concealfrom each other that there is much talk of war between England andFrance, which, of course, would mean war also between the English andFrench colonies. If it comes, and come it will, I think, I trust that noill luck will befall you upon the battlefield. "

"And I wish you as well, " said Robert, sincerely. 

The canoe was left in trustworthy hands, it being their purpose to sellit on the morrow and buy a larger boat, and they walked through thestreets of this town of Hochelaga toward their inn. There were otherIndians on the street--French Indians they were called to distinguishthem from those who formed a British alliance--but none could becompared with Tayoga, arrayed in the full splendor of a coming chief ofthe clan of the Bear, of the nation Onondaga, of the League of theHodenosaunee. Never had he borne himself more haughtily, never had hisheight appeared greater or his presence grander. Robert, looking at him, felt that if St. Luc was the very flower of French chivalry, this youngcomrade of his was to an even greater degree the very spirit andessence of all that was best in the great League of the Hodenosaunee. 

The Indians--Hurons, Abenakis, St. Regis, Ottawas, and warriors fromfarther west--watched Tayoga with fascinated eyes. They knew perfectlywell who the tall youth was, that he belonged to the great Iroquoisleague, and they knew, too, in their secret hearts that he had thesuperiority which Onondaga, Mohawk and their allied nations claimed. Hence, while their looks sometimes expressed an unwilling admiration, they were also charged always with hostility and hate. But Tayogaapparently took no notice. Once more he was the Greek to whom all outerpeoples were barbarians. 

"I don't think the French can make much progress with him, " whisperedWillet to Robert. "As the Indian has no written language, his memory islong. When we reach Quebec he'll never forget for an instant that it wasonce Stadacona, a village of the Mohawks, the Keepers of the EasternGate, and one of the great nations of the Hodenosaunee. "

"No, he will not, " said Robert, "and look who is waiting to meet us!"

Standing before a low house, which was crowded with the goods of a furtrader, were a half-dozen Indians, wild and savage in looks to the lastdegree, and in the center was one whose shoulder was bound tightly witha great roll of deerskin. In stature he rose far above the otherwarriors, and he had a thickness in proportion. The hate that the resthad shown when they looked upon Tayoga was nothing to his, which wasthe very concentrated essence of all malice. 

"Our good friend, Tandakora, despite his wound seems to have arrivedahead of us, " said Willet to Robert. 

"Yes, and he shows very clearly that he would like to give Tayoga to thetorture with himself as torturer, and yet he must know that it was youwho put the bullet through his shoulder. "

"Quite true, Robert, but he resents the Onondaga more than he does us. We are strangers, aliens to him, and he makes no comparisons with us, but Tayoga is an Indian like himself, whom he has fought against, andagainst whom he has failed. Watch us pass. For Tayoga, Tandakora willnot exist, and it will instill more poison into the heart of theOjibway. "

Willet was a good prophet. The Onondaga walked within five feet of theOjibway, but he did not show by the slightest sign that he was aware ofthe existence of Tandakora. The entire little drama, played by thechildren of the forest, was perfectly clear. Tandakora was dirt underthe feet of Tayoga, and Tandakora felt that it was so. His heart burnedwithin him and a twinge through his shoulder added to his anger. Yet hewas powerless there in Montreal with the French troops about, and hecould merely glare impotently while the three walked by ignoring hisexistence. But they did not forget him, and each in his heart resolvedto be on watch against treacherous attack. 

They found on the slope of a high hill the inn to which de Galisonnièrehad recommended them, and obtained quarters for the night. MonsieurJolivet, the proprietor, had lodged Indians before, great chiefstreating with the French Government, and he did not think it strangethat Tayoga should come there. In truth, Monsieur Jolivet was a thriftyman who despised no patronage for which the pay was assured, and sincepeace still existed between France and Great Britain he was quitewilling to entertain any number of Bostonnais at his most excellent innon the slope of a high hill overlooking the St. Lawrence. Willet hadshown him the color of gold, and from natural ability and longexperience as an innkeeper being a shrewd reader of faces he was surethat his three unusual guests could be trusted. 

Willet knew Canada better than Robert, and now he acted as spokesman. 

"We will sleep here only one night, " he said, "because early tomorrowmorning we take boat for Quebec. We three will occupy one large room. You have such a room with three beds, have you not?"

"I have the room, " responded Monsieur Jolivet promptly, "and the bedscan be put in it at once. Then all will be arranged quickly by Lizetteand Marie, the maids. Will you permit my man, François, to carry yourweapons to the chamber now?"

"I think not, " replied Willet, giving his rifle an affectionate look. "I've lived so long with this good old rifle of mine that we hate to beparted even for an hour. Tayoga and Mr. Lennox are younger than I am, but they're beginning to feel the same way about their arms. If youdon't mind, Monsieur Jolivet, we'll keep our weapons with us. "

"Ah, I see, sir, that you're a man of sentiment, " said Monsieur Jolivet, laughing and rubbing his hands. "It is well that one can feel it in thisrough world of ours. But will Monsieur see a young officer who has comefrom the commandant? Merely a little inquiry about your identity and anexamination of your papers, if you have any. It's according to ourcustom, and it's just a formality, nothing more. "

Robert knew that it was far from being a formality, but his comrades andhe had nothing to fear, as their mission was duly accredited and theycarried the letters to the Marquis Duquesne. The young officer, aFrenchman of Canadian birth, entered presently, and with the courtesycharacteristic of the French race, a trait that Robert liked, asked foran account of themselves, which was given readily. As usual the effectof the letters addressed to the Marquis Duquesne was magical, and, asthe officer withdrew, he tendered them all the help he could give for aspeedy and pleasant voyage to Quebec. 

Monsieur Jolivet gave them a supper in his best style. Although a nativeof New France he was of Provençal blood, and he had a poetic strain. Heoffered to his guests not an excellent inn alone, but a magnificent viewalso, of which he made full use. The evening being warm with a soft andsoothing wind, Marie and Lizette set the table in a little garden, inwhich early flowers were blooming already, offering delicate colors ofpink and rose and pale blue. The table was spread with a white cloth, and silver and china were not lacking. The eyes of Robert, who had afastidious taste, glistened. 

"Monsieur Jolivet may be our enemy or not, " he said, "but I like him. Itis not often that one can dine at such an inn, with such a view ofmountain, forest and magnificent river. In truth, the French do somethings well. "

"They surpass us in the matter of inns, " said Willet. "They think moreabout it--and take more trouble. I'm sorry we have to quarrel with theFrench. They're good people, though they haven't been oversqueamish inthe use of savages against us, and they're really responsible for thecruelties done by the painted demons. "

He spoke freely of red "savages" before Tayoga, knowing that the youngOnondaga would never think of applying the word to himself. Willet hadshown too often that he considered the people of the Hodenosaunee theequals of anybody. Then he took their three rifles, laid them togetheron the grass by the side of a graveled walk and, looking at the vastexpanse of mountain, forest and river, drew a deep breath. 

"It's not much like fighting for our lives back there in the gorge, isit, Robert?" he asked. "It's a strange world here in America. We'relying in a rocky hollow one day, shooting at people who are shooting atus, and both sides shooting to kill, and two or three days later we'resitting at an inn in a town, eating off silver and china. "

"It's a quick and pleasant transformation, " said Robert, appreciatively. 

He would have called it supper, but in Montreal it was dinner, and itwas served by Lizette and Marie. There was fish from the St. Lawrence, chicken, beef, many vegetables, good white bread and coffee, allprepared in the excellent manner characteristic of Monsieur Jolivet'sfamous inn. Tayoga ate abundantly but delicately. He had learned the useof knife and fork at the school in Albany, and, like Robert, he wasfastidious at the table. 

Monsieur Jolivet, after his manner, gave them much of his own presence. One must be polite to the Bostonnais at such a time. He discoursed quitefreely of Montreal, and of its advantages as a great trading post withthe Indians, who already brought there vast quantities of furs. It wouldbecome one of the greatest and most brilliant jewels in the Frenchcrown, second perhaps only to Paris. But for the present, the chiefglory of New France could be seen only at Quebec Ah, when the Bostonnaisarrived there they would behold great lords and great ladies!

The three listened, each interested in his own way. Robert's fancy sawthe silken splendor of a vice-regal court, and, anxious to know thelarger world, he was more glad than ever that he had come upon thiserrand, dangerous though it had proved to be. 

They sat a while after the dinner was over, looking down at the town andthe great view beyond, a clear moon and brilliant stars casting a silverlight which illuminated almost like the day. They saw lights gleamingin houses, and now and then shadowy figures passing. Out in the river aboat with a mast rocked in the current, and Robert believed it was the_Frontenac_ of Louis de Galisonnière. 

As the dusk thickened over the great river, the island, the hills andthe forest, Hochelaga seemed very small, and the inn of the excellentMonsieur Jolivet was just a tiny point of light in all that vastdarkness. It shone, nevertheless, by contrast, and was a little islandof warmth and comfort in the sea of the wilderness. Monsieur Jolivet, who was deeply interested in the Bostonnais and the proud youngIroquois, talked freely. Under his light and chattering manner lay greatpowers of perception, and he saw that he had guests of quality, each inhis own way. The hunter even was not an ordinary hunter, but, asMonsieur Jolivet judged, a man of uncommon intellectual power, and alsoof education. He would discover as much about them as he could, for hisown personal gratification, because he might give valuable informationto the commandant at Montreal, who was his friend, and because later onhe might speak a useful word or two in the ear of Louis de Galisonnière, whom he knew well and whose good opinion he valued. 

Robert, who was in a cheerful mood and who wished to exercise his giftof golden speech, met him half way, and enlarged upon the splendor andpower of Britain, the great kingdom that bestrode the Atlantic, seatedimmovable in Europe, and yet spreading through her colonies in America, increasing and growing mightier all the time. It was soon a test ofeloquence between him and Monsieur Jolivet, in which each was seekingto obtain from the other an expression of the opinion that swayed hiscountry. The Onondaga was silent, and the hunter spoke only a word ortwo, but each listened intently to the dialogue, which, however earnestit might be, never went beyond the bounds of good humor. 

"I cannot make you see the truth, " said Monsieur Jolivet, at last, smiling and spreading his hands. "I cannot convince you that France isthe first of nations, the nation of light and learning and humanity, andyet it is so. And seated here upon the St. Lawrence we shall build upanother France, the New France of America, which will shed light uponyou English or Bostonnais down below, and teach you the grace and beautyof civilization. "

"We should be willing to learn from any who can teach us, " said Robert, "and such a willingness I claim is a chief merit of us English who areborn in America, or Bostonnais, as you would call us. "

Monsieur Jolivet once more spread out his hands in deprecation. 

"We argue in vain, " he said. "But now Lizette comes with the coffee, which is one of the most glorious triumphs of my inn. Does the youngchief drink coffee?"

"Yes, " replied Robert, "he learned at Albany all the white man'shabits. "

After the coffee they rose from the table and mine host prepared to showthem to their room. The darkness had thickened meanwhile and glimpses ofthe river and the hills were faint. The little garden was enclosed bythree walls of darkness, being lighted on the side where it joined theinn. Yet Robert thought he saw a shifting figure blacker than theshadows in which it moved. 

Marie and Lizette took away the silver and china and Monsieur Jolivetwent ahead to show them to their room. Then something whistled in thedarkness, and an arrow buried to the head of the barb stood out in therear wall of the inn. The three seized their rifles, but the darkershadow in the shadows was gone. Tayoga broke off the arrow level withthe wall, and threw the shaft into the garden. 

"It was Tandakora, " he said, "seeking revenge. But since the arrow hassped wrong he will not loose another shaft tonight. If it had not beenfor his wounded shoulder the arrow might have gone true. It was atreacherous deed, worthy of the savage Ojibway. "

"I hope the time will come, " said Willet, "when I shall send a bulletnot through Tandakora's shoulder, but through his heart. I don't lovethe shedding of blood, but the forest will be a better forest withouthim. Meanwhile, say nothing, lads. Monsieur Jolivet is coming back, butdon't mention the arrow to him. He may find the head of it later on inthe wall, and then he can wonder about it as much as he pleases. "

Mine host bustled back. The foul and treacherous attempt, the breakingoff of the arrow, and the comment upon it had taken less than a minute, and, good observer though he was, he noticed nothing unusual in theappearance of his guests. They carried their rifles in their hands, butmany visitors to Montreal did the same, and as they were beautifulweapons they might well guard against their loss. 

"Follow me, my Bostonnais, " he said lightly. "I have the great room withthree beds for you, and I trust that you have enjoyed the dinner. "

"We have enjoyed it greatly, all of it, Monsieur Jolivet, and especiallythe dessert, " replied Robert with meaning. 

"Ah, the pastry, " said Monsieur Jolivet, clasping his hands. "It isMarie who made it. It is the gift that she has, and I shall tell her ofyour praise. "

But Robert was not thinking of the pastry. It was of the arrow that hespoke as dessert, although the excellent Monsieur Jolivet was destinednever to know the hidden significance of his words. The room which heshowed them with so much pride was a large apartment worthy of theirpraise, having a polished, shining floor of oak, with furs spread hereand there upon it, and a low ceiling crossed with mighty beams also ofoak. Robert looked at the windows, three in number, and he saw withsatisfaction that they had heavy shutters. Monsieur Jolivet's glancefollowed his own, and he said:

"The shutters are for use in the winter, when the great colds come, andthe fierce winds rage. But you, messieurs, who live so much in theforest, will, of course, prefer to keep them wide open tonight. "

Robert murmured assent, but when Monsieur Jolivet departed, wishingthem a polite good night, he looked at his comrades. 

"We are used to air, " said Willet, "and lots of it, but those shutterswill be closed until morning. As Tayoga truly said, he will hardly dareanother arrow, but we mustn't take any risk, however small. "

Tayoga nodded approval, and drawing the shutters close, they fastenedthem. Then they undressed and lay down upon their beds, but eachprepared to sleep with his rifle beside him. 

"The catches on those shutters are good and strong, " said Willet, "andTandakora, even if he should come again, won't try to break them. Itwouldn't suit the purposes of the French for a warrior of a tribe alliedwith them to be caught trying to murder English visitors, and, thatbeing the case, I expect to go to sleep soon and sleep well. "

He was as good as his word. Robert, who blew out the candle, soon heardhis regular breathing. Tayoga, who was used to rooms, the Iroquoisthemselves having strong log houses, quickly followed him in slumber, but young Lennox was not able to compose his nerves for a little while. He was perhaps more sensitive and imaginative than his comrades, or theclose air may have kept him awake. He could not help feeling thatTandakora was outside trying the fastenings of the shutters, and at lastrising, he walked on tiptoe and listened at every window in turn. Heheard nothing without but the breathing of the gentle wind, and then, knowing that it had been only his vivid fancy, he went back to bed andslept soundly. 

"Wake up, Robert, and breathe this air! After our having been sealed upin a room all night the breeze is heavenly. "

The shutters were thrown back, and the hunter and Tayoga, fully dressed, stood by the windows. The air, fresh, life-giving, coming over the greatforests and the mighty river, was pouring into the room in streams, andTayoga and Willet were facing it, in order that they might receive itstraight upon their foreheads. Robert joined them, and soon felt as ifhe had been created anew and stronger. 

"I'll never again sleep in a room closed tight and hard, " said Willet, "not even to protect my life. I've roamed the free woods for so manyyears that I think another such experience would make me choke todeath. "

"I'm not in love with it myself, " said Robert, "but it makes the worldoutside look all the grander and all the more beautiful. "

At their wish breakfast was served for them by Monsieur Jolivet in thegarden, Willet insisting that for the present he could not stay anylonger in a house. Robert from his seat could see the end of the brokenbarb embedded in the wall, but neither mine host nor any of hisassistants had yet noticed it. 

Monsieur Jolivet was pleased that they should have such a brilliant dayto begin their journey to Quebec, and he was telling them where theycould sell their canoe and buy a good boat when Louis de Galisonnièreappeared in the garden and presented them the compliments of themorning. He looked so trim and so gay that he brought with him acheerful breeze, and the three felt the effect of it, although theywondered at the nature of his errand there. Robert invited him to jointhem at breakfast and he accepted their invitation, taking a roll andbutter and a cup of coffee after the French custom which even thenprevailed. 

"I see that you've slept well, " he said, "and that the inn of MonsieurJolivet is as kind to the Bostonnais as it is to the French and theCanadians. "

"Its hospitality to us could be no finer if we came from Paris itself, instead of the Province of New York, " said Robert. "Our stay in Canadahas been short, but most interesting. "

Monsieur Jolivet had gone into the inn, and de Galisonnière said:

"Montreal is a fine town and I would not depreciate it in the presenceof our host, but as I have told you before, our Quebec to which you aregoing is the true glory of New France. My knowledge that you're goingthere is the reason why I've come here this morning. "

"How is that?" asked Robert

"Because I received orders last night to depart in the _Frontenac_ forQuebec, a journey that I undertake with great willingness, since ittakes me where I wish to go. I have also the authority of the commandantto ask your presence as guests for the voyage on board my vessel. Untilwe French and you English actually go to war we might as well befriends. "

Robert glanced at Tayoga and Willet and they nodded slightly. Then hereplied warmly that they accepted the invitation and would go with muchpleasure in the _Frontenac_. After breakfast they sold the canoe andembarked presently, having first said goodby to Monsieur Jolivet, whowith his best napkin, waved them farewell. 

Robert was more than pleased at their good luck. The _Frontenac_ offeredthem a better passage than any boat they could buy and have to rowperhaps with their own strength. Moreover, they were already onexcellent terms with de Galisonnière, and it would be a good thing forthem to arrive at Quebec in his company. 

A strong wind was blowing, and the _Frontenac_ moved swiftly over thesurface of the great stream which was like liquid green glass thatmorning. The three had put their weapons, including Tayoga's bow andarrows, in the cabin, and they sat on deck with de Galisonnière, wholooked with pride at the magnificent river which was the very artery oflife in the New France of the chevaliers. Robert's own heart throbbed ashe knew that this last stage of their journey would take them to famousQuebec. 

"If the St. Lawrence didn't freeze over for such a long period, " said deGalisonnière, "this region would become in time the greatest empire inthe world. "

"But isn't that a huge 'if'?" asked Robert, laughing. 

De Galisonnière smiled. 

"It is, " he said, "but New France is the chief jewel in the Frenchcrown, nevertheless. In time the vice-regal court at Quebec will rule anempire greater than that of France itself. Think of the huge lakes, thegreat rivers, the illimitable forests, beyond them the plains over whichthe buffalo herds roam in millions, and beyond them, so they say, rangeon range of mountains and forests without end. "

"I have been thinking of them, " said Robert, "but I've been thinking ofthem in a British way. "

De Galisonnière laughed again and then grew serious. 

"It's natural, " he said, "that you should think of them in a Britishway, while I think of them in a French way. I suppose we shall have war, Mr. Lennox, but doesn't it seem strange that England and France shouldfight about American territory, when there's so much of it? Here's acontinent that civilized man cannot occupy for many generations. BothEngland and France could be hidden away in its forests, and it wouldtake explorers to find them, and yet we must fight over a claim toregions that we cannot occupy. "

Robert decided then that he liked young de Galisonnière very much. Somesuch thoughts had been passing through his own mind, and he was gladthat he could talk frankly about the coming war with one who would be onthe other side, one who would be an official but not a personal enemy. As the _Frontenac_ slid on through the tumbling green current theytalked earnestly. Willet, sitting near, glanced at them occasionally, but he too had plenty of thoughts of his own, while Tayoga, sayingnothing, gazed at the high green southern shore. This, so the old mensaid, had once been the land of the Mohawks, one of the great nationsof the Hodenosaunee, and now the children of Onontio, who had come withfirearms against bows and arrows, spoke of it as theirs since Manitoufirst made the land rise from the deep. Tayoga was silent but he hadmany thoughts, and they were thoughts that came to him often and stayedlong. 

"De Courcelles and Jumonville, whom you met in the forest, " said deGalisonnière, at length, "arrived in Montreal early last night, andafter a stay of only two or three hours sailed in a schooner forQuebec. "

"Did you see them at all while they were in Montreal?" asked Robert, whoseemed to detect significance in the young Frenchman's tone. 

"Only for a few moments, " replied de Galisonnière, and Robert, judgingthat he wished to avoid more talk on the subject, made no furtherreference to de Courcelles. But the knowledge that he had gone on aheadto Quebec troubled him. De Courcelles was not so young and frank as deGalisonnière, nor did he seem to have the fine soul and chivalric spiritof St. Luc. Robert felt the three had cause to fear him. 

But the journey down the St. Lawrence continued without serious delay, although the wind failed now and then and they took to the oars. It wasa voyage full of variety and interest to Robert. He slept that nightwith his comrades on the deck of the _Frontenac_, and the next morninghe found a strong wind again blowing. 

In time they approached Quebec, and saw the increasing signs ofpopulation that betokened proximity to what was then in the eyes ofNorth Americans a great capital. On either shore they saw the manorhouses of the seigneurs, solid stone structures, low, steep of roof andgabled, with clustering outhouses, and often a stone mill near by. Thechurches also increased in numbers, and at one point the _Frontenac_stopped and took on a priest, a tall strongly built man of middle years, with a firm face. De Galisonnière introduced him as Father PhilibertDrouillard, and Robert felt his penetrating gaze upon his face. Then itshifted to Willet and Tayoga, resting long upon the Onondaga. 

Robert, knowing the great power of the church in Canada, was curiousabout Father Drouillard, whom he knew at once to be no ordinary man. Hislean ascetic face seemed to show the spirit that had marked Jogues andGoupil and those other early priests whom no danger nor Indian torturecould daunt. But he was too polite to ask questions, feeling that timewould bring him all the information he wanted, in which he was right, asde Galisonnière said later in the day when Father Drouillard was sittingin the little cabin out of hearing:

"A man of influence at Quebec. He has no parish, nor seems to wish any, but he is deep in the councils of the Church. It is known, too, that hecorresponds with Rome, with the Holy Father himself, 'tis said, andthere are men high in office at Quebec who wish that he might be calledfrom New France back to the old land. François Bigot, the Intendant, does not love him, nor does anyone of the group about Bigot, neither hiscommissary general, Cadet, nor Pean, the Town Mayor of Quebec, norDescheneaux, nor the others of that group. It's a gorgeous life that ourown court circle leads at Quebec, and at the great Chateau Bigot, in themidst of its walks and flowers and gardens. I don't know why I'm tellingyou these things, Mr. Lennox! It seems they should be the very last tosay to one's official enemy, but I can't feel that I'm doing anythingwrong when I do tell them to you. "

His bright face was in gloom for a few moments, and Robert, quick inperception, had a sudden feeling that this brilliant Quebec, envelopedin so much color and glamour, might not be so sound within as theEnglish towns to the south, despite their wrangling. But it merelyincreased his anxiety to see Quebec. Life would be all the more complexthere. 

The great river spread before them, blue now under a dazzling blue sky, and the stout _Frontenac_ left a long white trailing wake. A stonehouse, larger than usual, showed through the green foliage on the southbank. Father Drouillard gazed at it, and his face darkened. Presently hearose and shook his hand towards the house, as if he were delivering acurse. 

"The chateau that you see belongs to the young Count Jean de Mézy, afriend of the Intendant, Bigot. Sometimes they come from their revels atBeaumanoir to the Chateau de Mézy, and continue them there. Now you cansee why Father Drouillard, who sympathizes with our _honnêtes gens_, delivers his malediction. "

The priest returned to his seat, and averted his face. An hour later themighty rock of Quebec rose before them. 

CHAPTER IX

AT THE INN

When Quebec came into view Robert stood up and looked long at the greatrock and the town that crowned it, hung on its slopes and nestled at thefoot of the cliffs below. Brilliant sunshine gilded its buildings ofstone and gray wood, and played like burnished gold on the steeples ofits many churches. In the distance the streets leading up the steepcliffs looked like mere threads, but in the upper town the great publicbuildings, the Intendant's Palace, the Cathedral, Notre Dame de laVictoire, the convents of the Ursuline Nuns and the Recollet Friars, theBishop's Palace, and others raised for the glory and might of France, were plainly visible. 

In more than one place he saw the Bourbon lilies floating and from thelittle boat on which he stood in the stream it looked like a grim andimpregnable fortress of the Old World. The wonderful glow of the air, and the vast river flowing at its feet, magnified and coloredeverything. It was a city ten times its real size and the distanceturned gray wood to gray stone. Everything was solid, immovable, and itseemed fit to defy the world. 

Robert felt a catch in his breath. He had often seen Quebec, great andbeautiful, in his dreams, but the reality was equal to it and more. Tothe American of that day Quebec was one of the vital facts of life. Fromthat fortress issued the daring young French soldiers of fortune who ledthe forays against New York and New England. It was the seat of thepower that threatened them continually. Many of the Bostonnais, seizedin their fields, had been brought here as prisoners to be returned homeonly after years, or never. From this citadel, too, poured the stream ofarms and presents for the Indians who were to lie in ambush along theEnglish border, or to make murderous incursions upon the villages. Fromit flowed the countless dangers that had threatened the northernprovinces almost continually for a century and a half. The Bostonnaisthemselves, mark of the initiative and energy that were to distinguishthem so greatly later on, made a mighty effort against it, and doubtlesswould have succeeded, had they been allowed to carry the fight to afinish. 

No man from New York or New England could look upon it without amingling of powerful emotions. It was the Carthage to their Rome. Headmired and yet he wished to conquer. He felt that permanent safetycould never come to the northern border until the Bourbon lilies ceasedto float over the great fortress that looked down on the St. Lawrence. Robert was not the only one who felt strong emotion. Tayoga stood besidehim, his nostrils expanding and his gaze fierce:

"Stadacona!" he said under his breath, "Stadacona of the Ganeagaono, our great brother nation!"

But the emotion of de Galisonnière was of pleasure only. His eyessparkled with joy and admiration. He was delighted to come back toQuebec, the gay city that he beheld through the eyes of youth andglowing recollections. He knew the corruption and wickedness of Bigotand of Cadet and of Pean and of the whole reckless circle about theIntendant, but Quebec, with its gallant men and its beautiful women; itsmanners of an Old World aristocracy and its air of a royal court, hadmany pleasures, and why should youth look too far into the future?

And yet another stood up and looked at Quebec, with emotions all hisown, and unlike those of the three who were so young. Father Drouillard, tall in his black robe, gazed fixedly at the rock, and raised his handin a gesture much like that with which he had cursed the chateau ofCount Jean de Mézy. His eyes were set and stern, but, as the sun fell infloods of burnished gold on the cathedral and the convents, his accusinglook softened, became sad, then pitying, then hopeful. 

"A wonderful sight, Father Drouillard, " said Willet, who stood at hiselbow and who also gazed at Quebec with feelings quite his own. "I'veseen it before, but I can never see it too often. "

"Mr. Willet, " said the priest, "you and I are greater in years thanthese youths, and perhaps for that reason we can look farther into thefuture. Youth fears nothing, but age fears everything. You come toQuebec now in peace, and I trust that you may never come in war. I canfeel, nay I can see the clouds gathering over our two lands. Why shouldwe fight? On a continent so vast is there not room enough for all?"

"Room and to spare, " replied the hunter, "but as you say, FatherDrouillard, you and I have lived longer than these youths, and age hasto think. If left to themselves I've no doubt that New France and theEnglish colonies could make a lasting peace, but the intrigues, thejealousies and the hates of the courts at London and Paris keep ourforests, four thousand miles away, astir. When the Huron buries hisarrow in the heart of a foe the motive that sent him to the deed mayhave had its start in Europe, but the poor savage never knows it. "

The priest sighed, and looked at Willet with an awakened curiosity. 

"I see that you're a man of education, " he said, "and that you think. What you say is true, but the time will come when other minds than thoseof vain and jealous courtiers will sway the fortunes of all these vastregions. I have asked you nothing of your mission in Quebec, Mr. Willet, but I hope that I will see you again before you return. "

"I hope so too, " said the hunter sincerely. 

The _Frontenac_ now drew in to a wharf between the Royal Battery and theDauphin's Battery, and Robert was still all eyes for the picturesquesights that awaited him in the greatest French town of the New World. DeGalisonnière was hailed joyously by young officers and he made joyousreplies. Robert, as they landed, saw anew and in greater detail theimmense strength of Quebec. 

He beheld the line of huge earthworks that Frontenac had built from theriver St. Charles to Cape Diamond, and he saw the massive redoubts linedwith heavy cannon. Now, he wondered at the boldness of the NewEnglanders who had assailed the town with so much vigor, and who mighthave taken it. 

"I recommend to you, " said de Galisonnière, "that you go to the Inn ofthe Eagle in the Upper Town. It is kept by Monsieur Berryer, who as ahost is fully equal to Monsieur Jolivet of Montreal, and the merits ofMonsieur Jolivet are not unknown to you. "

"They are not, " said Robert heartily, "and we may thank you, Captain deGalisonnière, for your great courtesy in bringing us from Montreal. Wecan only hope for a time in which we shall be able to repay yourkindness. "

After they had slipped some silver pieces to the boatmen and had saidfarewell to Captain de Galisonnière, they took their way up a steepstreet, a swarthy French-Canadian porter carrying their baggage. Here, as at Montreal, the most attention was attracted by Tayoga, and, ifpossible, the young Onondaga grew more haughty in appearance and manner. His moccasined feet spurned the ground, and he gazed about with a fierceand defiant eye. 

Robert knew well what was stirring the spirit of the Onondaga. This wasnot the Quebec of the French, it was the Stadacona of the Mohawks, thegreat brother nation of the Onondagas, and the French here were butinterlopers and robbers. 

But Robert soon lost thought of Tayoga as he looked at the crowded city, and its mingling of the splendid and the squalid, its French andFrench-Canadians, its soldiers and priests and civilians and Indians, its great stone houses, and its wooden huts, its young officers in finewhite uniforms and its swarthy _habitants_ in brown homespun. Albany hadits Dutch, and New York had its Dutch, too, and people from many partsof Europe, but Quebec was different, something altogether new, without atrace of English or Dutch about it, and, for that reason, it made agreat appeal to his curiosity. 

A light open carriage drawn by two stout ponies passed them at anamazing pace considering the steepness of the street, and they saw in ita florid young man in a splendid costume, his powdered hair tied in aqueue. 

"De Mézy, " said the priest, who was just behind them. 

Then they knew that it was the young man, the companion of Bigot in hisrevels, against whose chateau Father Drouillard had raised histhreatening hands. Now the priest spoke the name with the most intensescorn and contempt, and Robert, feeling that he might encounter de Mézyagain in this pent-up Quebec, gazed at his vanishing figure withcuriosity. They had their gay blades in New York and Albany and even afew in Boston of the Puritans, but he had not seen anybody like de Mézy. 

"It is such as he who are pulling down New France, " murmured FatherDrouillard. 

A moment or two later the priest said farewell and departed in thedirection of the cathedral. 

"There goes a man, " said Willet, as he looked after the tall figure inthe black robe. "I don't share in the feeling of church against church. I don't see any reason why Protestant should hate Catholic and Catholicshould hate Protestant. I've lived long enough and seen enough to knowthat each church holds good men, and unless I make a big mistake, and Idon't think I make any mistake at all, Father Drouillard is not only agood man, but he has a head full of sense and he's as brave as a lion, too. "

"Lots of priests are, " said Robert. "Nobody ever endured the Indiantortures better than they. And what's the figure over the doorway, Dave?"

"That, Robert, is Le Chien d'Or, The Golden Dog. It's the sign put up byNicholas Jaquin, whom they often called Philibert. This is his warehouseand he was one of the _honnêtes gens_ that we've been talking about. Hefought the corrupt officials, he tried to make lower prices for thepeople, and beneath his Golden Dog he wrote:"

 "Je suis un chien qui ronge l'os, En le rongeant je prends mon repos; Un jour viendra qui n'est pas venu, Que je mordrai qui m'aura mordu. "

"That is, some day the dog will bite those who have bitten him?"

"That's about it, Robert, and I suppose it generally comes true. If youkeep on striking people some of them in time will strike you and strikeyou pretty hard. "

"And does Philibert still run his warehouse beneath his sign of theGolden Dog?"

"No, Robert. He was too brave, or not cautious enough, and theyassassinated him, but there are plenty of others like him. The Frenchare a brave and honest people, none braver or more honest. I tell youso, because I know them, but their government is corrupt through andthrough. The House of Bourbon is dying of its own poison. It may seemstrange to you, hearing me say it here in the Western world, so far fromVersailles, but I'm not the only one who says so. "

"But I like Quebec, " said Robert. "I haven't seen another city thatspeaks to the eye so much. "

They were now well into the Upper Town, and the porter guided them tothe Inn of the Eagle, where Monsieur Paul Berryer, the host, gave them awelcome, and from whom they learned that the Governor General, theMarquis Duquesne, was absent in the east, but would return in two orthree days. Robert was not sorry for the delay, as it would give them achance to see the city, and perhaps, through de Galisonnière, makeacquaintances among the French officers. 

They were able to secure a large room with three beds, and both Robertand Willet drew from their small store of baggage suits quite in thefashion, three-cornered hats, fine coats and waistcoats, knee breeches, stockings and buckled shoes, and as a last and crowning triumph theyproduced handsome small swords or rapiers that they buckled to theirbelts. 

"That canoe of ours wasn't large, but it brought a lot in it, " said thehunter. 

Robert surveyed himself in a small glass, and his clothes brought greatpride. A chord in his nature responded to splendor of raiment, and thesurroundings of the great world. Quebec might be corrupt but he couldnot hide from himself his immense interest in it. He noticed, too, thatWillet wore his fine costume naturally. 

"It's not the first time that you've been in such clothes, Dave, " hesaid, "and it's not the first time that you've been in a society likethat which makes its home in Quebec. "

"No, it is not, " replied Willet, "and some time, Robert, I'll tell youabout those days, but not now. "

Tayoga remained in his dress of a young Indian chief. Even if he had hadany other he would not have put it on, and the fine deerskin and thelofty headdress became him and stamped him for what he was, a prince ofthe forest. He held in his heart, too, a deeper feeling against theFrench than any that animated either Robert or Willet. He could notforget that this was not Quebec, but Stadacona of the Ganeagaono, whoserights were also the rights of the other nations of the Hodenosaunee, and it was here that Frontenac, who had slaughtered the Iroquois, hadmade his home and fortress. The heart of Tayoga of the clan of the Bearof the nation Onondaga, of the great League of the Hodenosaunee, burnedwithin him and the blood in his veins would not grow cool. 

"I suppose, Dave, " said Robert, "since we have to wait two days for theMarquis Duquesne, that we might go forth at once and begin seeing thetown. "

"Food first, " said the hunter. "We've come a long journey on the riverand we'll test the quality of the, inn. "

It was too cool for the little terrace that adjoined the Inn of theEagle, and Monsieur Berryer had a table set for them in the greatdining-room, which had an oaken floor, oaken beams and much china andglass on shelves about the walls, the whole forming an apartment inwhich the host took a just pride. It was gayer and brighter than theinns of Albany and New York, and again Robert found his spiritresponding to it. 

A fire of light wood that blazed and sparkled merrily burned in a hugestone fireplace at the end of the room, and its grateful warmth enteredinto Robert's blood. He suddenly felt a great exaltation. He was glad tobe there. He was glad that Tayoga and Willet were with him. He was gladthat they had encountered dangers on their journey because they had wona triumph in overcoming them, and by the very act of victory they hadincreased their own strength and confidence. His sensitive, imaginativenature, easily kindled to supreme efforts, thrilled with the thoughts ofthe great deeds they might do. 

His pleasure in the company and the atmosphere increased. Everythingabout him made a strong appeal to good taste. At the end of the room, opposite the fireplace, stood a vast sideboard, upon which china andglass, arranged in harmonious groups, shone and glittered. The broadshelves or niches in the walls held much cut glass, which now and thenthrew back from many facets the ruddy light of the fire. Before sittingdown, they had dipped their hands in a basin of white china filled withwater, and standing beside the door, and that too had pleased Robert'sfastidious taste. 

At their table each of the three found an immaculate white napkin, alarge white china plate and goblet, knife, fork and spoon, all ofsilver, polished to the last degree. Again Robert's nature responded andhe looked at himself in his fine dress in the glittering silver of thegoblet. Then his right hand stole down and caressed the hilt of hisrapier. He felt himself very much of a gentleman, very much of achevalier, fit to talk on equal terms with St. Luc, de Galisonnière orthe best French officer of them all. And Willet, wearing his costlycostume with ease, was very much of a gentleman too, and Tayoga, dressedas the forest prince, was in his own way, and quite as good a way, asmuch of a gentleman as either. 

At least a dozen others were in the great room, and many curious eyeswere upon the three visitors from the south. It was likely that thepresence of such marked figures as theirs would become known quickly inQuebec. They had shown the papers bearing their names at the gate bywhich they had entered, and doubtless the news of their arrival had beenspread at once by the officer in command there. Well, they would proveto the proud chevaliers of Quebec how the Bostonnais could bearthemselves, and Robert's pulses leaped. 

They were served by an attentive and quiet waiter, and the three, eachin his own way, watched everything that was going on. They were awarethat not all would be as friendly as de Galisonnière or FatherDrouillard, but they were fully prepared to meet a challenge of any kindand uphold the honor of their own people. Robert was hoping that deGalisonnière might come, as he had recommended the inn to them. He didnot appear, but the others who did so lingered and young Lennox knewthat it was because of the three, who received many hostile glances, although most were intended for the Onondaga. Robert was aware, too, that if the Iroquois had lost this Stadacona of the Mohawks and had beenravaged by Frontenac, they had taken a terrible revenge upon the Frenchand their chief allies, the Hurons. For generations the Hodenosaunee hadswept the villages along the St. Lawrence with fire and tomahawk, slaying and capturing their hundreds. But to Tayoga it was and alwayswould be the French who had struck first, and the vital fact remainedthat they lived upon land upon which the Iroquois themselves had oncelived, no man knew how long. 

Robert saw that the looks were growing more menacing, although the goodMonsieur Berryer glided among his guests, and counseled caution. 

"Take no notice, " said Willet in a low tone. "The French are polite, and although they may not like us they will not molest us. "

Robert followed his advice. Apparently he had no thought except for hisfood, which was delicate, but his ears did not miss any sound that couldreach them. He understood French well, and he caught several whispersthat made the red come to his cheeks. Doubtless they thought he couldnot speak their language or they would have been more careful. 

Half way through the dinner and the door was thrown open, admitting agorgeous figure and a great gust of words. It was a young man in abrilliant uniform, his hair long, perfumed, powdered and curled, and hisface flushed. Robert recognized him at once as that same Count Jean deMézy who had passed them in the flying carriage. Behind came twoofficers of about the same age, but of lower rank, seeking his favor andgiving him adulation. 

His roving eye traveled around the room, and, resting upon the threeguests, became inflamed. 

"Ah, Nemours, and you, Le Moyne, " he said, "look there and behold thetwo Bostonnais and the Iroquois of whom we have heard, sitting here inour own Inn of the Eagle!"

"But there is no war, not as yet, " said Nemours, although he spoke in anobsequious tone. 

"But it will come, " said de Mézy loudly, "and then, gentlemen, thislordly Quebec of ours, which has known many English captives, will holdmultitudes of them. "

There were cries of "Silence!" "Not so loud!"

"Don't insult guests!" but de Mézy merely laughed and said: "They don'tunderstand! The slow-witted English never know any tongue but theirown. "

The red flush in Robert's face deepened and he moved angrily. 

"Quiet, boy! Quiet!" whispered the hunter. "He wants a quarrel, and heis surrounded by his friends, while we're strangers in a strange landand a hostile city. Take a trifle of the light white wine that MonsieurBerryer is pouring for you. It won't hurt you. "

Robert steadied himself and sipped a little. De Mézy and his satellites, Nemours and Le Moyne, sat down noisily at a table and ordered claret. DeMézy gave the cue. They talked of the Bostonnais, not only of the twoBostonnais who were present, but of the Bostonnais in all the Englishcolonies, applying the word to them whether they came from Massachusettsor New York or Virginia. Robert felt his pulses leaping and the hunterwhispered his warning once more. 

De Mézy evidently was sincere in his belief that the three understood noFrench, as he continued to talk freely about the English colonies, theprospect of war, and the superiority of French troops to British orAmerican. Meanwhile he and his two satellites drank freely of the claretand their faces grew more flushed. Robert could stand it no longer. 

"Tayoga, " he said clearly and in perfect French, "it seems that inQuebec there are people of loose speech, even as there are in Albany andNew York. "

"Our sachems tell us that such is the way of man, " said the Onondaga, also in pure French. "Vain boasters dwell too in our own villages. Forreasons that I do not know, Manitou has put the foolish as well as thewise into the world. "

"To travel, Tayoga, is to find wisdom. We learn what other people know, and we learn to value also the good that we have at home. "

"It is so, my friend Lennox. It is only when we go into strangecountries and listen to the tongues of the idle and the foolish that welearn the full worth of our own. "

"It is not wise, Tayoga, to give a full rein to a loose tongue in apublic place. "

"Our mothers teach us so, Lennox, as soon as we leave our birch barkcradles. "

Willet had raised his hand in warning, but he saw that it was too late. The young blood in the veins of both Tayoga and Robert was hot, and theIroquois was stirred not less deeply than the white man. 

"The sachems tell us, " he said, "that sometimes a man speaks foolishwords because he is born foolish, again he says them at times becausehis temper or drink makes him foolish, or he may say them because it ishis wish to be foolish and he has cultivated foolish ways all his life. This last class is the worst of all, Lennox, my friend, but there is acertain number of them in all lands, as one finds when one travels. "

The Onondaga spoke with great clearness and precision in his measuredschool French and a moment of dead silence followed. Then Robert said:

"It is true, Tayoga. The chiefs of the Hodenosaunee are great and wisemen. They have lived and seen much, and seeing they have remembered. They know that speech was given to man in order that he might convey histhoughts to another, and not that he might make a fool of himself. "

An angry exclamation came from the table at which de Mézy sat, and hissatellites, Nemours and Le Moyne, swept the three with looks meant to becontemptuous. Monsieur Berryer raised deprecating hands and was about tospeak, but, probably seeing that both hands and words would be of noavail, moved quietly to one side. He did not like to have quarrels inhis excellent Inn of the Eagle, but they were no new thing there, forthe gilded youth of Quebec was hot and intemperate. 

"But when a man is foolish in our village, " resumed Tayoga, "and thewords issue from his mouth in a stream like the cackling of a jay bird, the chiefs do not send warriors to punish him, but give him into thehands of the old women, who bind him and beat him with sticks until theycan beat sense back into him. "

"A good way, Tayoga, a most excellent way, " said Robert. "People whohave reached the years of maturity pay no attention to the vaporings andmadness of the foolish. "

He did not look around, but he heard a gusty exclamation, the scrape ofa chair on the floor, and a hasty step. Then he felt a hot breath, and, although he did not look up, he knew that de Mézy, flushed with drinkand anger, was standing over him. The temperament that nature had givento him, the full strength of which he was only discovering, asserteditself. He too felt wrath inside, but he retained all the presence ofmind for which he afterward became famous. 

"Shall we go out and see more of the city, Tayoga?" he asked. 

"Not until I have had a word with you, young sprig of a Bostonnais, "said de Mézy, his florid face now almost a flaming red. 

"Your pardon, sir, " said Robert, with his uncommon fluency of speech, "Ihave not the advantage of your acquaintance, which, no doubt, is myloss, as I admit that there are many good and brave men whom I do notknow. "

"I am Jean de Mézy, a count of France, a captain in the army of KingLouis, and one of the most valued friends of our able Intendant, François Bigot. "

"I have heard of France, of course, I have heard, equally of course, ofHis Majesty, King Louis, I have even heard of the Intendant, FrançoisBigot, but, and sorry I am to say it, I have never heard of the CountJean de Mézy. "

A low laugh came from a distant corner of the room, and the red of deMézy's face turned to purple. His hand dropped to the hilt of his sword, but Le Moyne whispered to him and he became more collected. 

"In Quebec, " he said, throwing back his shoulders and raising his chin, "an officer of His Majesty, King Louis, does not accept an insult. Wepreserve our honor with the edge of our swords, and for that reason Iintend to let a good quantity of the hot blood out of you with mine. There is a good place near the St. Louis gate, and the hour may be asearly as you wish. "

"He is but a boy, " interposed Willet. 

"But I know the sword, " said Robert, who had made up his mind, and whowas measuring his antagonist. "I will meet you tomorrow morning justafter sunrise with the small sword, and my seconds will confer withyours tonight. "

He stood up that they might see his size. Although only a boy in years, he was as large and strong as de Mézy, and his eyes were clearer and hismuscles much firmer. A hum of approval came from the spectators, who nownumbered more than a score, but the approval was given for differentreasons. Some, and they belonged to the _honnêtes gens_, were glad tosee de Mézy rebuked and hoped that he would be punished; others, thefollowing of Bigot, Cadet, Pean and their corrupt crowd, were eager tosee the Bostonnais suffer for his insolence to one of their number. Butmost of them, both the French of old France and the French of Canada, chivalric of heart, were resolved to see fair play. 

Monsieur Berryer shrugged his shoulders, but made no protest. The affairto his mind managed itself very well. There had been none of theviolence that he had apprehended. The quarrel evidently was one ofgentlemen, carried out in due fashion, and the shedding of blood wouldoccur in the proper place and not in his inn. And yet it would be anadvertisement. Men would come to point out where de Mézy had sat, andwhere the young Bostonnais had sat, and to recount the words that eachhad said. And then the red wine and the white wine would flow freely. Oh, yes, the affair was managing itself very well indeed, and thethrifty Monsieur Berryer rubbed his hands together with satisfaction. 

"We have beds here at the Inn of the Eagle, " said Robert coolly--he wasgrowing more and more the master of speech; "you can send your secondsthis evening to see mine, and they will arrange everything, although Itell you now that I choose small swords. I hope my choice suits you. "

"It is what I would have selected myself, " said de Mézy, giving hisantagonist a stare of curiosity. Such coolness, such effrontery, as hewould have called it, was not customary in one so young, and in anAmerican too, because Americans did not give much attention to the studyof the sword. New thoughts raced through his head. Could it be possiblethat here, where one least expected it, was some marvelous swordsman, aphenomenon? Did that account for his indifference? A slight shudderpassed over the frame of Jean de Mézy, who loved his dissolute life. Butsuch thoughts vanished quickly. It could not be possible. The confidenceof the young Bostonnais came from ignorance. 

Robert had seen de Mézy's face fall, and he was confirmed in the coursethat he had chosen already. 

"_Gusgaesata_, " he said to Tayoga in Iroquois. 

"Ah, the deer buttons!" the Onondaga said in English, then repeating itin French. 

"You will pardon us, " said Robert carelessly to de Mézy, "but Tayoga, who by the way is of the most ancient blood of the Onondagas, and Ioften play a game of ours after dinner. "

His manner was that of dismissal, and the red in de Mézy's cheeks againturned to purple. Worst of all, the little dart of terror stabbed oncemore at his heart. The youth might really be the dreaded marvel with thesword. Such coolness in one so young at such a time could come only fromabnormal causes. Although he felt himself dismissed he refused to goaway and his satellites remained with him. They would see what the twoyouths meant to do. 

Tayoga took from a pocket in his deerskin tunic eight buttons aboutthree quarters of an inch in diameter and made of polished and shiningelk's horn, except one side which had been burned to a darker color. From another pocket he drew a handful of beans and laid them in oneheap. Then he shook the buttons in the palm of his hand, and put themdown in the center of the table. Six white sides were turned up andtaking two beans from the common heap he started a pile of his own. Hethrew again and obtained seven whites. Then he took four beans. A thirdthrow and all coming up white twenty beans were subtracted from the heapand added to his own pile. But on the next throw only five of the whitesappeared, and as at least six of the buttons had to be matched in orderto continue his right of throwing he resigned his place to Robert, whothrew with varying fortune until he lost in his turn to Tayoga. 

"A crude Indian game, " said de Mézy in a sneering tone, and the twosatellites, Nemours and Le Moyne, laughed once more. Robert and Tayogadid not pay the slightest attention to them, concentrating their wholeattention upon the sport, but Willet said quietly:

"I've seen wise chiefs play it for hours, and the great men of theHodenosaunee would be great men anywhere. "

Angry words gathered on the lips of de Mézy, but they were not spoken. He saw that he was at a disadvantage, and that he would lose prestige ifhe kept himself in a position to be snubbed before his own people by twostrange youths. At length he said: "Farewell until morning, " and stalkedout, followed by his satellites. Others soon followed but Robert andTayoga went on with their game of the deer buttons. They were notinterrupted until Monsieur Berryer bowed before them and asked if theywould have any more refreshment. 

"No, thank you, " said Robert, and then he added, as if by afterthought, although he did not take his eyes from the buttons: "What sort of a manat sword play is this de Mézy?"

"Very good! Very good, sir, " replied the innkeeper, "that is if his eyesand head are clear. "

"Then if he is in good condition it looks as if I ought to be careful. "

"Careful, sir! Careful! One ought always to be careful in a duel!"

"In a way I suppose so. Monsieur Berryer. But I fancy it depends a gooddeal upon one's opponent. There are some who are not worth muchtrouble. "

Monsieur Berryer's eyes stood out. Robert had spoken with calculatedeffect. He knew that his words uttered now would soon reach the ears ofJean de Mézy, and it was worth while to be considered a miraculousswordsman. He had read the count's mind when he stood at his elbow, shuddering a little at the thought that a prodigy with the blade mightbe sitting there, and he was resolved to make the thought return oncemore and stay. 

"And, sir, you distinguish between swordsmen, and find it necessary tomake preparation only for the very best? And you so young too!" said thewondering innkeeper. 

"Youth in such times as ours does not mean inexperience, MonsieurBerryer, " said Willet. 

"It is true, alas!" said the innkeeper, soberly. "The world grows old, and there are seas of trouble. I wish no annoyance to any guests ofmine. I know the courtesy due to visitors in our Quebec, and I wouldhave stopped the quarrel had I been able, but the Count Jean de Mézy isa powerful man, the friend and associate of the Intendant, MonsieurBigot. "

"I understand, Monsieur Berryer, " said Robert, with calculatedlightness; "your courtesy is, in truth, great, but don't troubleyourself on our account. We are fully able to take care of ourselves. Come, Tayoga, we're both tired of the game and so let's to bed. "

Tayoga carefully put away the deer buttons and the beans, and the threerose. 

CHAPTER X

THE MEETING

Only four or five men, besides themselves, were left in the great roomof the Inn of the Eagle. The looks they gave the three were not hostile, and Robert judged that they belonged to the party known in Quebec ashonnêtes gens and described to him already by de Galisonnière. Hethought once of speaking to them, but he decided not to put any strainupon their friendliness. They might have very bitter feelings againstBigot and his corrupt following, but the fact would not of necessityinduce them to help the Bostonnais. 

"I thought it would be best to go to bed, " he said, "but I've changed mymind. A little walk first in the open air would be good for all of us. Besides we must stay up long enough to receive the seconds of de Mézy. "

"A walk would be a good thing for you, " said Willet--it was noteworthythat despite his great affection for the lad, he did not show anyanxiety about him. 

"Your wrist feels as strong as ever, doesn't it, Robert?" he asked. 

Young Lennox took his right wrist in his left hand and looked at itthoughtfully. He was a tall youth, built powerfully, but his wrists wereof uncommon size and strength. 

"I suppose that paddling canoes during one's formative period over ourlakes and rivers develops the wrists and arms better than anything elsecan, " he said. 

"It makes them strong and supple, too, " said the hunter. "It gives toyou a wonderful knack which with training can be applied with equalability to something else. "

"As we know. "

"As we know. "

They went out and walked a little while in the streets, curious eyesstill following them, a fact of which they were well aware, althoughthey apparently took no notice of it. Willet observed Robert closely, but he could not see any sign of unsteadiness or excitement. YoungLennox himself seemed to have forgotten the serious business that wouldbe on hand in the morning. His heart again beat a response to Quebecwhich in the dusk was magnificent and glorified. The stone buildingsrose to the size of castles, the great river showed like silver throughthe darkness and on the far shore a single light burned. 

A figure appeared before them. It was de Galisonnière, his ruddy faceanxious. 

"I was hoping that we might meet you, " said Robert. 

"What's this I hear about a quarrel between you and de Mézy and a duelin the morning?"

"You hear the truth. "

"But de Mézy, though he is no friend of mine, is a swordsman, and hashad plenty of experience. You English, or at least you English in yourcolonies, know nothing about the sword, except to wear it as adecoration!"

Robert laughed. 

"I appreciate your anxiety for me, " he said. "It's the feeling of afriend, but don't worry. A few of us in the English colonies do know theuse of the sword, and at the very head of them I should place DavidWillet, whom you know and who is with us. "

"But de Mézy is not going to fight Willet, he is going to fight you. "

"David Willet has been a father to me, more, in truth, than most fathersare to their sons. I've been with him for years, Captain deGalisonnière, and all the useful arts he knows he has tried long andcontinuously to teach to me. "

"Then you mean that the sword you now wear at your thigh is a weapon andnot an ornament?"

"Primarily, yes, but before we go further into the matter of the sword, I wish to ask you a favor. "

"Ask a dozen, Lennox. We've been companions of the voyage and yourquarrel with de Mézy does not arouse any hostility in me. "

"I felt that it was so, and for that reason I ask the favor. We arestrangers in Quebec. We did not come here to seek trouble with anybody, and so I ask you to be a second for me in this affair with de Mézy. Daveand Tayoga, of course, would act, but at the present juncture, oursbeing an errand of peace and not of war, I'd prefer Frenchmen. "

"Gladly I'll serve you, Lennox, since you indicate that you're aswordsman and are not going to certain death, and I'll bring with me inthe morning a trusty friend, Armand Glandelet, one of our _honnêtesgens_ who likes de Mézy as little as I do. "

"I thank you much, my good friend. I knew you would accept, and if allare willing I suggest that we go back now to the Inn of the Eagle. "

"A little trial of the sword in your room would not hurt, " said deGalisonnière. 

"That's a good suggestion, " said Willet. "A few turns will show whetheryour wrists and your arms and your back are all right. You come with us, of course, Captain de Galisonnière. "

They went to their large room, Captain de Galisonnière procuring on theway two buttons for rapiers from Monsieur Berryer--it seemed that duelswere not uncommon in Quebec--and Willet and Robert, taking off theircoats and waistcoats, faced each other in the light of two largecandles. The young Frenchman watched them critically. He had assisted atmany affairs of honor in both Quebec and Montreal and he knew the buildof a swordsman when he saw one. When Robert stood in his shirt sleeveshe noted his powerful chest and shoulders and arms, and then his eyestraveling to the marvelous wrists were arrested there. He drew in hisbreath as he saw, from the way in which Robert flexed them for a momentor two that they were like wrought steel. 

"If this lad has been taught as they indicate he has, our rufflingbully, Jean de Mézy, is in for a bad half hour, " he said to himself. Then he looked at Willet, built heavily, with great shoulders and chest, but with all the spring and activity of a young man. His glance passedon to Tayoga, the young Onondaga, in all the splendor of his forestattire, standing by the wall, his eyes calm and fathomless. It occurredall at once to Captain de Galisonnière that he was in the presence of anextraordinary three, each remarkable in his own way, and, liking theunusual, his interest in them deepened. It did not matter that they werehis official enemies, because on the other hand they were his personalfriends. 

"Now, Robert, " said Willet, "watch my eye, because I'm going to put youto a severe test. Ready?"

"Aye, ready, sir!" replied Robert, speaking like a pupil to his master. Then the two advanced toward the center of the room and faced eachother, raising their slim swords which flashed in the flame of thecandles like thin lines of light. Then Willet thrust like lightning, buthis blade slipped off Robert's, and young Lennox thrust back only tohave his own weapon caught on the other. 

"Ah, " exclaimed the gallant Frenchman. "Well done! Well done for both!"

Then he held his breath as the play of the swords became so fast thatthe eye could scarcely follow. They made vivid lines, and steel flashedupon steel with such speed that at times the ringing sound seemedcontinuous. Willet's agility was amazing. Despite his size and weighthe was as swift and graceful as a dancing master, and the power of hiswrist was wonderful. The amazement of young de Galisonnière increased. He had seen the best swordsmanship in Quebec, and he had seen the bestswordsmanship in Paris, but he had never seen better swordsmanship thanthat shown in a room of the Inn of the Eagle by a man whom he had takento be a mere hunter in the American wilderness. 

De Galisonnière was an artist with the sword himself, and he knewswordsmanship when he saw it. He knew, too, that Lennox was but littleinferior to Willet. He saw that the older man was not sparing the youth, that he was incessantly beating against the strongest parts of hisdefense, and that he was continually seeking out his weakest. Robert wasdriven around and around the room, and yet Willet did not once breakthrough his guard. 

"Ah, beautiful! beautiful!" exclaimed the Frenchman. "I did not knowthat such swordsmen could come out of the woods!"

His eyes met those of the Onondaga and for the first time he saw a gleamin their dark depths. 

"Their swords are alive, " said Tayoga. "They are living streaks offlame. "

"That describes it, my friend, " said de Galisonnière. "I shall be proudto be one of the seconds of Mr. Lennox in the morning. "

Willet suddenly dropped the buttoned point of his rapier and raised hisleft hand. 

"Enough, Robert, " he said, "I can't allow you to tire yourself tonight, and run the risk of stiffening in the wrist tomorrow. In strength youare superior to de Mézy, and in wind far better. You should have notrouble with him. Watch his eye and stand for a while on the defensive. One of his habits, will soon wear himself down, and then he will be atyour mercy. "

"You are a wonderful swordsman, Mr. Willet, " said de Galisonnière, frankin his admiration. "I did not think such skill, such power and such avariety in attack and defense could be learned outside of Paris. "

"Perhaps not!" said Willet, smiling. "The greatest masters of the swordin the world teach in Paris, and it was there that I learned what Iknow. "

"What, you have been in Paris?"

"Aye, Captain de Galisonnière, I know my Paris well. "

But he volunteered nothing further and Louis de Galisonnière's delicacykept him from asking any more questions. Nevertheless he had anintensified conviction that three most extraordinary people had come toQuebec, and he was glad to know them. Jean de Mézy, count of France, andpowerful man though he might be, was going to receive a punishmentrichly deserved. He detested Bigot, Cadet, Pean and all their corruptcrowd, while recognizing the fact that they were almost supreme inQuebec. It would be pleasing to the gods for de Mézy to be humiliated, and it did not matter if the humiliation came from the hands of aBostonnais. 

"Would you mind trying a round or two at the foils with me?" he said toWillet. "Since you don't have to fight in the morning you needn't fearany stiffening of the wrist, and I should like to learn something aboutthat low thrust of yours, the one well beneath your opponent's guard, and which only a movement like lightning can reach. You used it fivetimes, unless my eye missed a sixth. "

"And so you noticed it!" said Willet, looking pleased. "I made six suchthrusts, but Robert met them every time. I've trained him to be on thewatch for it, because in a real combat it's sure to be fatal, unlessit's parried with the swiftness of thought. "

"Then teach me, " said de Galisonnière eagerly. "We're a fighting lothere in Quebec, and it may save my life some day. "

Willet was not at all averse, and for nearly an hour he taught the youngFrenchman. Then de Galisonnière departed, cautioning Robert to sleepwell, and saying that he would come early in the morning with hisfriend, Glandelet. 

"His advice about sleeping was good, Robert, " said Willet. "Now rollinto bed and off with you to slumberland at once. "

Robert obeyed and his nerves were so steady and his mind so thoroughlyat peace that in fifteen minutes he slept. The hunter watched his steadybreathing with satisfaction and said to Tayoga:

"If our bibulous friend, Count Jean de Mézy, doesn't have a surprise inthe morning, then I'll go back to the woods, and stay there as long as Ilive. "

"Will Lennox kill him?" asked Tayoga. 

"I hadn't thought much about it, Tayoga, but he won't kill him. Robertisn't sanguinary. He doesn't want anybody's blood on his hands, and itwouldn't help our mission to take a life in Quebec. "

"The man de Mézy does not deserve to live. "

Willet laughed. 

"That's so, Tayoga, " he said, "but it's no part of our business to goaround taking the lives away from all those who don't make good use of'em. Why, if we undertook such a job we'd have to work hard for the nextthousand years. I think we'd better fall on, ourselves, and snatch abouteight good hours of slumber. "

In a few minutes three instead of one slept, and when the first ray ofsunlight entered the room in the morning Tayoga awoke. He opened thewindow, letting the fresh air pour in, and he raised his nostrils to itlike a hound that has caught the scent. It brought to him the aromaticodors of his beloved wilderness, and, for a time, he was back in thegreat land of the Hodenosaunee among the blue lakes and the silverstreams. He had been educated in the white man's schools, and hisfriendship for Robert and Willet was strong and enduring, but his heartwas in the forest. Enlightened and humane, he had nevertheless askedseriously the night before the question: "Will Lennox kill him?" He haddiscovered something fetid in Quebec and to him de Mézy was a noxiousanimal that should be destroyed. He wished, for an instant, that he knewthe sword and that he was going to stand in Lennox's place. 

Then he woke Robert and Willet, and they dressed quickly, but by thetime they had finished Monsieur Berryer knocked on the door and toldthem breakfast was ready. The innkeeper's manner was flurried. He wasone of the _honnêtes gens_ who liked peace and an upright life. He toowished the insolent pride of de Mézy to be humbled, but he had scarcelycome to the point where he wanted to see a Bostonnais do it. Nor did hebelieve that it could be done. De Mézy was a good swordsman, and hisfriends would see that he was in proper condition. Weighing the matterwell, Monsieur Berryer was, on the whole, sorry for the young stranger. 

But Robert himself showed no apprehensions. He ate his excellentbreakfast with an equally excellent appetite, and Monsieur Berryernoticed that his hand did not tremble. He observed, too, that he hadspirit enough to talk and laugh with his friends, and when Captain deGalisonnière and another young Frenchman, Lieutenant Armand Glandelet, arrived, he welcomed them warmly. 

The captain carried under his arm a long thin case, in which MonsieurBerryer knew that the swords lay. Lieutenant Armand Glandelet waspresented duly and Robert liked his appearance, his age apparentlytwenty-three or four, his complexion fair and his figure slender. Hisexperience in affairs of honor was not as great as de Galisonnière's, and he showed some excitement, but he was one of the _honnêtes gens_ andhe too wished, the punishment of de Mézy. Perhaps he had suffered fromhim some insult or snub which he was not in a position to resent fully. 

"Is your wrist strong and steady and without soreness, Mr. Lennox?"asked Captain de Galisonnière. 

"It was never more flexible, " replied Robert confidently. "Shall we goto the field? I should like to be there first. "

"A praiseworthy attitude, " said Captain de Galisonnière. "The sun isjust rising and the light is good. Come. "

Keeping the long, thin case under his arm, he went forth, and the restfollowed. Monsieur Berryer also came at a respectful distance, andothers fell into line with him. Robert walked by the side of Willet. 

"Don't forget that low thrust, " said the hunter, "and watch his eye. Youfeel no apprehensions?"

"None at all, thanks to you. I'm quite sure I'm his master. "

"Then it's a good morning for a fight, and the setting is perfect. You'll remember this day, Robert. What a wonderful situation has theQuebec of the French that was the Stadacona of the Mohawks! A fine town, a great rock and the king of rivers! The St. Lawrence looks golden inthe early sunlight, and what a lot of it there is!"

"Yes, it's a great stream, " said Robert, looking at the golden river andthe far shores, green and high. 

"Here we are, " said de Galisonnière, passing beyond some outlyinghouses. "It's a good, clear opening, pretty well surrounded by trees, with plenty of sunlight at all points, and as you wished, Mr. Lennox, we're the first to arrive. "

They stood together, talking with apparent unconcern, while the morningunfolded, and the golden sunlight over the river deepened. Although hehad been trained with the sword for years, it would be Robert's firstduel, and, while he approached it with supreme confidence, he knew thathe could find no joy in the shedding of another's blood. He felt it astrange chance that such an affair should be forced upon him, and yetthis was a dueling city. The hot young spirits of France had broughttheir customs with them into the North American wilderness, and perhapsthe unsought chance, if he used it as he thought he could, would notserve him so ill after all. 

De Mézy, with his seconds, Nemours and Le Moyne, was approaching amongthe trees. It appeared that the seconds for both had arranged everythingat a meeting the night before, and nothing was left for the twoprincipals but to fight. Robert saw at a single glance that de Mézy'shead was clear. Some of the mottled color had left his cheeks, but theeffect was an improvement, and he bore himself like a man who was strongand confident. He and his seconds wore dark blue cloaks over theiruniforms, which they laid aside when they saw that Robert and hisfriends were present. 

Nemours stepped forward and asked to speak with Captain de Galisonnière. 

"Count Jean de Mézy, " he said, "is an experienced swordsman, a victor ina dozen duels, a man of great skill, and he does not wish to take anadvantage that might seem unfair to others. He considers the extremeyouth of his opponent, and if by chance his friend, Mr. Willet, shouldknow the sword, he will meet him instead. "

It was, on the whole, a handsome offer, better than they had expectedfrom de Mézy, and Galisonnière looked with inquiry, first at youngLennox and then at Willet. But Robert shook his head. 

"No, " he said, "Captain de Mézy's offer does him credit, but I declineit. I am his inferior in years, but his equal in stature and strength, and I have had some experience with the sword. Mr. Willet would gladlytake my place, but I can support the combat myself. "

Nemours stepped back, and Robert resolved that de Mézy's offer shouldnot have been made wholly in vain. It would save the Frenchman some ofhis blood, but Nemours and de Galisonnière were now choosing thepositions in such a manner that neither would have the sun in his eyesbut merely his shoulder against the disc. Robert took off his coat andwaistcoat and Willet folded them over his own arm. De Mézy prepared inlike manner. Nemours gazed at young Lennox's shoulders and arms, and themuscles swelling beneath his thin shirt, and he was not quite so sure ofhis principal's victory as he had been. 

Then the two faced each other and Robert looked straight into hisopponent's eyes, reading there the proof that while outwardly de Mézymight now show no signs of dissipation, yet drink and lost hours hadstruck a blow at the vital organism of the human machine. He was moreconfident than ever, and he repeated to himself Willet's advice to becautious and slow at first. 

"Your positions, gentlemen!" said de Galisonnière, and they stood faceto face. The turf was short and firm, and the place was ideal for theirpurpose. Among the trees the eager eyes of Monsieur Berryer and a scoreof others watched. 

"Ready!" said de Galisonnière, and then, after a pause of two or threemoments, he added:

"Proceed!"

Robert had not looked straight into his opponent's eye so long fornothing. He knew now that de Mézy was choleric and impatient, that hewould attack at once with a vigorous arm and a furious heart, expectinga quick and easy victory. His reading of the mind through the eye wasvindicated as de Mézy immediately forced the combat, cutting andthrusting with a fire and power that would have overwhelmed an ordinaryopponent. 

Robert smiled. He knew now beyond the shadow of a doubt that he was deMézy's master. Not in vain did he have those large and powerful wrists, firm and strong as wrought steel, and not in vain had he been taught foryears by the best swordsman in America. He contented himself withparrying the savage cuts and thrusts, and gave ground slowly, retreatingin a circle. De Mézy's eyes blazed at first with triumph. He hadresented Robert's refusal of his offer to substitute Willet, and now, the victory which he had regarded as easy seemed to be even easier thanhe had hoped. He pushed the combat harder. His sword flashed in acontinuous line of light, and the whirring of steel upon steel wasunceasing. But the face of Nemours, as he watched with an understandingeye, fell a little. He saw that the breathing of young Lennox was longand regular, and that his eye was still smiling. 

Robert continued to give ground, but he never took his eye from that ofde Mézy, and at last the count began to feel that something lay behindthat calm, smiling gaze. The drink and the multitude of lost hours cameback to demand their price. Something bit into his bone. Was it physicalweakness or a sudden decay of confidence? He did not see any sign ofweariness in his young opponent, and putting forth every effort of hismuscles and every trick and device he knew he could not break throughthat shining guard of circling steel. 

The strange apprehension that had suddenly found a place in de Mézy'smind began to grow. The slow retreat of his young antagonist wasbecoming slower and then it ceased entirely. Now the leaping swordbefore him began to drive him back, and always the calm smiling eyesprobed into his, reading what he would keep hidden deep in his heart. They saw the terror that was growing there. The disbelief in hisantagonist's prowess was now fast turning into a hideous contradiction, and all the while drink and the lost hours that had clamored for theirprice were taking it. 

De Mézy began to give back. His breath grew shorter and he gasped. Thedeep mottled red returned to his cheeks, and terror took wholepossession of him. He had struck down his man before and he had laughed, but he had never faced such a swordsman as this strange youth of thewoods, with his smiling eyes and his face which was a mask despite thesmile. 

Nemours and Le Moyne turned pale. They saw that their leader had neveronce passed the bar of steel before him, and that while he panted andgrew weary Lennox seemed stronger than ever. They saw, too, that theyouth was a swordsman far surpassing de Mézy and that now he was playingwith his enemy. He struck down his opponent's guard at will, and hisblade whistled about his body and face. Nemours' hand fell to his ownhilt, but the watchful Willet saw. 

"Be careful, " the hunter said in a menacing tone. "Obey the rules orI'll know the reason why. "

Nemours' hand fell away from the hilt, and he and Le Moyne exchangedglances, but stood helpless. De Mézy had been driven backward in analmost complete circle. His wrist and arm ached to the shoulder, andalways he saw before him the leaping steel and the smiling mask of aface. He caught a glimpse of the blue sky and the shining river, andthen his eyes came back to the one that held his fate. Well for de Mézythat he had made the offer that morning to substitute Willet for Lennox, since youth, with the hot blood of battle pulsing in its veins, maythink too late of mercy. But Robert remembered. His revenge was alreadycomplete. All had seen the pallid face of de Mézy, and all, whetherthey knew anything of the sword or not, knew that he lay at the mercy ofhis foe. 

"Strike and make an end!" gasped de Mézy. 

The sword flashed before his eyes again, but the blade did not touchhim. Instead his own sword was torn from his weakening grasp, and wasflung far upon the grass. Young Lennox, turning away, sheathed hisweapon. 

"Well done, Robert!" said Willet. 

De Mézy put his hand to his face, which was wet with perspiration, andsteadied himself. He had grown quite dizzy in the last few moments, andthe pulses in his head beat so heavily that he could neither see northink well. He was conscious that he stood unarmed before a victoriousfoe, but he did not know Robert had put away his sword. 

"Why don't you strike?" he muttered. 

"Mr. Lennox is satisfied, " said Nemours. "He does not wish the combat togo further. "

"Unless Captain de Mézy insists on another trial, " said de Galisonnière, smiling a little, "but if he will take the advice of a countryman of hishe will let the matter rest where it is. Enough has been done to satisfythe honor of everybody. "

He and Nemours exchanged significant glances. It was quite evident to deMézy's seconds that he was no match for Robert, and that another trialwould probably result in greater disaster, so Nemours and Le Moyne, inbehalf of their principal, promptly announced that they were satisfied, and de Galisonnière and Glandelet said as much for theirs. MeanwhileMonsieur Berryer and the other spectators, who had now risen to thenumber of two score, continued to watch from the shelter of the trees. They had seen the result with protruding eyes, but they had notunderstood when the young victor thrust his sword back in its sheath. They could not hear the talk, but it was quite clear that the duel wasover, and they turned away, somewhat disappointed that one of their ownhad lost the combat, but somewhat pleased, too, that he had not lost hisown life at the same time. 

"Shake hands, gentlemen, " said de Galisonnière blithely. "Although noblood was shed it was a hot battle and I hope when you two meet again itwill be in friendship and not in enmity. You are a fine swordsman, Lennox, and it was honorable of you, de Mézy, when you didn't know hiscaliber, to offer to take on, because of his youth, the older man, Mr. Willet. "

Robert came back and offered his hand frankly. De Mézy, whose head wasstill ringing from his uncommon exertions and chagrin, took it. It wasbitter to have lost, but he still lived. In a manner as he saw it, hehad been disgraced, but time and the red wine and the white would takeaway the sting. He still lived. That was the grand and beautiful fact. Many more joyous days and nights awaited him in the company of Bigot andCadet and Pean, powerful men who knew how to exercise their power andhow to live at the same time. He should be grateful for a little while, at least, to the young Bostonnais, and he shook the proffered hand asheartily as his own damp, limp fingers would admit. 

"May your stay in Quebec be as pleasant as you wish, " he said, a bitthickly. 

"Thanks, " said Robert, who read the man's mind thoroughly. 

De Galisonnière put away the unstained swords, quite satisfied with theaffair, himself and everybody. An important follower of Bigot had beenhumbled, and yet he had not suffered in such a manner that he could callfor the punishment of the one who had humbled him. The very youth of theBostonnais would disarm resentment against him. 

De Mézy's party with formal bows drew away, and Robert and his friendsreturned to the Inn of the Eagle. 

CHAPTER XI

BIGOT'S BALL

"You needn't expect any trouble from the authorities, " said deGalisonnière, when they sat once more in the great room at the inn. "Dueling is of course frowned upon theoretically, but it's a commonpractice, and since no life has been lost, not even any wound inflicted, you'll hear nothing of it from the government. And de Mézy, I imagine, will say as little about it as possible. He rather fancies himself as aswordsman, and he will not want everybody in Quebec to know that he wasdefeated and disarmed by a boy. Still, it will spread. "

He and Glandelet took a courteous leave, and Robert thanked them fortheir services. He liked them both, especially de Galisonnière, and hewas sorry that fate should put them on opposing sides in the war thatall of them felt was surely coming. 

"The French count gave you the hand of friendship, but not the spirit ofit, " said Tayoga, who had not spoken at all while they were at thedueling ground. "He was grateful to you for sparing his life, but hisgratitude will go like the wind, and then he will hate you. And he willhave the powerful friends, of whom the captain spoke, to plot againstyou and us. "

"That's so, Tayoga, " said the hunter, gravely, "I'm sorry the GovernorGeneral wasn't here when we arrived. It was an unlucky chance, becauseit would have been better for us to have given him our letters and havedeparted at once. "

Robert, in his heart, knew that it was true, and that dangers would sooncluster about them, but he was willing to linger. The spell of Quebechad grown stronger, and he had made an entrance into its world in mostgallant fashion, sword in hand, like a young knight, and that wouldappeal to the warlike French. 

They deemed it wise to stay in the inn for a while, but two or threehours later Willet went out, returning soon, and showing someexcitement. 

"An old friend has come, " he said. 

"A friend!" said Robert. "I know of no friend to expect. "

"I used the word 'friend' in exactly the opposite sense. It's an enemy. I'm quite sure nobody in the world hates us more. "

"Tandakora!"

"None other. It's the sanguinary Ojibway, his very self. I saw himstalking along the streets of Quebec in the most hideous paint that manever mixed, a walking monument of savage pride, and I've no doubt in mymind either why he came here. "

"To get some sort of revenge upon us. "

"That's it. He'll go before the Governor General, and charge that weattacked him in the gorge and slew good, innocent men of his. "

"Tandakora is cunning, " said Tayoga. "The Great Bear is right. He willlie many times against us, and it is likely that the Frenchmen, deCourcelles and Jumonville, will come also and tell that they met us inthe woods, although they said smooth words to us when we left them. "

"And we don't know what kind of a net they'll try to weave around us, "said Willet. "I say again I wish we'd delivered our letters and were outof Quebec. "

But Robert could not agree with the hunter and Tayoga. He was still gladof the lucky chance that had taken away the Governor General. There wasalso a certain keen delight in speculating what their enemies would donext. Conscious of right and strength he believed they could foil allattempts upon them, and while the question was still fresh in his mindFather Philibert Drouillard came in. Wrapped closely in his black robehe looked taller, leaner, and more ascetic than ever, and his gaze waseven stronger and more penetrating. Now it rested upon Robert. 

"I had a fair opinion of you, " he said. "Coming with you in the_Frontenac_ down the river I judged you, despite your weapons and thefact that you belong to another race than mine, a gentle youth and fullof the virtues. Now I find that you have been fighting and fighting withintent to kill. "

"Hold hard, Father, " said Willet in a good-humored tone. "Only half ofthat is true. Your information is not full. He has been fighting, butnot with intent to kill. He held the life of Count Jean de Mézy on thepoint of his sword, but gave it back to him, such as it was. "

The deep eyes of the priest smoldered. Perhaps there was a distant andfiery youth of his own that the morning's deed recalled, but hismenacing gaze relaxed. 

"If you gave him back his life when you could have taken it, you havedone well, " he said. "As the hunter intimates, it is a life of littlevalue, perhaps none at all, but you did not on that account have anyright to take it. And I say more, that if the misadventure had to happento any Frenchman here in Quebec I am glad it happened to one of thewicked tribe of Bigot. "

"Your man Bigot, powerful though he may be, seems to have plenty ofenemies, " said the hunter. 

"He has many, but not enough, I fear, " said the priest gloomily. "He andhis horde are a terrible weight upon the shoulders of New France. But Ishould not talk of these things to you who are our enemies, and who maysoon be fighting us. "

He quit the subject abruptly, and talked in a desultory manner onirrelevant matters. But Robert saw that Quebec itself and the strugglebetween the powerful Bigot ring and the _honnêtes gens_ was a muchgreater weight on his mind than the approaching war with the Englishcolonies. 

After a stay of a half hour he departed, saying that he was going tovisit a parish farther down the river, and might not see them again, buthe wished them well. He also bade them once more to beware of Tandakora. 

"A good man and a strong one, " said Willet, when, he left. "I seem tofeel a kindred spirit in him, but I don't think his prevision about notseeing us again is right, though his advice to look out for Tandakora iscertainly worth following. "

They saw the Ojibway warrior twice that afternoon. Either he concealedthe effects of the wound in his shoulder or it had healed rapidly, sincehe was apparently as vigorous as ever and gave them murderous glances. Tayoga shrugged his shoulders. 

"Tandakora has followed us far, " he said, "but this is not the groundthat suits him. The forest is better than a city for the laying of anambush. "

"Still, we'll watch him, " said Willet. 

The evening witnessed the arrival at the Inn of the Eagle of two newguests to whom Monsieur Berryer paid much deference, Colonel deCourcelles and Captain de Jumonville, who had been on an expedition inbehalf of His Majesty, King Louis, into the forests of the south andwest, and who, to the great surprise of the innkeeper, seemed to be wellacquainted with the three. 

Robert, Tayoga and Willet were having their dinner, or supper as itwould have been called in the Province of New York, when the twoFrenchmen dressed in their neat, close-fitting uniforms and with all themarks of travel removed, came into the large room. They rose at once andexchanged greetings. Robert, although he did not trust them, felt thatthey had no cause of quarrel with the two, and it was no part of hischaracter to be brusque or seek trouble. 

De Courcelles gave them a swift, comprehensive glance, and then said, as if they were chance visitors to Quebec:

"You've arrived ahead of us, I see, and as I learn, you find the MarquisDuquesne away. Perhaps, if your letters are urgent, you would care topresent them to the Intendant, Monsieur Bigot, a man of great perceptionand judgment. "

Robert turned his examining look with interest. Was he also one ofBigot's men, or did he incline to the cause of the _honnêtes gens?_ Or, even if he were not one of Bigot's followers, did he prefer thatRobert's mission should fail through a delivery of his letters to thewrong man? Bigot certainly was not one with whom the English could dealeasily, since so far as Robert could learn he was wrapped in the foldsof a huge conceit. 

"We might do that, " the youth replied, "but I don't think it's quiteproper. I make no secret of the fact that I bear letters for theGovernor General of Canada, and it would not be pleasing to the Governorof the Province of New York for me to deliver them to someone else. "

"It was merely a suggestion. Let us dismiss it. "

He did not speak again of the immediate affairs that concerned them sovitally, but talked of Paris, where he had spent a gay youth. He saw theresponse in the glowing eyes of Robert, and exerted himself to please. Moreover his heart was in his subject. Quebec was a brilliant city forthe New World, but Paris was the center of the whole world, the flowerof all the centuries, the city of light, of greatness and of genius. The throne of the Bourbons was the most powerful in modern times, andthey were a consecrated family. 

Robert followed him eagerly. Both he and de Courcelles saw the Bourbonsas they appeared to be before the fall, and not as the world has seenthem since, in the light of revelation. The picture of Paris and itssplendors, painted by one who loved it, flung over him a powerful spell, and only the warning words Willet had spoken recalled to him that theBourbon throne might not really be made for all time. 

De Courcelles and Jumonville, who had no permanent quarters in Quebec, would remain two days at the inn, and, on the whole, Robert was glad. Hefelt that the three could protect themselves from possible wiles andstratagems of the two Frenchmen, and that they meant to attempt them hebelieved he had proof later, as de Courcelles suggested they might callin the course of the evening upon the Intendant, Bigot, who was then athis palace. They need not say anything about their mission, but goodcompany could be found there, and they might be sure of a welcome fromthe Intendant. Again Robert declined, and de Courcelles did not pressthe matter. He and Jumonville withdrew presently, saying they had areport to make to the commandant of the garrison, and the three went tobed soon afterward. 

Tayoga, who slept lightly, awoke after midnight and went to a window. The Onondaga, most of the three, distrusted Quebec. It was never Quebecto him. It was Stadacona of the Ganeagaono, the great warrior nation ofthe Hodenosaunee who stood beside the Onondagas, their lost Stadacona, but their Stadacona still. In his heart too burned the story ofFrontenac and how he had ravaged the country of the Hodenosaunee withfire and sword. He was here in the very shrine and fortress of theancient enemies of the great Iroquois. He had taken the education of thewhite man, he had read in his books and he knew much of the story of thehuman race, but nothing had ever disturbed his faith that a coming chiefof the clan of the Bear, of the nation Onondaga, of the mighty League ofthe Hodenosaunee was, by right, and in fact, a prince among men. 

But while Tayoga learned what civilization, as the European races calledit, had to offer, it did not make him value any the less the arts andlore of his own forest. Rather, they increased in size and importance bycomparison. He had seen how the talk of de Courcelles had lighted a firein the soul of Lennox, he had seen how even Willett, the wary, had beenstirred, but he, Tayoga, had been left cold. He had read the purposebehind it all, and never for an instant did he let himself put any faithin de Courcelles or Jumonville. 

The air of the room was heavy and fetid to Tayoga. His free spiritdetected poison in the atmosphere of Quebec, and, for the moment, helonged to be in the great, pure wilderness, pure at least to one of hisrace. He opened the window more widely and inhaled the breeze which wascoming from the north, out of vast clean forests, that no white mansave the trapper had ever entered. 

He looked upward, at first toward the blue sky and its clustering stars, and then, turning his eyes to the open space near the inn, caught sightof two shadowy figures. The Onondaga was alert upon the instant, becausehe knew those figures, thin though they seemed in the dusk. One wasTandakora, the Ojibway, and the other was Auguste de Courcelles, Colonelin the French army, a pair most unlike, yet talking together earnestlynow. 

Tayoga was not at all surprised. He had pierced the mind of deCourcelles and he had expected him to seek Tandakora. He watched them afull five minutes, until the Ojibway slipped away in the darkness, andde Courcelles turned back toward the inn, walking slowly, and apparentlyvery thoughtful. 

Tayoga thought once of going outside to follow Tandakora, but he decidedthat no good object would be served by it and remained at the window, where the wind out of the cold north could continue to blow upon him. Heknew that the Indian and de Courcelles had entered into some conspiracy, but he believed they could guard against it, and in good time it woulddisclose itself. 

There might be many hidden trails in a city like Quebec, but he meant todiscover the one that Tandakora followed. He remained an hour at thewindow, and then without awaking his comrades to tell what he had seenwent back to his bed. Nor did he say anything about it when they awokein the morning. He preferred to keep Tandakora as his especial charge. A coming chief of the clan of the Bear, of the nation Onondaga, of thegreat League of the Hodenosaunee, would know how to deal with a savageOjibway out of the western forests. 

At breakfast, Robert wondered what they would do during the coming day, as it was not advisable to go much about Quebec owing to the notorietythe duel had brought to them. Monsieur Berryer, suave, deferential andfull of gossip, informed them that the fame of young Mr. Lennox as amaster of the sword had spread through the city in a few hours. Braveand skillful young Frenchmen were anxious to meet him and prove thatwhere Count Jean de Mézy had failed they might succeed. 

"The young gentleman will not lack opportunities for honor and glory inQuebec, " said Monsieur Berryer, rubbing his fat, white hands. 

"In view of our errand here you must let all these opportunities go, Robert, " said Willet. "If we show ourselves too much some of these hotyoung French knights will force a fight upon you, not because they hateyou, but from sporting motives. But it would be just as bad for you tolose your life in a friendly duel as in one full of hate. "

Robert chafed, nevertheless. The Inn of the Eagle was a good inn, but hedid not wish to spend an entire day within its walls. Young CaptainLouis de Galisonnière solved the problem, arriving just after breakfastwith a note addressed to Mr. Robert Lennox, which proved to be aninvitation for all three of them from Monsieur François Bigot, Intendant of Canada, to attend a dinner given by him that evening at hispalace. The letter was full of polite phrases. The Intendant had heardof young Mr. Lennox's surpassing skill with the sword, and of hissuccess with Count Jean de Mézy, who wielded a good blade himself. Butneither the Intendant nor those associated with him bore any ill will. It was well known that Mr. Lennox was accredited with letters to theMarquis Duquesne, but in the absence of the Governor General it would bethe pleasure of the Intendant to show courtesy to the messenger of theGovernor of the Province of New York and his comrades. 

It was a full and abounding letter, swarming with polite phrases, and itappealed to Robert. Bigot might be corrupt, but he belonged to the greatworld, and Robert felt that since he had come to Quebec he ought to seethe Intendant, his palace and what was done within its walls. It wastrue that they had evaded suggestions to meet him, but a formalinvitation was different. He passed the letter to Willet, who read itand handed it to Tayoga. 

"We'll have to go, Robert, " said the hunter. "It's evident that Bigotwants us, and if we don't accept he may make trouble for us. Yes, it'swiser to go. "

Robert's eyes shone and Willet noticed it. 

"You'd have been disappointed if I had counseled a negative, " he said. 

"I would, " said Robert frankly. "I'm looking forward to the dinner withthe Intendant. Will you be there, Captain de Galisonnière?"

"Yes, and I'm glad you've accepted. Mr. Willet was right when he saidit was wisdom to go. The Intendant is the most powerful man in Canada. 'Tis said that the Governor General, the Marquis Duquesne, will returnto France before long, and hence he lets a part of his authority slipinto the hands of Monsieur Bigot. You understand the dual nature of ourgovernment in Canada. The Governor General is the immediate personalrepresentative of the King, but the Intendant is supreme over thecourts, finance, commerce and all the civil affairs of the country. So amighty power is lodged in his hands and it's also true here, as well aselsewhere, that he who holds the purse holds more than the sword. "

"Will Colonel de Courcelles and Captain de Jumonville be there?"continued Robert. 

"Undoubtedly. They belong to the military arm, of course, but they areboth favorites of Bigot, and they neglect no opportunity to strengthentheir position with him. Be careful what you say before them. "

Robert thanked him for his caution, although it was not needed, as hehad already resolved to be very wary in the presence of de Courcellesand Jumonville, and the Onondaga also made a mental note of it, knowingthat de Courcelles was willing to plot in the dusk with a savageOjibway. 

De Galisonnière did not stay long, and after his departure Robert andhis friends reconsidered their determination, deciding that it was bestto brave Quebec and whatever it should have to offer in the full lightof day. The hunter's apprehensions that a quarrel might be forced uponthem were not justified, as Canadian and French politeness held true, and they were received only with curiosity and interest. 

They gazed again at the great stone buildings and also took a brief viewof the Intendant's palace, where they expected to dine in the evening. It was a palace in extent, but not in beauty, a great rambling buildingof both timber and masonry, with a green lawn and flower gardens nearby. It was said that Bigot and his predecessors had spent huge sums onthe interior decoration, but that Robert expected soon to see forhimself. 

Returning to the Inn of the Eagle late in the afternoon, they began toarray themselves for Bigot's dinner, not wishing the Bostonnais toappear at a disadvantage before the _noblesse_ of Quebec. MonsieurBerryer sent them a barber, Gaston, who not only shaved the two whitefaces, but who powdered and arranged their queues, and also manicuredtheir nails and gave their coats and waistcoats a rakish set, which heassured them was quite the latest mode in Paris. Robert took all hisadvice. He was very particular about his attire, knowing that howevermuch the jealous might criticize fine dress it always had its effect. 

The hunter watched Robert as he and Gaston arranged the new Paris styleswith a look that was almost paternal. The fine youth had exceededWillet's best hopes. Tall, straight, frank and open, he had the soundmind in the sound body which is the sum of excellence, and the hunterwas glad to see him particular. It was a part of his heritage, andbecame him. 

They were not to leave the Inn of the Eagle until after dusk, and Willetsuggested that they should not start until late, as they could walk tothe palace in a few minutes. But Robert said boldly that they would notwalk. It was fitting for the messengers of the Governor of New York toride and he would have Monsieur Berryer to call a caleche. Willetassented with a laugh. 

"You're right, Robert, " he said, "but I ride so little in carriages thatI didn't think of it. "

The night was rather dark, but when the three in the caleche approachedthe palace they saw many men holding torches, and many people back ofthem watching. The entertainments of François Bigot were famous inQuebec for lavish splendor, and the uninvited usually came in numbers tosee the guests go in. 

"Be on your guard tonight, Robert, " whispered Willet. "This is a societyto which you're not used, although I'll not deny that you could soonlearn it. But the French think we English, whether English English orAmerican English, are inferior in wit and quickness to themselves, andthere may be some attempts at baiting the bear before we leave. "

Robert felt his breath coming a little more quickly, and in the dusk, Willet did not see the glow that appeared in his eyes. They might try to"bait the bear" but he would be ready. The new powers that he had foundin himself not only accepted the challenge, but craved it. He wasconscious that he was not deficient in wit and quickness himself, andif any follower of François Bigot, or if the great Bigot himself triedto make sport of him he might find instead that the ruffler wasfurnishing sport for the Bostonnais. So it was with a beating heart butno apprehension that he alighted from the caleche with his friends, andwent into the palace to meet the Intendant. 

The interior of the great building was a singular mixture of barbaricand civilized splendor, the American forests and the factories of Francealike being drawn upon for its furnishings. The finest of silkentapestries and the rarest of furs often hung close together. Beyond theanterooms was a large hall in which the chosen guests danced while thepeople might look on from galleries that surrounded it. These people, who were not so good as the guests, could dance as much as they pleasedin a second hall set aside exclusively for their use. In another andmore secluded but large room all kinds of games of chance to which Bigotand his followers were devoted were in progress. In the huge dining-roomthe table was set for forty persons, the usual number, until the warcame, when it was reduced to twenty, and Bigot gave a dinner therenearly every evening, unless he was absent from Quebec. 

Robert felt as soon as he entered the palace that he had come into astrange, new, exotic atmosphere, likely to prove intoxicating to theyoung, and he remembered the hunter's words of warning. Yet his spiritresponded at once to the splendor and the call of a gayer and moregorgeous society than any he had ever known. Wealth and great housesexisted even then in New York and upon occasion their owners made fulluse of both, but there was a restraint about the Americans, the Englishand the Dutch. Their display was often heavy and always decorous, and inQuebec he felt for the first time the heedless gayety of the French, when the Bourbon monarchy had passed its full bloom, and already was inits brilliant decay. Truly, they could have carved over the doorway, "Leave all fear and sorrow behind, ye who enter here. "

There were lights everywhere, flaming from tall silver candlesticks, anduniforms, mostly in white and silver, or white with black or violetfacings, were thick in the rooms. Ladies, too, were present, in silk orsatin billowing in many a fold, their powdered hair rolled high in thestyle made fashionable by Madame Jeanne Poisson de Pompadour. From aninner room came the music of a band softly playing French songs or airsfrom the Florentine opera. The air was charged with odors of perfume. 

It _was_ intoxicating, and yet it was pleasant. No, "pleasant" was notthe word, it was alluring, it played upon the senses, it threw a glowover the rooms and the people, and the youth saw everything through atawny mist that heightened and deepened the colors. He was glad that hehad come. Nor was "glad" the word either. Seeing what he now saw andknowing what he now knew, he would have blamed himself bitterly had hestayed away. 

"Welcome, Mr. Lennox, my brave and generous opponent of the morning, "said a voice, and, looking through the tawny mist, he saw the man whomhe had fought and spared, Count Jean de Mézy, in a wonderful coat, waistcoat and knee breeches of white satin, heavily embroidered, whitesilk stockings, and low white shoes with great silver buckles, and asmall gold-hilted sword hanging at his thigh. The cheeks, a trifle toofat, were mottled again, but his manner like his costume was silken. Onewould have thought that he and not Robert was the victor in that trialof skill by the St. Louis gate. 

"Welcome, Mr. Lennox, " he said again in a tone that showed no malice. "The Intendant's ball will be all the more brilliant for the presence ofyourself and your friends. What a splendid figure the young Onondagachief makes!"

Tayoga bowed to the compliment, which was rather broad but true, and deMézy ran on:

"We are accustomed here to the presence of Indian chiefs. We French haveknown how to win the trust and friendship of the warriors and we askthem to our parlors and our tables as you English do not do, although Iwill confess that the Iroquois hitherto have come into Canada as enemiesand not as friends. "

"Quebec was once the Stadacona of the Ganeagaono, known to you as theMohawks, " said Tayoga in his deep musical voice, "and there is no recordthat they ever gave or sold it to Onontio. "

De Mézy was embarrassed for a moment, but he recovered himself quicklyand laughed. 

"You have us there!" he cried, "but it was long, long ago, when Cartiercame to Quebec. Times change and ownerships change with them. We can'troll back the past. "

Tayoga said no more, content to remind the French at intervals that abrother nation of the Hodenosaunee still asserted its title to Quebec. 

"You are not the only member of the great red race present, " said deMézy to Tayoga. "We have a chief from the far west, a splendid type ofthe forest man. What size! What strength! What a mien! By my faith, hewould make a stir in Paris!"

"Tandakora, the Ojibway!" said Robert. 

"Yes, but how did you know?"

"We have met him--more than once. We have had dealings with him, and wemay have more. He seems to be interested in what we're doing, and hencewe're never surprised when we see him. "

De Mézy looked puzzled, but at that moment de Courcelles and deJumonville, wearing uniforms of white and silver, came forward to addtheir greeting to those of the count. They were all courtesy and thewords dropped from their lips like honey, but Robert felt that theirsouls were not like the soul of de Galisonnière, and that they could notbe counted among the _honnêtes gens_. But the three Frenchmen were readynow to present the three travelers to Monsieur François Bigot, Intendantof Canada, great and nearly all powerful, and Robert judged too thatthey had made no complaint against his friends and himself. 

Bigot was standing near the entrance to the private dancing room, andabout him was a numerous company, including ladies, among them the wifeof Pean, to whom the gossip of the time gave great influence with him, and a certain Madame Marin and her sister, Madame de Rigaud, and others. As the three approached under the conduct of the three Frenchmen thegroup opened out, and they were presented in order, Robert first. 

The youth was still under the influence of the lights, the gorgeousrooms and the brilliant company, but he gazed with clear eyes and themost eager interest at Bigot, whose reputation had spread far, even inthe British colonies. He saw a man of middle years, portly, his red facesprinkled with many pimples, probably from high living, not handsome andperhaps at first repellent, but with an expression of vigor and ease, and an open, frank manner that, at length, attracted. His dress was muchlike de Mézy's, but finer perhaps. 

Such was the singular man who had so much to do with the wrecking of NewFrance, a strange compound of energy and the love of luxury, lavish withhospitality, an untiring worker, a gambler, a profligate, a thief ofpublic funds, he was also kindly, gracious and devoted to his friends. Astrange bundle of contradictions and disjointed morals, he representedin the New World the glittering decadence that marked the Frenchmonarchy at home. Now he was smiling as de Mèzy introduced Robert withsmooth words. 

"Mr. Robert Lennox of Albany and New York, " he said, "the brilliantyoung swordsman of whom I spoke to you, the one who disarmed me thismorning, but who was too generous to take my life. "

Bigot's smiling gaze rested upon Robert, who was conscious, however, that there was much penetration behind the smile. The Intendant wouldseek to read his mind, and perhaps to learn the nature of the letters hebrought, before they were delivered to their rightful owner, the MarquisDuquesne. Quebec was the home of intrigue, and the Intendant's palacewas the heart of it, but if Robert's pulse beat fast it was withanticipation and not with fear. 

"It was fortune more than skill, " he said. "The Count de Mézy credits mewith too much knowledge of the sword. "

"No, " said Bigot, laughing, "Jean wouldn't do that. He'd credit you withall you have, and no more. Jean, like the rest of us, doesn't relish adefeat, do you, Jean?"

De Mézy reddened, but he forced a laugh. 

"I suppose that nobody does!" he replied, "but when I suffer one I tryto make the best of it. "

"That's an honest confession, Jean, " said Bigot, "and you'll feel betterfor making it. "

He seemed now to Robert bluff, genial, all good nature, and the youthstood on one side, while Willet and Tayoga were presented in their turn. Bigot looked very keenly at the Onondaga, and the answering gaze wasfierce and challenging. Robert saw that Tayoga was not moved by thesplendor, the music and the perfumed air, and that he did not forget foran instant that this gay Quebec of the French was the Stadacona of theMohawks, a great brother nation of the Hodenosaunee. 

Bigot's countenance fell a little as he met the intensely hostile gaze, but in a moment he recovered himself and began to pay compliments toWillet and the Iroquois. Robert felt the charm of his manner and saw whyhe was so strong with a great body of the French in New France. Then hiseyes wandered to the others who stood near like courtiers around a king, and he noticed that foremost among them was a man of mean appearance andpresuming manner, none other, he soon learned, than the notorious JosephCadet, confederate of Bigot, in time to become Commissary General of NewFrance, the son of a Quebec butcher, who had begun life as a pilot boy, and who was now one of the most powerful men in those regions of the NewWorld that paid allegiance to the House of Bourbon. Near him stood Pean, the Town Mayor of Quebec, a soldier of energy, but deep in corruptbargains with Cadet, and just beyond Pean was his partner, Penisseault, and near them were their wives, of whom scandal spoke many a true word, and beyond them were the Commissary of Marine, Varin, a Frenchman, smalland insignificant of appearance, the Intendant's secretary, Deschenaux, the son of a shoemaker at Quebec, Cadet's trusted clerk, Corpron andMaurin, a humpback. 

A strange and varied company, one of the strangest ever gathered in anyoutlying capital of a diseased and dying monarchy. Robert, although heknew that it was corrupt and made a mockery of many things that he hadbeen taught to reverence, did not yet understand how deadly was thepoison that flowed in the veins of this society. At present, he saw onlythe glow and the glitter. All these people were connected closely. TheCanadians intermarrying extensively were a great family, and theFrenchmen were bound together by the powerful tie, a common interest. 

"Don't believe all you see, Robert, " whispered Willet. "You're seeingthe surface, and it's hollow, hollow! I tell you!"

"But we have nothing like it at home, " said Robert. "We're lucky tocome. "

De Mézy had left them, but de Courcelles was near, and he saw that theywere not neglected. Robert was introduced to officers and powerfulcivilians and the youngest and handsomest of the ladies, whose freedomof language surprised him, but whose wit, which played about everything, pleased a mind peculiarly sensitive to the charm of light and brillianttalk. 

He had never before been in such an assembly, one that contained so muchof rank and experience in the great world. Surrounded by all that heloved best, the people, the lights, the colors, and the anticipation ofwhat was to come, the Intendant shone. One forgot his pimply face andportly figure in the geniality that was not assumed, and the ease of hismanners. He spoke to Robert more than once, asked him many questionsabout Albany and New York, and referred incidentally, too, to theIroquois, but it was all light, as if he were asking them because ofinterest in his guest, or merely to make conversation. 

The hues of everything gradually grew brighter and more brilliant toRobert. The music from the next room steeped his senses, and he began tofeel the intoxication of which Willet had warned him. Many of the guestswere of the noblest families of France, young officers who had come toQuebec, where it was reported promotion was rapid and sure, or whereyounger sons, with the aid of such powerful men as Bigot and Cadet, could make fortunes out of the customs or in the furnishing of suppliesto the government. Robert found himself talking much, his gift of speechresponding readily to the call. He answered their jests with a jest, their quips with a quip, and when they were serious so was he. He feltthat while there may have been an undercurrent of hostility when heentered the palace it had all disappeared now, and he was a favorite, orat least they took a friendly interest in him, because he was a new typeand they did not think him brusque and rude, as the French believed allBostonnais to be. 

And through this picturesque throng stalked the two Indians, Tayoga andTandakora. The Ojibway wore a feather headdress, and a scarlet blanketof richest texture was draped around his body, its hem meeting hisfinely tanned deerskin leggings, while his feet were encased in beadedmoccasins. Nevertheless he looked, in those surroundings, which belongedso thoroughly to an exotic civilization, more gigantic and savage thanever. Robert was well aware that Bigot had brought him there for apolitical purpose, to placate and win the western tribes, and to impresshim with the power and dignity of France. But whatever he may havefelt, the Ojibway, towering half a head above the tallest white man, save Willet, was grim and lowering. His left arm lay in a fold of hisblanket, and, as he held it stiffly, Robert knew that his wound was yetfar from healed. He and Tayoga were careful to keep away from eachother, the Onondaga because he was a guest and was aware of the whiteman's amenities, and the Ojibway because he knew it was not the time andplace for his purpose. 

They went in to dinner presently and the table of François Bigot wassplendid as became the powerful Intendant of New France, who had plentyof money, who was lavish with it and who, when it was spent, knew whereto obtain more with ease and in abundance. Forty guests sat down, andthe linen, the silver and the china were worthy of the King's palace atVersailles. A lady was on Robert's right and Colonel de Courcelles wason his left. Willet and Tayoga were farther down on his own side of thetable, and he could not see them, unless he leaned forward, which he wastoo well mannered to do. Bigot sat at the foot of the table and at itshead was Madame Pean, a native of Canada, born Mademoiselle Desméloizes, young, handsome and uncommonly vivacious, dressed gorgeously in thelatest Parisian style, and, as Robert put it to himself, coruscatingwith talk and smiles. 

The dinner progressed amid a great loosening of tongues and much wit. The perfume from the flowers on the table and the continuous playing ofthe band made the air heavier and more intoxicating. It seemed toRobert that if these people had any cares they had dismissed them allfor the time. Their capacity for pleasure, for snatching at the incenseof the fleeting moment, amazed him. War might be coming, but tonightthere was no thought of it. 

Bigot toasted the two Bostonnais and the young Iroquois chief who werehis guests in a flowery speech and Robert responded. When he rose to hisfeet he felt a moment of dizziness, because he was so young, and becausehe felt so many eyes upon him. But the gift of speech came to hisaid--he was not the golden-mouthed for nothing. The heavy sweet odor ofthe roses was in his nostrils, inspiring him to liquid words, andeverything glittered before him. 

He had the most friendly feeling for all in the room except Tandakora, and a new thought coming into his mind he spoke it aloud. He was, perhaps, in advance of his time, but he told them that New France andthe British colonies could dwell in peace, side by side. Why should theyquarrel? America was vast. British and French were almost lost in itsforests. France and England together could be stowed away in the regionabout the Great Lakes and the shades of the wilderness would encompassthem both. The French and British were great races, it was useless tocompare them and undertake to say which was the greater, because eachwas great in its own way, and each excelled in its own particulars, butthe two combined were the sum of manly virtues and strength. What theBritish lacked the French supplied, and what the French lacked theBritish supplied. Together they could rule the world and spreadenlightenment. 

He sat down and the applause was great and hearty, because he had spokenwith fervor and well. His head was singing, and he was confused alittle, after an effort that had induced emotion. Moreover, the band hadbegun to play again some swaying, lilting dance tune, and his pulsesbeat to its measure. But he did lean forward, in spite of his manners, and caught Willet's approving look, for which he was very glad. Hereceived the compliments of the lady on his right and of de Courcelles, then the band ceased presently and he became conscious that Tayoga wasspeaking. He had not heard Bigot call upon him, but that he had calledwas evident. 

Tayoga stood up, tall, calm and dignified. He too had the oratoricalpower which was afterward displayed so signally by the Seneca who wasfirst called by his own people Otetiani and was later known asSagoyewatha, but who was known to the white men as Red Jacket. 

"I speak to you not as a Frenchman nor as an Englishman, " said Tayoga, "but as a warrior of the clan of the Bear of the nation Onondaga, of thegreat League of the Hodenosaunee. Most of this land belonged to ourfathers before ever Englishmen or Frenchmen crossed the great water andput foot upon these shores. Where you sit now was Stadacona, the villageof our brother race, the Mohawks. Frenchmen or Englishmen may make warupon one another, or they may make peace with one another, but theHodenosaunee cannot be forgotten. There are many beautiful rivers andlakes and forests to the south and west, but they do not belong toeither Onontio or Corlear. The laws of the fifty sachems who sit incouncil in the vale of Onondaga run there, and those who leave them out, be they French or English, reckon ill. There was a time when Frontenaccame raiding their villages, burning and slaying, but we did not knowthe use of firearms then. Now we do know their use and have them, and inbattle we can meet the white man on equal terms, be he English orFrench. I have been to the white man's school and I have learned thatthere are other great continents beyond the sea. I do not know what mayhappen in them, nor does it matter, but in this vast continent which youcall America the wars and treaties of the English and the French arealike unavailing, unless they consider the wishes of the Hodenosaunee. "

He spoke in a manner inexpressibly haughty, and when he had finished heswept the table from end to end with his challenging glance, then he satdown amid a deep silence. But they were French. They understood that hehad tossed a glove among them, their quick minds saw that the challengewas intended not alone for them, but for the English as well, unless therights of the Hodenosaunee were respected, and such a speech at such atime appealed to their gallant instincts. After a moment or two ofsilence the applause burst forth in a storm. 

"'Twas a fair warning, " said de Courcelles in Robert's ear, "and 'twasmeant for us both. "

It was on Robert's tongue to reply that the English were included forthe sake of courtesy, as they were the friends of the Hodenosaunee andalways kept faith with them, but second thought stopped the words on hislips. Then the band began again, playing a warm song of the south fromthe Florentine opera, and the talk increased. It seemed to Robert thateverybody spoke at once, and his senses were again steeped in the musicand the perfumed air, and the sound of so many voices. Presently herealized that some one across the table was speaking to him. 

"The Onondaga said bold words in behalf of his league, but can he provethem true?" the voice was saying. 

There was something provocative in his tone, and Robert looked closelyat the speaker. He saw a tall man of at least forty-five, thin butobviously very powerful and agile. Robert noticed that his wrists werethick like his own and that his fingers were long and flexible. His facewas freckled, his nose large and curved, giving to his face anuncommonly fierce appearance, and his eyes were black and set closetogether. It was a strong countenance and, when Robert looked at him, the black brows were drawn together in a frown. His words undoubtedlyhad a challenge in them, and the youth replied:

"When Tayoga speaks he speaks from his head as well as his heart, and Iwho am his sworn brother, although we are of different races, know thathe doesn't boast when he refers to the power of the Hodenosaunee. "

"And may it not be possible, sir, that you have been deceived by yourfriendship?"

Robert looked at him in surprise. The man's manner was pointed as if hewere making an issue, and so he did not answer just then, but deCourcelles by his side leaned forward a little and said:

"Perhaps, Mr. Lennox, you have not yet been introduced formally to thechevalier, Chevalier Pierre Boucher, who has been only a year fromParis, but who is already a comrade good and true. "

"No, I don't think I've been deceived, " replied Robert, keeping histemper, and bowing to the introduction. "The Hodenosaunee, better knownto you as the Iroquois, are a very powerful league, as many of thevillages of Canada can tell. "

The man's face darkened. 

"Is it wise, " he asked, "to remind us of the ferocious deeds theIroquois have done upon us, "

But de Courcelles intervened. 

"Peace! Peace, chevalier!" he said in a good-humored tone. "Mr. Lennoxmeant no innuendo. He merely stated a fact to prove a contention. "

The chevalier subsided into silence, but Robert saw a significant lookpass between them, and instantly he became keen and watchful. What didit mean? Willet's warning words came back to him. The more he studiedBoucher the less he liked him. With his thin face, and great hookednose, and long, bony fingers like talons, he reminded him of some greatbird of prey. He noticed also that while the others were drinking wine, although he himself did not, the chevalier was the only one within hisview who also abstained. 

The dinner was long. One or two of the ladies sang to the music, anotherdanced, and then de Galisonniére, in a full, round tenor voice, sang"The Bridge of Avignon. "

 "Hier sur le pont d'Avignon J'ai oui chanter la belle Lon, la, J'ai oui chanter la belle, Elle chantait d'un ton si doux Comme une demoiselle Lon, la, Comme une demoiselle. "

It was singularly appealing, and for a moment tears came to the eyes ofall those who were born in France. They saw open fields, stone fences, and the heavy grapes hanging in the vineyards, instead of the hugerivers, the vast lakes and the mighty wilderness that curved almost totheir feet. But it was only for a moment. This was Quebec, the seat ofthe French power in America, and they were in the Intendant's palace, the very core and heart of it. The laughter that had been hushed for athoughtful instant or two came back in full tide, and once more theChevalier Pierre Boucher spoke to Robert. 

"The songs of our France are beautiful, " he said. "None other have inthem so much of poetry and haunting lament. "

The youth detected as before the challenging under note in a remark thatotherwise would have seemed irrelevant, and an angry contradictionleaped swiftly to his lips, but with the recollection of Willet'swarning look he restrained himself again. 

"France has many beautiful things, " he replied quietly. 

"Well spoken, Mr. Lennox! A compliment to us from one of another race isworth having, " said de Courcelles. But Robert thought he saw thatsignificant look pass for a second time between de Courcelles andBoucher. The long dinner drew to its close and the invited guests passedinto the private ballroom, where the band began to play dance music. Inthe other ballroom, the one intended for the general public, the peoplewere dancing already, and another band was playing. 

Now Bigot was in his element, swelling with importance and good humor, easy, graceful, jesting with men and women, wishing the world well, knowing that he could milk from the royal treasury the money he wasspending tonight, and troubled by no twinges of conscience. Cadethovered near his powerful partner and Pean, Maurin, Penisseault andCorpron were not far away. Robert looked with interest at the ballroomwhich was decorated gorgeously. The balcony was filled already withspectators who would watch the lords and ladies dance. There was norestraint. No Father Drouillard was present to give rebuke and all the_honnêtes gens_ were absent, unless a few young officers like deGalisonnière, who sympathized with them, be excepted. 

They began to dance to light, tripping music, and to Robert all thewomen seemed beautiful and graceful now, and all the men gay andgallant. He could dance the latest dances himself, and meant to do sosoon, but for the present he would wait, standing by the wall andlooking on. Willet came to him, and evidently intended to whispersomething, but de Courcelles, by the youth's side, intervenedlaughingly. 

"No secrets, Mr. Willet, " he said. "No grave and serious matters can bediscussed at the Intendant's ball. It is one of our rules that when wework we work and when we play we play. It is a useful lesson which youBostonnais should learn. "

Then Jumonville came and began to talk to the hunter in such directfashion that he was compelled to respond, and presently he was drawnaway, leaving Robert with de Courcelles. 

"You at least dance, do you not?" asked de Courcelles. 

"Yes, " replied Robert, "I learned it at Albany. "

"Shall I get you a partner?"

"In a little while, if you will be so good, Colonel de Courcelles, butjust now I'd rather see the others dancing. A most brilliant assemblage. I never beheld its like before. "

"Brilliant for Quebec, " said a voice at his elbow, "but you should go toParis, the very heart and center of the world, to see great pleasure andgreat splendor in the happiest combination. "

It was the grim and freckle-faced Boucher, and again Robert detectedthat challenging under note in his voice. In spite of himself his bloodgrew hot. 

"I don't know much about Paris, " he said. "I've never been there, although I hope to go some day, but Quebec affords both pleasure andsplendor in high degree tonight. "

"You don't mean to say that Quebec, much as we French have labored tobuild it up here in the New World, can compare with Paris?"

Robert stared at him in astonishment. Both manner and tone were nowcertainly aggressive, and as far as he could see aggressive aboutnothing. Why should anyone raise an issue between Quebec and Paris, andabove all at such a time, there at Bigot's ball? He refused to be drawninto a controversy, and shrugging his shoulders a little, he turned awaywithout an answer. He heard Boucher's voice raised again, but deCourcelles laughingly waved him down. 

"Come! come, my Pierre, " he said. "You're too ready to suspect thatsomeone is casting aspersions upon that beloved Paris of ours. Perhapsyou and I shall have the pleasure of showing the great city to Mr. Lennox some day. "

He hooked his hand in Robert's arm and drew him away. 

"Don't mind Boucher, " he said. "He has a certain brusqueness of mannerat times, although he is a good soul. He can't bear for anyone tosuggest that another city, even one of our own, could possibly rivalParis in any particular. It's his pet devotion, and we won't disturb himin it. There's your friend, Tayoga, standing by the wall with his armsfolded across his chest. What a splendid savage!"

"He's not a savage. Tayoga was educated in our schools and he has boththe white man's learning and the red man's. He has the virtues, too, ofboth races, and few, very few of their vices. "

"You're an enthusiast about your friend. "

"And so would you be if you knew him as well as I do. That little speechhe made showed his courage and the greatness of his soul. "

"Spoken at such a time, its appeal was strong. I don't want to boast ofmy race, Mr. Lennox, but the French always respond to a gallant act. "

"I know it, and I know, too, that if we English, and Americans orBostonnais, as you call us, do go to war with you we could not possiblyhave a more enterprising or dangerous foe. "

Colonel de Courcelles bowed to the compliment, and then with a nodindicated Tandakora, also standing against the wall, huge, sullen andlooking like a splash of red flame, wrapped in his long scarlet blanket. 

"He, at least, is a savage, " he said. 

"That I readily admit, " said Robert. 

"And as you know by the charges that he made against you to me, hewishes you and your comrades no good. "

"I know by those charges and by events that have occurred since. Tandakora is a savage through and through, and as such my comrades and Imust guard against him. "

"But the Ojibway is a devoted friend of ours, " said a harsh voice overhis shoulders. 

He turned and saw the lowering face of Boucher, and once more he wasamazed. De Courcelles did not give the youth time to answer. Again helaughingly waved Boucher away. 

"Pierre, my friend, " he said, "you seem to be seeking points of issuetonight. Now, I refuse to let you and Mr. Lennox quarrel over themanners, habits and personal characteristics of Tandakora. Come, Mr. Lennox, I'm about to present you to a lady with whom you are going todance. "

Robert went away with him and he saw that Boucher, who was left behind, was frowning, but he danced with the lady and others, and as theexcitement of the moment mounted again to his head he forgot all aboutBoucher. He saw too that de Galisonnière had abandoned his restraint, and had plunged into the gayety with all the enthusiasm and delight ofone to whom pleasure was natural. After a while de Courcelles hooked hisarm again in Robert's and said: "Come, I'll show you something. "

He led the way down a narrow passage, and then into a large apartment, well lighted, though not so brilliantly as the ballroom. A clickingsound had preceded their entrance, and Robert was aware that he was inthe famous gambling room of Monsieur Bigot. Nearly twenty men, includingthe Intendant himself, Cadet and Pean, were there, gambling eagerly withcards or dice. 

And standing by one of the tables, a frown on his freckled face, Robertalso saw the man, Boucher. 

CHAPTER XII

THE HUNTER AND THE BRAVO

Robert turned away, not wishing to meet Boucher again, as he felt thatthe man would say something provocative, and, standing on one side withde Courcelles, he watched the players. The air was heated, and the facesof the men were strained and eager. It was all unwholesome to the lastdegree, and he felt repulsion, yet it held him for the time with afascination due to curiosity. He saw Boucher begin to play and as thelatter held his cards, noticed again his thick and strong, but supplewrists. Uncommon wrists they were, and Robert knew that an uncommonamount of power was stored in them. 

Bigot presently observed Robert, and asked him to play, but the laddeclined, and he was brave enough to say that he never played. Bigotlaughed and shook his head. 

"Ah, you Puritan Bostonnais!" he said; "you'll never learn how to live. "

Then he went back to his game. 

"I think, " said Robert, upon whom the heat and thick air were beginningto tell, "that I'd like to go outside and breathe a little fresh air. "

"It is like a hothouse in here, " said de Courcelles. 

"It's but a step from this room to a little garden, where we can findall the cool air we want. "

"Then show the way, " said Robert quickly. He was eager to escape fromthe room, not alone for the sake of air, but because the place chokedhim. After a period of excitement and mental intoxication the reactionhad come. The colors were growing dimmer, the perfume in the air turnedto poison, and he longed for the clean out-of-doors. 

De Courcelles opened a small door and they stepped out. Robert did notnotice that Boucher instantly put down his cards and followed. Beforethem was a grassy lawn with borders of rose bushes, and beyond, the vastsweep of the hills, the river and the far shore showed dimly through thedusk. The air, moved by a light wind, was crisp, fresh and pure, and, asRobert breathed it deeply, he felt his head grow clear and cool. Severalmen were walking in the garden. One of them was Jumonville, and theothers he did not know. 

"A wonderful site and a wonderful view, " said Robert. 

"But from Montmartre in Paris one may see a far greater city, " saidBoucher at his elbow. 

Robert turned angrily upon him. He felt that the man, in some manner, was pursuing him, and that he had stood enough. 

"I did not speak to you, Monsieur Boucher, " he said. 

"But I spoke to you, my young sprig of a Bostonnais. "

He spoke with truculence, and now de Courcelles did not interfere. Theothers, hearing loud and harsh words, drew near. Jumonville came veryclose and regarded Robert with great intentness, evidently curious tosee what he would do. The youth stared at Boucher in amazement, but heexercised his utmost self-control. 

"I know that you spoke to me, Monsieur Boucher, " he said, "but as I donot see any relevancy in your remarks I will ask you to excuse me. Icame here merely for the air with Colonel de Courcelles. "

He turned away, expecting de Courcelles to resume the walk with him, butthe figure of the Frenchman stiffened and he did not move. All at once awind of hostility seemed to be blowing. Somewhere in the dusk, somebodylaughed lightly. Robert's face blazed, but he was still master ofhimself. 

"And so you would leave after speaking to me in a manner that is aninsult, " sneered Boucher. 

"You were the first to give an insult. "

"If you think so I am ready to return satisfaction. "

Boucher folded his arms across his chest, his powerful wrists crossed, and stared at Robert, his lips wrinkling in ugly fashion. It was a looklike that which Tandakora had given him, and there in the background wasthe huge and sinister figure of the Indian, wrapped in his blanket offlame. He also saw de Mézy and he too was sneering in insolent triumph. De Courcelles, from whom he had a right at that time to expectfriendship, or at least support, had drawn farther away. 

"I am a guest here, " said Robert, "and I seek no trouble. I don't wishto mar the hospitality of Monsieur Bigot by being a party to a quarrelin his garden. "

Again that light laugh came from a point somewhere in the dusk and againRobert's face blazed, but he still held himself under firm control. 

"You were ready enough to fight Count Jean de Mézy this morning, " saidBoucher, "knowing that he was not in condition and that you had a skillwith the sword not suspected by him. "

The truth of it all flashed upon Robert with the certainty ofconviction. The entire situation had been arranged and de Courcelles wasone of its principals. He had been brought into the garden that a fightmight be forced upon him there. Boucher was a bravo and undoubtedly agreat swordsman. He understood now the secret of those thick flexiblewrists and of the man's insulting manner. His blood became ice in hisveins for a moment or two, but it was good for him, cooling his head andquickening his mind. His heart beat with regularity and steadiness. 

"I thank you, Monsieur de Courcelles, " he said, "for your action in thismatter, which I now understand. It's true that it departs in somerespects from what I have understood to be the code and practice of aFrench gentleman, but doubtless, sir, it's your right to amend thosestandards as you choose. "

De Courcelles flushed, bit his lip and was silent. 

"Very pretty! Very pretty!" sneered Boucher, "but French gentlemen arethe best judges of their own manners and morals. You have your sword, sir, and I have mine. Here is a fine open space, well lighted by themoon, and no time is better than the present. Will you draw, sir?"

"He will not, " said a voice over Robert's shoulder, which he instantlyrecognized as that of the hunter. He felt suddenly as if a great wallhad been raised for his support. He was no longer alone among plottingenemies. 

"And why will he not, and what affair is it of yours?" asked Boucher, his manner threatening. 

Willet took a step forward, his figure towering and full of menace. Justbehind him was Tayoga. Robert had never seen the hunter look taller ormore charged with righteous wrath. But it was an anger that burned likea white hot flame, and it was alive with deadly menace. 

"He will not draw because he was brought here to be assassinated by you, bully and bravo that you are, " replied Willet, plumbing the very depthsof Boucher's eyes with his stern gaze. "I like the French, and I knowthem to be a brave and honest people. I did not think that in agathering of French gentlemen enough could be found to form atreacherous and murderous conspiracy like this. "

Nobody laughed in the dusk. The silence was intense. A cool wind blewacross Robert's face, and he felt anew that an invincible champion stoodby his side. Boucher broke the silence with a contemptuous laugh. 

"Out of the way, sir, " he said. "The affair does not concern you. If hedoes not draw and defend himself I will chastise him with the flat of mysword. "

"You will not, " said the hunter, in his cool, measured tones. "You willfight me, instead. "

"My quarrel is not with you. "

"But it soon will be. "

Near Willet was a rose bush with fresh earth heaped over its roots. Stooping suddenly he picked up a handful and flung it with force intothe bravo's face. Boucher swore under his breath, stepped back, andwiped away the earth. 

"You've earned the precedence, sir, " he said, "though I reserve theright to attend to Mr. Lennox afterward. 'Tis a pity that I should haveto waste my steel on a common hunter. I call all of you to witness thatthis quarrel was forced upon me. "

"Your pity does you credit, " said the hunter, "but it's not needed. 'Twere better, sir, if you have such a large supply of that commoditythat you save a little of it for yourself. And as for your attending toMr. Lennox afterward, that meeting, I think, will not occur. "

A long breath came from the crowd. This strange hunter spoke in aconfident tone, and so he must know more than a little of the sword. DeGalisonnière had just come into the garden, and was about to speak, butwhen he saw that Willet was face to face with Boucher he remainedsilent. 

"Robert, " said the hunter, "do you give me full title to this quarrel ofyours?"

"Yes, it is yours, " replied the youth, knowing that the hunter wouldnot be denied, and having supreme confidence in him. 

"And now, Monsieur Boucher, " continued Willet, "the quicker the better. Mr. Lennox will be my second and I recommend that you choose for yoursone of three gentlemen, Colonel de Courcelles, Count de Mézy or theCaptain de Jumonville, all of whom conspired to lead a boy into thisgarden and to his death. "

The faces of the three became livid. 

"And, " said the hunter, "if any one of the three gentlemen whom I havementioned should feel the need of satisfaction after I have attended toMonsieur Pierre Boucher, I shall be very glad to satisfy him. "

De Mézy recovering himself, and assuming a defiant manner, took the partof Boucher's second. Willet removed his coat and waistcoat and handedthem to Robert, beside whom Tayoga was now standing. Then he drew hissword and balanced it a moment in his hand, before he clasped it lightlybut firmly by the hilt. 

Another long breath came from the crowd which had increased. Every manthere was aware that something uncommon was afoot. Who and what Boucherwas most of them knew, but the hunter was an unknown quantity, all themore interesting because of the mystery that enshrouded him. And theinterest was deepened when they saw his swift, easy motion, hiswonderful lightness for so large a man, and the manner in which the hiltof his sword fitted into his hand, as if they had long been brothers. 

"I call you all to witness once again, " said Boucher, "that this quarrelwas forced upon me, and that I had no wish to slay a wandering hunterof the Bostonnais. "

Willet made no reply for the present. He took his position and Bouchertook his. The seconds gave the word, their swords clashed together, andthey stepped back, each looking for an opening in the other's guard. Then it dawned upon the bravo that a swordsman stood before him. But hehad not the slightest fear. He knew his own skill and strength. 

"It's strange that a hunter should know anything about the sword, " hesaid, "but it seems that you do and the fact pleases me much. I wouldnot have it said that I cut down an ignorant man. "

"And yet it might be said, " replied the hunter. "Do you remember theboy, Gaston Lafitte, whom you fought behind the Luxembourg near twentyyears ago?"

The face of Boucher suddenly went deathly white, and, for a moment, hetrembled. 

"Who are you, you mumming hunter?" he cried. "I know no Gaston Lafitte. "

"There you lie, Boucher. You knew him well enough and you can't forgethim if you would. Your face has shown it. It was well that you hadpowerful friends then, or you would soon be completing your twentiethyear in the galleys. "

The blood rushed back into Boucher's face until it was a blazing red, and he attacked savagely. Few men could have stood before that powerfuland cunning offense, but Willet met him at every point. Always theflashing steel was turned aside, and the hunter, cool, patient andwary, looked like one who, in absolute faith, bided his time. 

A gasp came from the spectators. The omens had foretold somethingunusual, but here was more than they had expected or had hoped. Thegreatest swordsman whom France could send forth had been checked andheld by an unknown hunter, by a Bostonnais, among whom one would notlook for swordsmanship. They stopped for breath and Boucher from underhis dark brows stared at the hunter. 

"Mummer, " he said. "You claim to know something of me. What other lieabout me can you tell?"

"It's not necessary to tell lies, Pierre Boucher. There was Raoul deBassempierre whom you compelled to fight you before he was fairlyrecovered of a sickness. His blood is still on your hands. Time has notdried it away. Look! Look! See the red bubbles standing on your wrists!"

Boucher, again as white as death, looked down hastily, and then uttereda fierce oath. The hunter laughed. 

"It's true, Boucher, " he said, "and everyone here knows it's true. Whyspeak of lies? I don't carry them in my stock, and I've proved that Idon't need them. Come, you wish my death, attack again, but rememberthat I'm neither the untrained boy, Gaston Lafitte, nor Raoul deBassempierre, wasted from illness. "

Boucher rushed at him, and Robert thought he could hear the angry breathwhistling through his teeth. Then he grew cooler, steadied himself andpushed the offense. His second attack was even more dangerous than thefirst, and he showed all the power and cunning of the great swordsmanthat he was. Willet slowly gave ground and the spectators began toapplaud. After all, Boucher was a Frenchman and one of themselves, although it was not the best of the French who were gathered there inthe garden that night--except de Galisonnière and one or two others. 

Robert watched the hunter and saw that his breathing was still regularand easy, and that his eye was as calm and confident as ever. Then hisown faith, shaken for a moment, returned. Boucher was still unable tobreak through that guard of living steel, and when they paused a secondtime for breath each was still untouched. 

"You are a swordsman, I'll admit that, " said Boucher. 

"Yes, a better than the raw lad, Gaston Lafitte, or Raoul deBassempierre who was ill, and a better than a third whom I recall. "

"What do you mean, mummer?"

"There was a certain Raymond de Neville who played at dice with anotherwhom I could name. Neville said that the other cheated, but he was agreat swordsman while Neville was but an indifferent fencer, and theother slew him. Yet, they say Neville's charges were true. Shall I namethat man, Boucher?"

Boucher, livid with rage, sprang at him. 

"Mummer!" he cried. "You know too much. I'll close your mouth forever!"

Now it seemed to Boucher that a very demon of the sword stood beforehim. His own fierce rush was met and he was driven back. The ghosts ofthe boy, Gaston Lafitte, of the sick man Raoul de Bassempierre, and ofthe indifferent swordsman, Raymond de Neville who had been cheated atcards, came back, and they helped Willet wield his weapon. His figurebroadened and grew. His blade was no longer of steel, it was a strip oflightning that played around the body and face of the dazzled bravo. Itwas verily true that the hands of four men grasped the hilt, the ghostsof the three whom he had murdered long ago, and Willet who stood therein the flesh before him. 

A reluctant buzz of admiration ran through the crowd. Many of them hadcome from Paris, but they had never seen such swordsmanship before. Whoever the hunter might be they saw that he was the master swordsman ofthem all. They addressed low cries of warning to Boucher: "Have a care!""Have a care!" "Save your strength!" they said. But de Galisonnièrestood, tight-lipped and silent. Nor did Robert and Tayoga feel the needof saying anything to their champion. 

Now Boucher felt for the first time in his life that he had met thebetter man. The great duelist who had ruffled it so grandly through theinns and streets of Paris looked with growing terror into the stern, accusing eyes that confronted him. But he did not always see Willet. Itwas the ghosts of the boy, Gaston Lafitte, of the sick man Raoul deBassempierre and of the indifferent swordsman, Raymond de Neville, thatguided the hunter's blade, and his forehead became cold and wet withperspiration. 

De Galisonnière had moved in the crowd, until he stood with Robert andTayoga. He was perhaps the only one of the _honnêtes gens_ in thegarden, and while he was a Frenchman, first, last and all the time, heknew who Boucher was and what he represented, he understood the reasonwhy Robert had been drawn into the garden and he was willing to see thepunishment of the man who was to have been the sanguinary instrument ofthe plot. 

"A miracle will defeat the best of plans, " he said to de Courcelles. 

"What do you mean, de Galisonnière?" asked de Courcelles with a show ofeffrontery. 

"That an unknown hunter should prove himself a better swordsman thanyour great duelist and bravo, Boucher. "

"Why do you call him my duelist and bravo, de Galisonnière?"

"I understand that you brought young Lennox into the garden, apparentlyhis warm friend on the way, and then when he was here, stood aside. "

"You must answer for such insinuations, Captain de Galisonnière. "

"But not to you, my friend. My sword will be needed in the coming war, and I'm not called upon to dull it now against one who was a principalin a murderous conspiracy. I may be over particular about those withwhom I fight, de Courcelles, but I am what I am. "

"You mean you will not fight me?"

"Certainly not. A meeting would cause the reasons for it to be threshedout, and we are not so many here in Canada that those reasons would notbecome known to all, and you, I fancy, would not relish the spread ofsuch knowledge. The Intendant is a powerful man, but the MarquisDuquesne is the head of our military life, and he would not be pleasedto hear what one of his officers so high in rank has done here tonight. "

All the blood left de Courcelles' face, and he shook with anger, but heknew in his heart that de Galisonnière spoke the deadly truth. Besides, the whole plan had gone horribly wrong. And it had been so well laid. Who could have thought that a wandering hunter would appear at such atime, take the whole affair into his hands, and prove himself a betterswordsman than Boucher, who was reputed not to have had his equal inFrance. It was the one unlucky chance, in a million! Nay, it was worse!It was a miracle that had appeared against them, and in that deGalisonnière had told the truth. Rage and terror stabbed at his heart, rage that the plan laid so smoothly had failed, and terror for himself. No, he would not challenge de Galisonnière. 

"You will notice, de Courcelles, " said the young Captain, "that Boucheris approaching exhaustion. Perhaps not another man in the world couldhave withstood his tremendous offense so well, but the singular hunterseems to be one man in a world, at least with the sword. Now, theseconds will give them a little rest before they close once more, and, I think, for the last time. "

"For God's sake, de Galisonnière, cease! It's bad enough without yourunholy glee!"

"'Bad enough' and 'unholy glee, ' de Courcelles! Not at all! It's verywell, and my pleasure is justified. I fear that villany is not alwayspunished as it should be, and seldom in the dramatic manner that leapsto the eye and that has the powerful force of example. Ah, a foul blowbefore the seconds gave the word! Boucher has gone mad! But you and Iwon't trouble ourselves about him, since he will soon pay for it. Ithink I see a change in the hunter's eye. It has grown uncommonly sternand fierce. He has the look of an executioner. "

De Galisonnière had read aright. When the treacherous blow was dealt andturned aside barely in time, Willet's heart hardened. If Boucher livedhe would live to add more victims to those who had gone before. Theman's whole fiber, body and mind, was poison, nothing but poison, andthe murdered three whom Willet had known cried upon him to takevengeance. He began to press the bravo and Boucher's followers weresilent. De Galisonnière was not the only one who had marked the changein the hunter's eye. 

"You will note, de Courcelles, " said he, "that your man, Boucher, hasthrown his life away. "

"He's not my man, de Galisonnière!"

"You compel me to repeat, de Courcelles, that your man, Boucher, hasthrown away his own life. It's not well to deal a foul blow at aconsummate swordsman. But I suppose it's hard for a murderer to changehis instincts. Ah, what a stroke! What a stroke! It was so swift that Isaw only a flash of light! And so, our friend, Boucher, has sped! Andwhen you seek the kernel of the matter, de Courcelles, it was you whohelped to speed him!"

De Courcelles, unable to bear more, strode away. Boucher was lying uponhis back, and the bravo had fought his last fight. Willet looked down athim, shook his head a little, but he did not feel remorse. The ghosts ofthe untrained boy, Gaston Lafitte, of the sick man, Raoul deBassempierre, and of Raymond de Neville, who had been murdered at dice, guided his hand, and it was they who had struck the blow. Robert helpedhim to put on the waistcoat and coat, as a group of men, Bigot, Cadet, and Pean at their head, invaded the garden. 

"What's this! What's this!" exclaimed Bigot, staring at the motionlessprostrate figure with the closed eyes. 

Then de Galisonnière spoke up, and Robert was very grateful to him. 

"It was done by Mr. Willet, as you see, sir, and if ever a man hadjustification he has it. The quarrel was forced upon him, and, during apause, Boucher struck a foul blow, which, had it not been for Mr. Willet's surpassing skill, would have proved mortal and would havestained the honor of all Frenchmen in Quebec. Colonel de Courcelles willbear witness to the truth of all that I have said, will you not, deCourcelles?"

"Yes, " said de Courcelles, though he shook in his uniform with anger. 

"And so will Count Jean de Mézy. He too is eager to give testimony andsupport me in what I say. Is it not so, de Mézy?"

"Yes, " said de Mézy, the purple spots in his face deepening. 

"Then, " said the Intendant, "I see nothing left to do but bury Boucher. He was but a quarrelsome fellow with none too good a record in France. And keep it from the ladies at present. "

He returned with his courtiers to the house, and the dancing continued, but Robert felt that he could not stay any longer. Such cynicism shockedhim, and paying his respects to Bigot and his friends, he left withTayoga and the hunter for the Inn of the Eagle. 

"It was a great fight, " said Tayoga, as they stood outside and breathedthe cool, welcome air again. "What Hayowentha was with the bow and arrowthe Great Bear is with the sword. "

"I don't like to take human life, " said the hunter, "and it scarcelyseems to me that I've done it now. I feel as if I had been an instrumentin the hands of others, giving to Boucher the punishment deferred solong. "

"There will be no trouble about it, " said Tayoga. "I read the face ofBigot and no anger was there. It may be that he was glad to get rid ofthe man Boucher. The assassin becomes at times a burden. "

But Willet remained silent and thoughtful. 

"I've a feeling, Robert, " he said, "that our mission to Quebec willfail. We've passed through too much, and all the signs are against us. As for me, I'm going to get ready for war. "

"Maybe the Governor General will arrive tomorrow, " said Robert, "and ifso we can give him our letters and go. I was glad to come to Quebec, andI'll be equally glad to leave. "

"And we can see the lodges of the Hodenosaunee again, " said Tayoga, hiseyes glistening. 

"Yes, Tayoga, and glad I'll be to be once more among your great people, the hunters of the hills. "

It was about two o'clock in the morning, when Robert went to bed, and heslept very late. Willet awoke shortly after dawn, dressed himself andwent to the window, where he stood, gazing absently at the deepeningsunlight on the green hills, although he saw the incidents of the heatednight before far more vividly. He was a man who did not favor bloodshed, though it was a hard and stern age, and the slaying of Boucher, whowould have added another to his victims, did not trouble him even themorning after. In his mind was the thought, expressed so powerfully, that the mills of God grind slowly, but they grind exceeding small. However, his anxiety to be away from Quebec had grown with the hours. The dangers were too thick, and they also had a bad habit of increasingcontinually. 

When Robert awoke he found the hunter and Tayoga awaiting him. 

"I've ordered breakfast, " said Willet, "and it will be ready for us assoon as you dress. After that I'll have to comply with someformalities, owing to last night's affair, and then if the GovernorGeneral arrives this afternoon, we can deliver our letters and depart. It seems strange, Robert, that we should be here such a little while andthat both you and I should fight duels. Perhaps it will be Tayoga's turntoday, and he too will have to fight. "

"Not unless Tandakora seeks me, " said the young Onondaga. 

"Did you see what became of him last night, Tayoga?" asked Willet. 

"I watched him all the time you and the Frenchman were fighting, and Iwatched also when we came back to the inn. He would willingly havethrown a tomahawk in the dark at the head of any one of us, but he knewI watched and he did not dare. "

"And that Ojibway savage is another of our troubles. He's gone clean madwith his hate of us. "

Their late breakfast was served by Monsieur Berryer himself with muchdeference and some awe. The large room also held many more guests thanusual at such an hour, but most of them ate little, only an egg or aroll, perhaps, or they dallied over a cup of coffee, reserving most oftheir attention for Willet, whom they regarded covertly, but withextraordinary interest. The youth with him had shown himself to be afine swordsman, as Count Jean de Mézy could testify, but the elder man, who had appeared to be a hunter, and who claimed to be one, was such amaster of the weapon as had never before appeared in New France. And itwas said by the French officers that his equal could not be found inold France either. The interest aroused by his fame was increased by themystery that enshrouded him, and they gave him an attention that was notat all hostile. In truth, it was strongly compounded with admiration. Aman who had removed Pierre Boucher as he had done, was to be regardedwith respect. Boucher had given every promise of becoming a publicdanger in Quebec, and perhaps they owed gratitude to the hunter, Bostonnais though he was. 

Late in the afternoon they had word that the Marquis Duquesne had comeand would receive them. Again they arrayed themselves with the greatestcare, and took their way to the Castle of St. Louis. They found a manvery different in appearance and manner from the Intendant, Bigot. Tall, austere, belonging to a race that was reckoned very noble in France, theMarquis Duquesne was not popular in New France. He had none of thegeniality and easy generosity of Bigot, as he spent his own money, buthe had shown a military energy and foresight which the British governorsto the south were far from imitating. While Canada did not love him, itrespected him and his boldness, and his daring and foresight had deeplyimpressed the powerful Indian tribes whose friendship and alliance wereso important in the coming war. 

The manner of the Marquis was high, when he received the three in hischamber of audience, but it was not deficient in courtesy. He lookedintently at each of them in turn. 

"You come, so I am told, from the Governor of New York, " he said, "andjudging from what I have heard he has chosen messengers who are able tomake a stir. Two days in Quebec and already you have fought two duels, one of them ending fatally. "

"My lord, " said Willet, gravely, "they were not of our seeking. "

"That also, I hear. They tell me, too, Mr. Willet, that you are anincomparable swordsman, and it must be true, or you would not have beenable to defeat Boucher. But that matter is adjusted. You will not beheld here because of his death. It seems that the Intendant, MonsieurBigot himself, does not wish to carry it further. But the letters fromthe Governor of New York?"

"Mr. Lennox has them, " said Willet. 

Robert bowed and took from an inner pocket of his waistcoat the lettershe had carried through so many dangers. They were contained in a smalldeerskin pouch, and were only two in number. Bowing again, he handedthem to the Governor General, who said:

"Pray be seated, and excuse me for a few minutes while I read them. "

He read slowly, stopping at times to consider, and when he had finishedhe read them over again. 

"Do you and Mr. Willet know the contents of these letters?" he said toRobert. 

"We do, " replied the youth. "They were read to us by the Governor of NewYork before he sealed them. If we were robbed of them on the way toQuebec, and he knew the way was dangerous, we were to continue ourjourney and deliver the message to you verbally. "

"Their nature does credit to both the heart and head of the Governor ofNew York. He makes a personal appeal to me to use all my influenceagainst the war seemingly at hand. He says that England and France havenothing to gain by attacking each other in the American woods, which arelarge enough to hide whole European kingdoms. But he wishes the lettersto be a secret with him and me and you three who have brought them. Youunderstand that?"

Robert bowed once more. 

"The second letter explains and amplifies the first, contains, I shouldsay, his afterthoughts. As I said, 'tis a noble act, but what can I do?A war may look to many men like a sudden outburst, but it is nearlyalways the result of conditions that have been a long time in thegrowth. Your hunters, your traders and your surveyors pressed forwardinto the Ohio country, which is ours. "

He looked at them as if he expected them to challenge the French claimto the Ohio regions, but they were wisely silent. 

"The letters do not demand an immediate reply, " he continued. "HisExcellency prays me to consider. Perhaps I shall send one later througha trusted messenger by sloop or schooner to New York, and naturally, Ishall choose one of my own officers. "

"Naturally, my lord, " said Robert. "We did not expect to take back theanswer. "

The Marquis Duquesne looked at him very keenly. 

"You speak as if you were relieved at not having the errand, " he said. "Perhaps there is something else on your mind which you wish to do andwith which such a mission would interfere. "

Robert was silent and the Marquis laughed. 

"I will not press the question, because I've no right to do so, " hesaid. "But I will let it remain an inference. "

Then his eye rested upon Tayoga, at whom he looked long and searchingly, and the eye of the Onondaga met him with an answering gaze, fixed andunfaltering. 

"Captain de Galisonnière has told me, " said the Marquis, "that you are ayoung chief, or coming chief, of the Iroquois, that despite your youthyou have thought much and have influence with your people. How do theIroquois feel toward the French who wish them so well?"

"They do not forget that this Quebec is the Stadacona of one of theirgreat warrior nations, the Mohawks, " replied Tayoga. 

The Marquis started and flushed. 

"Quebec is ours, " he said slowly, after taking due thought. "You cannotundo what was done two centuries ago. "

"The nations of the Hodenosaunee do not forget, what are two centuriesto them?"

"When you return to the Long House in the vale of Onondaga, and thefifty sachems meet in council, tell them Onontio has only kindness inhis heart for them. The war clouds that hang over England and Francegrow many and thick, and my children are brave and vigilant. They knowthe ways of the forest. They travel by day and by night, and they strikehard. The English are not a match for them. "

"If I should tell them what Onontio tells to me they would say: 'Go backto Quebec, which is by right the Stadacona of our great warrior nation, the Mohawks, and say to Onontio that his words are like the songs ofbirds, but we, the Hodenosaunee, do not forget. We remember Frontenac, and we remember Champlain, the first of the white men to come among uswith guns, the use of which we did not know, killing our warriors. '"

"Time makes changes, Tayoga, and the Iroquois must change too. "

Tayoga, was silent, but his haughty face did not relax a particle. TheMarquis was about to say more upon the subject, but he had a penetratingmind and he saw that his words would be wasted. 

"We shall see what we shall see, " he said. "My master, His Majesty KingLouis, keeps his promises. Mr. Lennox, as I take it, still clinging tomy inference, it will be some time before you see the Governor of NewYork again. But, when you do see him, and if my letter has not thenreached him, tell him it is coming by ship to New York. As for you andyour comrades, I wish you a safe journey whithersoever you go. Anaide-de-camp will give the three of you, as you go out, passports whichwill be your safe conduct until you reach the borders of Canada. Ofcourse, I cannot speak with certainty concerning anything that willhappen to you beyond that point. Mr. Willet, I am sorry that a swordsuch as yours is not French. "

Willet bowed, and so did Robert. Then the three withdrew, receivingtheir safe conducts as they went. At the inn they made hurriedpreparations for departure, deciding that they would cross at once tothe south side of the St. Lawrence and travel on foot through the woodsuntil they reached the Richelieu, where in a secret cove a canoebelonging to Willet lay hidden. The canoe would take them into LakeChamplain and then they could proceed by water to the point they wished. 

Robert wrote a note of thanks to the Intendant for his courtesy, expressing their united regrets that the brevity of time would notpermit them to pay a formal call, and as it departed in the hands of amessenger, de Galisonnière came to say farewell. 

"It's likely, " he said, "that if we meet again it will be on thebattlefield. I see nothing for it but a war, but if we do meet, Mr. Willet, you must promise that you will not use that sword against me. "

"I promise, Captain de Galisonnière, " said Willet, smiling, "but if thewar does come, and I hope it may not, it will be fought chiefly in thewoods, and there will be little need for swords. And now we wish tothank you for your great kindness and help. "

He shook hands with them all, showing some emotion, and then lefthastily. The three deferred their departure, concluding to spend thenight at the inn, but before dawn the next morning they crossed the St. Lawrence and began their journey. 

CHAPTER XIII

THE BOWMEN

Robert looked back and saw the roofs and spires of Quebec sitting on itsmighty rock, and he remembered how much had happened during their shortstay there. He could recall the whole time, hour by hour, and he knewthat he would never forget any part of it. The town was intense, glowing, vivid in the clear northern sunlight, and he had seen it, as heso often had longed to do. A quality in his nature had responded to it, but at the last his heart had turned against it. The splendor of thatcity into which he had enjoyed such a remarkable introduction had in itsomething hot and feverish. 

"You're thinking a farewell to Quebec, Robert, " said the hunter. "Itlooks grand and strong up there, but I've an idea there'll be a day whenwe'll come again. "

"Americans and English have besieged it before, " said Robert, "butthey've never taken it. "

"Which proves nothing, but we'll turn our minds now to our journey intothe south. It's good to breathe this clean air again, and the sooner wereach the deep woods the better I'll like it. What say you, Tayoga?"

The nostrils of the Onondaga expanded, as he inhaled the odors of leafand grass, borne on the gentle wind. 

"I have lived in the white man's house in Albany, " he said, "and in ourown log house in the vale of Onondaga, and I know the English and theFrench have many things that the nations of the Hodenosaunee have not, but we can do without most of them. If the great chiefs were to drinkand dance all night as Bigot and his friends do, then indeed would wecease to be the mighty League of the Hodenosaunee. "

They traveled all that day on foot, but at a great pace, showing theirsafe conduct twice to French soldiers, and so thin was the line ofsettlements along the St. Lawrence that when night came they were beyondthe cultivated fields and had entered the deep woods. The three, inaddition to their weapons, carried on their backs packs containingblankets and food, and as Willet and Tayoga put them down they drew longbreaths of relief like those of prisoners escaped. 

"Home, Tayoga! Home!" said the hunter, joyfully. "I've nothing againstcities in general, but I breathed some pretty foul air in Quebec, andit's sweet and clean here. There comes a time when you are glad no housecrosses your view and you are with the world as it was made in thebeginning. Don't these trees look splendid! Did you ever see a finer lotof tender young leaves? And the night sky you see up there has beenwashed and scrubbed until it's nothing but clean blue!"

"Why, you're only a boy, Dave, the youngest of us three, " laughedRobert. "Here you are singing songs about leaves and trees just as ifyou were not the most terrible swordsman in the world. "

A shadow crossed Willet's face, but it was quick in passing. 

"Let's not talk about Boucher, Robert, " he said. "I don't regret what Idid, knowing that it saved the lives of others, but I won't recall itany oftener than I can help. You're right when you term me a boy, and Ibelieve you're right, too, when you say I'm the youngest of the three. I'm so glad to be here that just now I'm not more'n fifteen years old. Icould run, jump, laugh and sing. And I think the woods are a deal saferand friendlier than Quebec. There's nobody, at least not here, lyingaround seeking a chance to stick a rapier in your back. "

He unbuckled his sword and laid it upon the grass. Robert put his besideit. 

"I don't think we'll need to use 'em again for a long time, " said thehunter, "but they're mighty fine as decorations, and sometimes adecoration is worth while. It impresses. Now, Tayoga, you kindle thefire, and Robert, you find a spring. It's pleasant to feel that you'reagain on land that belongs to nobody, and can do as you please. "

Robert found a spring less than a hundred yards away, and Tayoga soonkindled a fire near it with his flint and steel, on which the hunterwarmed their food. Each had a small tin cup from which he drank clearwater as they ate, and Robert, elastic of temperament, rejoiced with thehunter. 

"You are right, Dave, " he said. "These are splendid trees, and everyleaf on 'em is splendid, too, and the little spring I found is justabout as fine a spring as the forest holds. I slept in a good bed at theInn of the Eagle, but when I scrape up the dead leaves here, roll myselfin my blanket and lie on 'em I think I'll sleep better than I didbetween four walls. What did you think of the Marquis Duquesne, Dave?"

"A man of parts, Robert. He has more military authority than any of ourGovernors have, and if war comes he'll be a dangerous opponent. "

"And it will come, Dave?"

"Looks like a certainty. You see, Robert, the King of France and theKing of England sitting on their golden thrones, only three or fourhundred miles apart, but three or four thousand miles from us, have adyspeptic fit, make faces at each other, and here in the woods we mustfall to fighting. Even Tayoga's people--and the King of France and theKing of England are nothing to them--must be drawn into it. "

"Both Kings claim the Ohio country, which they will never see, and ofwhich they know nothing, " said Tayoga, with a faint touch of sarcasm, "but perhaps it belongs to the people who live in it. "

"Maybe so, Tayoga! Maybe!" said Willet briskly, "but we'll not look fortrouble or unpleasant thoughts now. We three are too glad to be in thewoods again. Tayoga, suppose you scout about and see that no enemy'snear. Then we'll build up the fire, till it's burning bright, andrejoice. "

"It is well!" said Tayoga, as he slipped away among the trees, makingno sound as he went. Robert meanwhile gathered dead wood which layeverywhere in abundance, and heaped it beside the fire ready for use. But as Tayoga was gone some time he sat down again with his back to atree, taking long deep breaths of the cool fresh air, and feeling hispulses leap. The hunter sat in a similar position, gazing meditativelyinto the fire. Robert heard a rattling of bark over his head, but heknew that it was a squirrel scuttling up the trunk of the tree, andpausing now and then to examine the strange invaders of his forest. 

"Do you see the squirrel, Dave?" he asked. 

"Yes, he's about twenty feet above you now, sitting in a fork. He's afine big fellow with a bushy tail curved so far over his back that itnearly touches his head. He has little red eyes and he's just burning upwith curiosity. The firelight falls on him in such a way that I can see. Perhaps he has never seen a man before. Now he's looking at you, Robert, trying to decide what kind of an animal you are, and forming an estimateof your character and disposition. "

"You're developing your imagination, Dave, but since I saw what you saidand did in Quebec I'm not surprised. "

"Encouraged by your motionless state he's left the fork, and come a halfdozen feet down the trunk in order to get a better look at you. I thinkhe likes you, Robert. He lies flattened against the bark, and if I hadnot seen him descending I would not notice him now, but the glow of thecoals still enables me to make out his blazing little red eyes likesparks of fire. Now he is looking at me, and I don't think he has asmuch confidence in my harmlessness as he has in yours. Perhaps it'sbecause he sees my eyes are upon him and he doesn't like to be watched. He's a saucy little fellow. Sit still, Robert! I see a black shadow overyour head, and I think our little friend, the squirrel, should look out. Ah, there he goes! Missed! And our handsome young friend, the graysquirrel, is safe! He has scuttled into his hole higher up the tree!"

Robert had heard a rush of wings and he had seen a long black shadowpass. 

"What was it, Dave?" he asked. 

"A great horned owl. His iron beak missed our little squirrel friendjust about three inches. Those three inches were enough, but I don'tthink that squirrel will very soon again stay out at night so late. Thewoods are beautiful, Robert, but you see they're not always safe evenfor those who can't live anywhere else. "

"I know, Dave, but I'm not going to think about it tonight, because I'vemade up my mind to be happy. Here comes Tayoga. Is any enemy near, Tayoga?"

"None, " replied the Onondaga, sitting down by the fire. "But the forestis full of its own people, and they are all very curious about us. "

"That's true, " said Willet, "a squirrel over Robert's head was soinquisitive that he forgot his vigilance for a few moments and came nearlosing his life as the price of his carelessness. I'm not surprised tohear you say, Tayoga, they're all looking at us. I've felt for some timethat we're being watched, admired and perhaps a little feared. It's atribute to the enormously interesting qualities of us three. "

"That is, Dave, because we're human beings we're kings in the forestamong the animals. "

"You put it right, Robert. They look up to us. Is anything watching usamong the leaves near by, Tayoga?"

"A huge bald-headed eagle, Great Bear, is sitting on a bough in thecenter of a mass of green leaves. He is looking at us, and while he isfull of curiosity and some admiration he fears and hates us more. "

"What is he saying to himself, Tayoga?"

"You can read his words to himself by the look in his eyes. He is sayingthat he does not like our appearance, that we are too large, that wehave created here something hot and flaming, that we behave with toomuch assurance, going about just as if the forest was ours, and payingno attention to its rightful owners. "

"He has got a grievance, and perhaps it's a just one, " laughed Robert. 

"No, it is not, " said Tayoga, "because there is plenty of room in theforest for him and for us, too. I can read his eyes quite well. There ismuch malice and anger in his heart, and I will give him some cause forrage. "

He picked up a live coal between the ends of two sticks, and holding itfirmly in that manner, walked a little distance among the trees. Thenswinging the sticks he hurled the coal far up among the boughs. Therewas an angry screech and whirr and Robert saw a swift shadow passingbetween his eyes and the sky. 

"His heart can burn more than ever now, " laughed Tayoga, as he returnedto the fire. 

"You've hurt his dignity, Tayoga, " said Robert. 

"So I have, but why should he not suffer a loss of pride? He is ruthlessand cruel and when he has his way he makes desolation about him. "

"What else is watching us, Tayoga?"

"A beast upon the ground, and his heart is much like that of the eaglein the air. He is crouched in a thicket about twenty yards away, and hislips are drawn back from his sharp fangs. His nostrils twitch with theodor of our food, and his yellow eyes are staring at us. Oh, he hates usbecause he hates everything except his own kind and very often he hatesthat. He wants our food because he's hungry--he's always hungry--and hewould try to eat us too if he were not so much afraid of us. "

"Tayoga, one needs only a single glance to tell that this animal you'retalking about is a wolf. "

"It is so, Dagaeoga. A very hungry and a very angry wolf. He is cunning, but he does not know everything. He thinks we do not see him, that we donot know he is there and that maybe, after awhile, when we go to sleep, he can slip up and steal our food, or perhaps he can bring many of hisbrothers, and they can eat us before we awake. Now, I will tell him in alanguage he can understand that it's time for him to go away. "

He picked up a heavy stick and threw it with all his might into thebushes on their right. It sped straighter to the target than he hadhoped, as there was a thud, a snarling yelp, and then the swift pad offlying feet. Tayoga lay back and laughed. 

"The Spirit of Jest guided my hand, " he said, "and the stick struck himupon the nose. He will run far and his wrath and fear will grow as heruns. Then he will lie down again in some thicket, and he will not dareto come back. Now, we will wait a little. "

"Anything more looking at us?" asked Robert after awhile. 

"Yes, we have a new visitor, " replied Tayoga in a low tone. "Speak onlyin a whisper and do not move, because the animal that is looking at ushas no malice in its heart, and does not wish us harm. It has come verysoftly and, while its eyes are larger, they are mild and have onlycuriosity. "

"A deer, I should say, Tayoga. "

"Yes, a deer, Lennox, a very beautiful deer. It has been drawn by thefire, and having come as near as it dares it stands there, shivering alittle, but wondering and admiring. "

"We won't trouble it, Tayoga. We'll need the meat of a deer before long, but we'll spare our guest of tonight. "

"He is staring very straight at us, " said Tayoga, "but something hasstirred in the brushwood--perhaps it's another wolf--and now he hasgone. "

"We seem to be an attraction, " said Willet, "and so I suppose we'dbetter give 'em as good a look as we can. "

He cast a great quantity of the dry wood on the fire, and it blazed upgayly, throwing the red glow in a wide circle, and lighting up thepleasant glade. The figures of the three, as they leaned in luxuriousattitudes, were outlined clearly and sharply, a view they would not haveallowed had not Tayoga been sure no enemy was near. 

"Now let the spectators come on, " said Willet genially, "because wewon't be on display forever. After a while we'll get sleepy, and then itwill be best to put out the fire. "

The flames leaped higher and the glowing circle widened. Robert, leaningagainst a tree, with his blanket wrapped around him and the cushion ofdead leaves beneath him, felt the grateful warmth upon his face, and itrejoiced body and mind alike. Tayoga and the hunter were in a similarstate of content, and they were silent for a while. Then Robert said:

"Who's looking at us now, Tayoga?"

"Two creatures, Dagaeoga, that belong upon the ground, but that are notnow upon it. "

"Your answer sounds like a puzzle. If they're not now upon the groundthey're probably in the air, but they're not birds, because birds don'tbelong on the ground. Then they're animals that have climbed trees. "

"Dagaeoga's mind is becoming wondrous wise. In time he may be a sachemamong his adopted people. "

"Don't you have sport with me, Tayoga, because bear in mind that if youdo I will pay you back some day. Have these creatures a mean, viciouslook?"

"I could not claim, Dagaeoga, that they are as beautiful as the deerthat came to look at us but lately. "

"Then I make so bold as to say, Tayoga, that they have tufted ear tips, spotted fur, and short tails, in brief a gentleman lynx and a lady lynx, his wife. They are gazing at us with respect and fear as the wolf did, and also with just as much malice and hate. They're wondering who andwhat we are, and why we come into their woods, the pair of bloodthirstyrabbit slayers. "

"Did I not say you would be a sachem some day, Dagaeoga? You have readaright. An Onondaga warrior could not have done better. The two lynxesare on a bough ten feet from the ground, and perhaps in their foolishhearts they think because they are so high above the earth that wecannot reach them. "

"You're not going to shoot at 'em, Tayoga? We don't want to waste goodbullets on a lynx. "

"Not I, Dagaeoga, but I will make them acquainted with something theywill dread as much as bullets. It's right that those who come to look atus should be made to pay the price of it. "

"So you think that Monsieur and Madame Lynx have looked long enough atthe illustrious three?"

"Yes, Dagaeoga. It is time for them to go. And since they do not go oftheir own will I must make them go. "

He snatched a long brand from the fire, and whirling it around his head, and shouting at the same time, he dashed toward an old dead tree somedistance away. Two stump-tailed, tuft-eared animals, uttering loudferocious screams, leaped from the boughs and tore away through thethickets, terror stabbing at their hearts, as the circling flame of redpursued them. Tayoga returned laughing. 

"They will run and they will run, " he said, throwing down his brand. 

"You don't give 'em much chance to see us, Tayoga, " said the hunter. "Since we're on exhibition tonight you might have let 'em look andadmire a while longer. "

"So I could, Great Bear, but I do not like the lynx. Its habits areunpleasant, and its scream is harsh. Hence, I drove the two of themaway. "

"I suppose you're right. I don't dare care much about 'em either. Nowwe'll rest and see what other visitors come to admire. "

Tayoga sat down again. Their packs were put in a neat heap near thethree, Robert's and Willet's swords, and Tayoga's bow and arrows intheir case resting on the top. Robert threw more wood on the fire, andcontentedly watched the great, glowing circle of light extend itscircumference. 

"We knew we'd find peace and rest here, " said Willet, "but we didn'tknow we'd be watched and admired like people on the stage at a theater. "

"Have you seen many plays, Dave?" asked Robert. 

"A lot, especially in London at Drury Lane and other theaters. "

"And so you know London, as well as Paris?"

"Well, yes, I've been there. Some day, Robert, I'll tell you more aboutboth Paris and London and why I happened to be in such great cities, but not now. We'll keep our minds on the forest, which is worth ourattention. Don't you hear a tread approaching, Tayoga?"

"Yes, Great Bear, and it's very heavy. A lord of the forest is coming. "

"A moose, think you, Tayoga?"

"Yes, Great Bear, a mighty bull, one far beyond the common size. I cantell by his tread, and I think he is angry, or he would not march soboldly toward the fire. "

"Then, " said the hunter, "we'd better stand up, and be ready with ourweapons. I've no wish to be trodden to death by a mad bull moose, justwhen I'm feeling so happy and so contented with the world. "

"The Great Bear's advice is good, " said Tayoga, and the three took it. The approaching tread grew heavier, and the largest moose that Roberthad ever seen, pushing his way through the bushes, stood looking at thefire, and those who had built it. He was a truly magnificent specimen, and Tayoga had been right in calling him a lord of the forest, but hiseyes were red and inflamed and his look was menacing. 

"Mad! Quite mad!" whispered the hunter. "He sees us, but he doesn'tadmire us. He hates us, and he isn't afraid of us. "

The three moved softly and discreetly into a place where both trees andbushes were so dense that the moose could not get at them. 

"What troubles him?" asked Robert. 

"I don't know, " said the hunter. "He may be suffering yet from a woundby an Indian arrow, or he may have a spell of some kind. We can becertain only that he's raging mad, every inch of him. Look at thosegreat sharp hoofs of his, Robert. I'd as soon be struck with an axe. "

The moose, after some hesitation, rushed into the glade, leaped towardthe fire, leaped back again, pawed and trampled the earth in a terribleconvulsion of rage, and then sprang away, crashing through the forest. They heard the beat of his hoofs a long time, and when the sound ceasedthey returned and resumed their seats by the fire. 

"That moose was a great animal, " said Tayoga with irony, "but his mindwas the mind of a little child. He did nothing with his strength andagility but tear the earth and tire himself. Now he runs away among thetrees, scratching his body with bushes and briars. "

"At any rate, he was an important visitor, Tayoga, " said the hunter, "and since we've had a good look at him we're glad he's gone away. Ithink it likely now that all who wanted to look at us have had theirlook, and we might go to sleep. How are your leaves, Robert?"

"Fine and soft. They make a splendid bed, and I'm off to slumberland. "

He pushed up the leaves at one end of his couch high enough to form apillow, and stretched himself luxuriously. The night was turning cold, but he had his blanket, and there was the fire. He felt as comfortableas at the Inn of the Eagle in Quebec, and freer from plots and danger. 

They were allowing the fire to die now, but the coals would glow for along time, and Robert looked at them sleepily. His feeling of cozinessand content increased, and presently he slept. The hunter soon followedhim, but Tayoga slept not at all. His subtle Indian instinct warned himnot to do so. For the Onondaga the forest was not free now from danger, and he would watch while his white friends slept. 

Tayoga arose, after a while, and taking a stick, scattered the coals ofthe fire. But he did it in such a manner that he made no noise, thehunter and young Lennox continuing to sleep soundly. Then he watched theembers, having lost that union which is strength, die one by one. Theconquered darkness came back, recovering its lost ground, slowlyinvading the glade, until it was one in the dusk with the rest of theforest. Then Tayoga felt better satisfied, and he looked at thesleepers, whose faces he could still discern, despite the absence of thefire, a fair moonlight falling. 

Robert and the hunter slept peacefully, but their sleep was deep. Theyouth was weary from the long march in the woods, but as he slept hisstrong healthy tissues rapidly regained their vitality. The Onondagalooked at the two longer than usual. These comrades of his were knittedto him by innumerable labors and dangers shared. In him dwelled the soulof a great Indian chief, the spirit that has animated Pontiac, andLittle Turtle, and Tecumseh and Red Cloud and other dauntless leaders ofhis race, but it had been refined though not weakened by his whiteeducation. Gratitude and truth were as frequent Indian traits as thememory of injuries, and while he was surcharged with pride because hewas born a warrior of the clan of the Bear, of the nation Onondaga, ofthe great League of the Hodenosaunee, he felt as truly as any knightever felt that he must accept and fulfill all the duties of his place. 

Standing in a dusk made luminous by a silvery moonlight he was a fittingson of the forest, one of its finest products. He belonged to it, and itbelonged to him, each being the perfect complement of the other. Hisface cut in bronze was lofty, not without a spiritual cast, and hisblack eyes flamed with his resolve. He looked up at the heavens, fleecywith white vapors, and shot with a million stars, the same sky that hadbent over his race for generations no man could count, and his soul wasfilled with admiration. Then he made his voiceless prayer:

"O, Tododaho, first and greatest sachem of the Onondagas, greatest andnoblest sachem of the League, look down from your home on another star, and watch over your people, for whom the storms gather! Let the serpentsin your hair whisper to you of wisdom that you in turn may whisper it tous through the winds! Direct our footsteps in the great war that iscoming between the white nations and save to us our green forests, ourblue lakes and our silver rivers! Remember, O, Tododaho, that althoughthe centuries have passed since Manitou took you from us, your namestill stands among us for all that is great, noble and wise! I beseechyou that you give sparks of your own lofty and strong spirit to yourchildren, to the Hodenosaunee in this, their hour of need, and I asktoo, that you help one who is scarcely yet a warrior in years, one whoinvokes thee humbly, even, Tayoga, of the clan of the Bear, of thenation Onondaga, of thy own great League of the Hodenosaunee!"

He bent his head a little to listen. All the legends and beliefs of hisrace, passed from generation to generation, crowded upon him. Tododaholeaning down from his star surely heard his prayer. Tayoga shivered alittle, not from cold or fear, but from emotion. The mystic spell wasupon him. Far above him in the limitless void little wreaths of vaporunited about a great shining star, taking the shape of a man, the shapeof a great chief, wise beyond all other chiefs that had ever lived, andhe distinctly saw the wise serpents, coil on coil, in Tododaho's hair. They were whispering in his ear, and bending his head a little fartherhe heard the words of the serpents which the rising wind brought, repeated, from the lips of Tododaho:

"Fear not, O young warrior of the Onondagas! Tododaho leaning down fromhis star hears thy pious appeal! Tododaho, for more than four hundredyears, has watched over the great League, night and day! Let the fiftysachems, old in years and wisdom, walk in the straight path of truth, and let the warriors follow! Let them be keepers of the faith, friendsto those who have been their friends, sage in council, brave in battle, and they shall hold their green forests, their blue lakes and theirsilver rivers! And to thee, Tayoga, I say, thou shalt encounter manydangers, but because thy soul is pure, thou shalt have great rewards!"

Then the wind died suddenly. The leaves hung motionless. The vaporsabout the great shining star dissolved, the face of Tododaho, with thewise serpents, coil on coil in his hair, disappeared, and the luminousheavens were without a sign. But they had spoken. 

Tayoga trembled, but again it was from emotion. Tododaho had sent hiswords of promise on the wind, and they had been whispered in his ear. Great would be his dangers but great would be his rewards. He wasuplifted. His heart exulted. His deeds would be all the mightier becauseof the dangers, and he would never forget that he had the promise ofTododaho, greatest, wisest and noblest of the chiefs of theHodenosaunee, who had gone to a shining star more than four hundredyears ago. 

He sat down under one of the trees and sleep remained far from him. Hestill listened with all the power of his sensitive hearing for any soundthat might come in the forest, and after awhile he took his bow andquiver from their case, putting his quiver over his shoulder. He coveredhis rifle with the leaves, and holding the bow in his hand stole awayamong the trees. 

The faintest of sounds had come to him, and Tayoga did not doubt itsnature. It was strange to the forest and it was hostile. The mysticspell was still upon him, and it heightened his faculties to anextraordinary degree. He had almost the power of divination. A hundredyards, and he crouched low behind the trunk of a great oak. Then as themoonlight fell upon a small opening just ahead he saw them, Tandakoraand two warriors. 

The Ojibway was in full war paint, and the luminous quality of themoon's rays enlarged his huge form. He towered like Hanegoategeh, theEvil Spirit, and the figures upon his shoulders and chest stood out likecarving. He and the two warriors also carried bows and arrows, andTayoga surmised that they had meant to slay in silence. His heart burnedwith rage and he felt, too, an unlimited daring. Did he not have thepromise of Tododaho that he should pass through all dangers and receivegreat rewards? He felt himself a match for the three, and he did notneed secrecy and silence. He raised his voice and cried:

"Stand forth, Tandakora, and fight. I too have only _waano_ (the bow)and _gano_ (the arrow), but I meet the three of you!"

Tandakora and the two warriors sprang back and in an instant were hiddenby the trees, but Tayoga had expected them to do so, and he droppeddown, moving silently to another and hidden point, where he waited, anarrow on the string. He knew that Tandakora had recognized his voice, and would make every effort, his shoulder healed enough for use, tosecure such a prize. The Ojibway would believe, too, that three mustprevail against one, and he would push the attack. So the Onondagaremained motionless, but confident. 

Nearly ten minutes of absolute silence followed, but his hearing was soacute that he did not think any of the three could move without hisknowledge. Then a slight sliding sound came. One of the warriors waspassing to the right, and that, too, he had expected, as they wouldsurely try to flank him. He moved back a little, and with the end of hisbow shook gently a bush seven or eight feet away. In an instant, anarrow, coming from the night, whistled through the bush. But Tayoga drewback the bow quick as lightning, fitted an arrow to the string and shotwith all the power of his arm at a bronze body showing among the leavesat the point whence the arrow had come. 

The shaft sang in the air, and so great was its speed and so short therange that it passed entirely through the chest of the warrior, cuttingoff his breath so quickly that he had no time to utter his death cry. There was no sound but that of his fall as he crashed among the leaves. Nor did Tayoga utter the usual shout of triumph. He sank back and fittedanother arrow to the string, turning his attention now to the left. 

It had been the Onondaga's belief that Tandakora would remain in front, sending the warriors on either flank, and now he expected a movement onthe left. He did not have to make any feint of his own to draw thesecond warrior, who must have been lacking somewhat in skill, as hepresently saw a dim figure in the bushes and his second arrow sped withthe same speed and deadly result that had marked the first. Fitting histhird arrow to the string, he called:

"Stand forth, Tandakora, and show yourself like a man! Then we shall seewho shoots the better!"

But being a knight of the woods, and to convince the Ojibway that it wasno trick, he showed himself first. Tandakora shot at once, but Tayogadropped back like a flash, and the arrow cut the air, where hisfeathered head had been. Then all his Indian nature, the training andhabit of generations, leaped up in him and he began to taunt. 

"You shot quickly, Tandakora, " he called, "and your arm was strong, butthe arrow struck not! You followed us all the way from Stadacona, andyou thought to have our scalps! The Great Bear and Lennox did notsuspect, but I did! The warriors who came with you are dead, and you andI alone face each other! I have shown myself and I have risked yourarrow, now show yourself, Tandakora, and risk mine!"

But the Ojibway, it seemed, had too much respect for the bow of Tayoga. He remained close, and did not disclose an inch of his brown body. TheOnondaga did not show himself again, but crouched for a shot, in casethe opportunity came. He knew that Tandakora was a great bowman, but hehad supreme confidence in his own skill against anybody. Nothing stirredwhere his enemy lay and no sound came from the little camp, which wasbeyond the reach of the words they had uttered. 

A quarter of an hour, a half hour, an hour passed, and neither moved, showing all the patience natural to the Indian on the war path. ThenTayoga shook a bush a few feet from him, but Tandakora divined thetrick, and his arrow remained on the string. Another quarter of an hour, and seeing some leaves quiver, Tayoga, at a chance, sent an arrow amongthem. No sound came back, and he knew that it had been sped in vain. 

Then he began to move slowly and with infinite care toward the right, resolved to bring the affair to a head. At the end of twenty feet herustled the bushes a little once more and lay flat. An arrow flew overhis head, but he did not reply, resuming his slow advance after hisenemy's shaft had sped. Another twenty feet and he made the bushes moveagain. Tandakora shot, and in doing so he exposed a little of his rightarm. Tayoga sent a prompt arrow at the brown flesh. He heard a cry ofpain, wrenched in spite of his stoical self from the Ojibway, and thenas he sank down again and put his ear to the ground came the sound ofretreating footsteps. 

The affair, unfinished in a way, so far as the vital issue wasconcerned, was concluded for the present, at least. Ear and mind toldTayoga as clearly as if eye had seen. His arrow had ploughed its pathacross Tandakora's arm near the shoulder, inflicting a wound that wouldheal, but which was extremely painful and from which so much blood wascoming that a quick bandage was needed. Tandakora could no longer meetTayoga with the bow and arrow and so he must retreat. Nor was it likelythat his first wound was yet more than half healed. 

The Onondaga waited until he was sure his enemy was at least a half mileaway, when he rose boldly and approached the place where Tandakora hadlast lain hidden. He detected at once drops of dark blood on the leavesand grass, and he found his arrow, which Tandakora had snatched fromthe wound and thrown upon the ground. He wiped the barb carefully andreplaced it in his quiver. Then he followed the trail at least threemiles, a trail marked here and there by ruddy spots. 

Tayoga did not feel sorry for his enemy. Tandakora was a savage and anassassin, and he deserved this new hurt. He was a dangerous enemy, onewho had made up his mind to secure revenge upon the Onondaga and hisfriends, but his fresh wound would keep him quiet for a while. One couldnot have an arrow through his forearm and continue a hunt with greatvigor and zest. 

Tayoga marked twice the places where Tandakora had stopped to rest. There the drops of blood were clustered, indicating a pause of someduration, and a third stop showed where he had bound up his wound. Freshleaves had been stripped from a bush and a tiny fragment or twoindicated that the Ojibway had torn a piece from his deerskin waistclothto fasten over the leaves. After that the trail was free from the ruddyspots, but Tayoga did not follow it much farther. He was sure thatTandakora would not return, as he had lost much blood, and for a while, despite his huge power and strength, exertion would make him weak anddizzy. Evidently, the bullet in his shoulder, received when they were ontheir way to Quebec, had merely shaken him, but the arrow had taken aheavier toll. 

Tayoga returned to the camp of the three. All the fire had gone out, andWillet and Robert, wrapped in their blankets, still slept peacefully. The entire combat between the bowmen had passed without their knowledge, and Tayoga, quietly returning the bow and quiver to their case, andtaking his rifle instead, sat down with his back against a tree, and hisweapon across his knees. He was on the whole satisfied. He had notremoved Tandakora, but he had inflicted another painful and mortifyingdefeat upon him. The pride of the Indian had been touched in its mostsensitive place, and the Ojibway would burn with rage for a long time. Tayoga's white education did not keep him from taking pleasure in thethought. 

He had no intention of going to sleep. Although Tandakora would notreturn, others might come, and for the night the care of the three washis. It had grown a little darker, but the blue of the skies was merelydeeper and more luminous. There in the east was the great shining star, on which Tododaho, mightiest of chiefs, lived with the wise serpentscoiled in his hair. He gazed and his heart leaped. The vapors about thestar were gathering again, and for a brief moment or two they formed theface of Tododaho, a face that smiled upon him. His soul rejoiced. 

"O Tododaho, " were his unspoken words. "Thou hast kept thy promise! Thouhast watched over me in the fight with Tandakora, and thou hast given methe victory! Thou hast sent all his arrows astray and thou hast sentmine aright! I thank thee, O, Tododaho!"

The vapors were dissolved, but Tayoga never doubted that he had seen fora second time the face of the wise chief who had gone to his star morethan four hundred years ago. A great peace filled him. He had acceptedthe white man's religion as he had learned it in the white man's school, and at the same time he had kept his own. He did not see any realdifference between them. Manitou and God were the same, one was the namein Iroquois and the other was the name in English. When he prayed toeither he prayed to both. 

The darkness that precedes the dawn came. The great star on whichTododaho lived went away, and the whole host swam into the void that iswithout ending. The deeper dusk crept up, but Tayoga still satmotionless, his eyes wide open, his ecstatic state lasting. He heard thelittle animals stirring once more in the forest as the dawn approached, and he felt very friendly toward them. He would not harm the largest orthe least of them. It was their wilderness as well as his, and Manitouhad made them as well as him. 

The darkness presently began to thin away, and Tayoga saw the firstsilver shoot of dawn in the east. The sun would soon rise over the greatwilderness that was his heritage and that he loved, clothing in fine, spun gold the green forests, the blue lakes and the silver rivers. Hetook a mighty breath. It was a beautiful world and he was glad that helived in it. 

He awoke Robert and Willet, and they stood up sleepily. 

"Did you have a good rest, Tayoga?" Robert asked. 

"I did not sleep, " the Onondaga replied. 

"Didn't sleep? Why not, Tayoga?"

"In the night, Tandakora and two more came. "

"What? Do you mean it, Tayoga?"

"They were coming, seeking to slay us as we slept, but I heard them. Lest the Great Bear and Dagaeoga be awakened and lose the sleep theyneeded so much, I took my bow and arrows and went into the forest andmet them. "

Robert's breath came quickly. Tayoga's manner was quiet, but it was notwithout a certain exultation, and the youth knew that he did not jest. Yet it seemed incredible. 

"You met them, Tayoga?" he repeated. 

"Yes, Dagaeoga. "

"And what happened?"

"The two warriors whom Tandakora brought with him lie stillin the forest. They will never move again. Tandakora escapedwith an arrow through his arm. He will not trouble us for aweek, but he will seek us later. "

"Why didn't you awake us, Tayoga, and take us with you?"

"I wished to do this deed alone. "

"You've done it well, that's sure, " said Willet, "and now that alldanger has been removed we'll light our fire and cook breakfast. "

After breakfast they shouldered their packs and plunged once more intothe greenwood, intending to reach as quickly as they could the hiddencanoe on the Richelieu, and then make an easy journey by water. 

CHAPTER XIV

ON CHAMPLAIN

The three arrived at the Richelieu without further hostile encounter, but they met a white forest runner who told them the aspect of affairsin the Ohio country was growing more threatening. A small force fromVirginia was starting there under a young officer named Washington, andit was reported that the French from Canada in numbers were already inthe disputed country. 

"We know what we know, " said Willet thoughtfully. "I've never doubtedthat English and French would come into conflict in the woods, and if Ihad felt any such doubts, our visit to Quebec would have driven themaway. I don't think our letters from the Governor of New York to theGovernor General of Canada will be of any avail. "

"No, " said Robert, soberly. "They won't. But I want to say to you, Dave, that I'm full of gladness, because we've reached our canoe. Our packswithout increasing in size are at least twice as heavy as they were whenwe started. "

"I can join you in your hosannas, Robert. Never before did a canoe lookso fine to me. It's a big canoe, a beautiful canoe, a strong canoe, aswift canoe, and it's going to carry us in comfort and far. "

It was, in truth, larger than the one they had used coming up thelakes, and, with a mighty sigh of satisfaction, Robert settled into hisplace. Their packs, rifles, swords and the case containing Tayoga's bowand arrows were adjusted delicately, and then, with a few sweeps of theOnondaga's paddle, they shot out into the slow current of the river. Robert and Willet leaned back and luxuriated. Tayoga wanted to do thework at present, saying that his wrists, in particular, needed exercise, and they willingly let him. They were moving against the stream, but sogreat was the Onondaga's dexterity that he sent the canoe along at agood pace without feeling weariness. 

"It's like old times, " said Willet. "There's no true happiness likebeing in a canoe on good water, with the strong arm of another to paddlefor you. I'm glad you winged that savage, Tandakora, Tayoga. It wouldspoil my pleasure to know that he was hanging on our trail. "

"Don't be too happy, Great Bear, " said Tayoga. "Within a week theOjibway will be hunting for us. Maybe he will be lying in wait on theshores of the great lake, Champlain. "

"If so, Tayoga, you must have him to feel the kiss of another arrow. "

Tayoga smiled and looked affectionately at his bow and quiver. 

"The Iroquois shaft can still be of use, " he said, "and we will save ourammunition, because the way is yet far. "

"Deer shouldn't be hard to find in these woods, " said Willet, "and whenwe stop for the night we'll hunt one. "

They took turns with the paddle, and now and then, drawing in underoverhanging boughs, rested a little. Once or twice they saw distantsmoke which they believed was made by Canadian and therefore hostileIndians, but they did not pause to investigate. It was their desire tomake speed, because they wished to reach as quickly as they could theLong House in the vale of the Onondaga. It was still possible to arrivethere before St. Luc should go away, because he would have to wait untilthe fifty sachems chose to go in council and hear him. 

On this, their return journey, Robert thought much of the chevalier andwas eager to see him again. Of all the Frenchmen he had met St. Lucinterested him most. De Galisonnière was gallant and honest andtruthful, a good friend, but he did not convey the same impression offoresight and power that the chevalier had made upon him, and there wasalso another motive, underlying but strong. He wished to match himselfin oratory before the fifty chiefs with Duquesne's agent. He wasconfident of his gifts, discovered so recently, and he knew the road tothe mind and hearts of the Iroquois. 

"What are you thinking so hard about, Robert?" asked Willet. 

"Of St. Luc. I think we'll meet him in the vale of Onondaga. Do you everfeel that you can look into the future, Dave?"

"Just what do you mean?"

"Nothing supernatural. Don't the circumstances and conditions sometimesmake you think that events are going to run in a certain channel? At thevery first glance the Chevalier de St. Luc interested me uncommonly, andeven in our exciting days in Quebec I thought of him. Now I have avision about him. His life and mine are going to cross many times. "

The hunter looked sharply at the lad. 

"That's a queer idea of yours, Robert, " he said, "but when you think itover it's not so queer, after all. It seems to be the rule that queerthings should come about. "

"Now I don't understand you, Dave. "

"Well, maybe I don't quite understand myself. But I know one thing, Robert. St. Luc is always going to put you on your mettle, and you'llalways appear at your best before him. "

"That's the way I feel about it, Dave. He aroused in me an odd mixtureof emotions, both emulation and defiance. "

"Perhaps it's not so odd after all, " said Willet. 

Robert could not induce him to pursue the subject. He shied away fromSt. Luc, and talked about the more immediate part of their journey, recalling the necessity of finding another deer, as their supplies offood were falling very low. Just before sunset they drew into the mouthof a large creek and made the canoe fast. Tayoga, taking bow and quiver, went into the woods for his deer, and within an hour found him. Thenthey built a small fire sheltered well by thickets, and cooked supper. 

The Onondaga reported game abundant, especially the smaller varieties, and remarkably tame, inferring from the fact that no hunting parties hadbeen in the region for quite a while. 

"We're almost in the country of the Hodenosaunee, " he said, "but thewarriors have not been here. All of the outlying bands have gone backtoward Canada or westward into the Ohio country. This portion of theland is deserted. "

"Still, it's well to be careful, Tayoga, " said the hunter. "That savage, Tandakora, is going to make it the business of his life to hunt ourscalps, and if there's to be a great war I don't want to fall justbefore it begins. "

That night they dressed as much of their deer as they could carry, andthe next day they passed into Lake Champlain, which displayed all of itsfinest colors, as if it had been made ready especially to receive them. Its waters showed blue and green and silver as the skies above themshifted and changed, and both to east and west the high mountains wereclothed in dark green foliage. Robert's eyes kindled at the sight ofnature's great handiwork, the magnificent lake more than a hundred mileslong, and the great scenery in which it was placed. It had its story andlegend too. Already it was famous in the history of the land and forunbroken generations the Indians had used it as their road between northand south. It was both the pathway of peace and the pathway of war, andRobert foresaw that hostile forces would soon be passing upon it again. 

They saw the distant smoke once more, and kept close to the westernshore where they were in the shadow of the wooded heights, their canoebut a mote upon the surface of the water. In so small a vessel andalmost level with its waves, they saw the lake as one cannot see it fromabove, its splendid expanse stretching away from north to south, untilit sank under the horizon, while the Green Mountains on the east and thegreat ranges of New York on the west seemed to pierce the skies. 

"It's our lake, " said Robert, "whatever happens we can't give it up tothe French, or at least we'll divide it with the Hodenosaunee who canclaim the western shore. If we were to lose this lake no matter whathappened elsewhere I should think we had lost the war. "

"We don't hold Champlain yet, " said the hunter soberly. "The Frenchclaim it, and it's even called after the first of their governors underthe Company of One Hundred Associates, Samuel de Champlain. They've putupon it as a sign a name which we English and Americans ourselves haveaccepted, and they come nearer to controlling it than we do. They'readvancing, too, Robert, to the lake that they call Saint Sacrement, andthat we call George. When it comes to battle they'll have the advantageof occupation. "

"It seems so, but we'll drive 'em out, " said Robert hopefully. 

"But while we talk of the future, " said Tayoga in his measured andscholastic English, "it would be well for us also to be watchful in thepresent. The French and their Indians may be upon the lake, and we arebut three in a canoe. "

"Justly spoken, " said Willet heartily. "We can always trust you, Tayoga, to bring us back to the needs of the moment. Robert, you've uncommonlygood eyes. Just you look to the north and to south with all your might, and see if you can see any of their long canoes. "

"I don't see a single dot upon the water, Dave, " said the youth, "but Inotice something else I don't like. "

"What is it, Robert?"

"Several little dark clouds hanging around the crests of the highmountains to the west. Small though they are, they've grown somewhatsince I noticed them first. "

"I don't like that either, Robert. It may mean a storm, and the lakebeing so narrow the winds have sudden and great violence. But meanwhile, I suppose it's best for us to make as much speed southward as we can. "

Tayoga alone was paddling them, but the other two fell to work also, andthe canoe shot forward, Robert looking up anxiously now and then at theclouds hovering over the lofty peaks. He noticed that they were stillincreasing and that now they fused together. Then all the crests werelost in the great masses of vapor which crept far down the slopes. Theblue sky over their heads turned to gray with amazing rapidity. The airgrew heavy and damp. Thunder, low and then loud, rolled among thewestern mountains. Lightning blazed in dazzling flashes across the lake, showing the waters yellow or blood red in the glare. The forest moanedand rocked, and with a scream and a roar the wind struck the lake. 

The water, in an instant, broke into great waves, and the canoe rockedso violently that it would have overturned at once had not the threepossessed such skill with the paddle. Even then the escape was narrow, and their strength was strained to the utmost. 

"We must land somewhere!" exclaimed Willet, looking up at the loftyshore. 

But where? The cliff was so steep that they saw no chance to pull upthemselves and the canoe, and, keeping as close to it as they dared, they steadied the frail vessel with their paddles. The wind continuallyincreased in violence, whistling and screaming, and at times assuming analmost circular motion, whipping the waters of the lake into white foam. Day turned to night, save when the blazing flashes of lightning cut thedarkness. The thunder roared like artillery. 

Willet hastily covered the ammunition and packs with their blankets, andcontinued to search anxiously for a place where they might land. 

"The rain will be here presently, " he shouted, "and it'll be so heavyit'll come near to swamping us if we don't get to shelter first! Paddle, lads! paddle!"

The three, using all their strength and dexterity, sent the canoeswiftly southward, still hugging the shore, but rocking violently. Aftera few anxious minutes, Robert uttered a shout of joy as he saw by thelightning's flash a cove directly ahead of them with shores at a fairslope. They sent the canoe into it with powerful strokes, sprang uponthe bank, and then drew their little craft after them. Selecting a spotsheltered on the west by the lofty shore and on either side to a certainextent by dense woods, they turned the canoe over, resting the edgesupon fallen logs which they pulled hastily into place, and crouchedunder it. They considered themselves especially lucky in finding thelogs, and now they awaited the rain that they had dreaded. 

It came soon in a mighty sweep, roaring through the woods, and burstupon them in floods. But the canoe, the logs and the forest and theslope together protected them fairly well, and the contrast even gave acertain degree of comfort, as the rain beat heavily and then rushed intorrents down to the lake. 

"We made it just in time, " said Willet. "If we had stayed on the water Ithink we'd have been swamped. Look how high the waves are and how fastthey run!"

Robert as he gazed at the stormy waters was truly thankful. 

"We have many dangers, " he said, "but somehow we seem to escape themall. "

"We dodge 'em, " said Willet, "because we make ready for 'em. It's thosewho think ahead who inherit the world, Robert. "

The storm lasted an hour. Then the rain ceased abruptly. The wind died, the darkness fled away and the lake and earth, washed and cleansed anew, returned to their old peace and beauty, only the skies seemed softer andbluer, and the colors of the water more varied and intense. 

They launched the canoe and resumed their journey to the south, butwhen they had gone a few hundred yards Robert observed a black dotbehind them on the lake. Willet and Tayoga at once pronounced it a greatIndian canoe, containing a dozen warriors at least. 

"Canadian Indians, beyond a doubt, " said Tayoga, "and our enemies. Perhaps Tandakora is among them. "

"Whether he is or not, " said Willet, "they've seen us and are inpursuit. I suppose they stayed in another cove back of us while thestorm passed. It's one case where our foresight couldn't guard againstbad luck. "

He spoke anxiously and looked up at the overhanging forest. But therewas no convenient cove now, and it was not possible for them to beachthe canoe and take flight on land. A new danger and a great one hadappeared suddenly. The long canoe, driven by a dozen powerful paddles, was approaching fast. 

"Hurons, I think, " said Tayoga. 

"Most likely, " said the hunter, "but whether Hurons or not they're nofriends of ours, and there's hot work with the paddles before us. They're at least four rifleshots away and we have a chance. "

Now the three used their paddles as only those can who have life atstake. Their light canoe leaped suddenly forward, and seemed fairly toskim over the water like some great aquatic bird, but the larger craftbehind them gained steadily though slowly. Three pairs of arms, nomatter how strong or expert, are no match for twelve, and the hunterfrowned as he glanced back now and then. 

"Only three rifleshots now, " he muttered, "and before long it will bebut two. But we have better weapons than theirs, and ours can speakfast. Easy now, lads! We mustn't wear ourselves out!"

Robert made his strokes slower. The perspiration was standing on hisface, and his breath was growing painful, but he remembered in time theexcellence of Willet's advice. The gain of the long canoe increased morerapidly, but the three were accumulating strength for a great spurt. Thepursuit and flight, hitherto, had been made in silence, but now theHurons, for such their paint proved them to be, uttered a long warwhoop, full of anticipation and triumph, a cry saying plainly that theyexpected to have three good scalps soon. It made Robert's pulse leapwith anger. 

"They haven't taken us yet, " he said. 

Willet laughed. 

"Don't let 'em make you lose your temper, " he said. "No, they haven'ttaken us, and we've escaped before from such places just as tight. Theymake faster time than we can, Robert, but our three rifles here willhave a word or two to say. "

After the single war whoop the warriors relapsed into silence and pliedtheir paddles, sure now of their prey. They were experts themselves andtheir paddles swept the water in perfect unison, while the long canoegradually cut down the distance between it and the little craft ahead. 

"Two rifle shots, " said the hunter, "and when it becomes one, as itsurely will, I'll have to give 'em a hint with a bullet. "

"It's possible, "' said Robert, "that a third power will intervene. "

"What do you mean?" asked Willet. 

"The storm's coming back. Look up!"

It was true. The sky was darkening again, and the clouds were gatheringfast over the mountains on the west. Already lightning was quiveringalong the slopes, and the forest was beginning to rock with the wind. The air rapidly grew heavier and darker. Their own canoe was quivering, and Robert saw that the long canoe was rising and falling with thewaves. 

"Looks as if it might be a question of skill with the paddles ratherthan with the rifles, " said Willet tersely. 

"But they are still gaining, " said Tayoga, "even though the water is sorough. "

"Aye, " said Willet, "and unless the storm bursts in full power they'llsoon be within rifle shot. "

He watched with occasional keen backward looks, and in a few minutes hesnatched up his rifle, took a quick aim and fired. The foremost man inthe long canoe threw up his arms, and fell sideways into the water. Thecanoe stopped entirely for a moment or two, but then the others, uttering a long, fierce yell of rage, bent to their paddles with arenewed effort. The three had made a considerable gain during theirtemporary check, but it could not last long. Willet again looked for achance to land, but the cliffs rose above them sheer and impossible. 

"We are in the hands of Manitou, " said Tayoga, gravely. "He will saveus. Look, how the storm gathers! Perhaps it was sent back to help us. "

The Onondaga spoke with the utmost earnestness. It was not often that astorm returned so quickly, and accepting the belief that Manitouintervened in the affairs of earth, he felt that the second convulsionof nature was for their benefit. Owing to the great roughness of thewater their speed now decreased, but not more than that of the longcanoe, the rising wind compelling them to use their paddles mostly forsteadiness. The spray was driven like sleet in their faces, and theywere soon wet through and through, but they covered the rifles andammunition with their blankets, knowing that when the storm passed theywould be helpless unless they were kept dry. 

The Hurons fired a few shots, all of which fell short or wide, and thensettled down with all their numbers to the management of their canoe, which was tossing dangerously. Robert noticed their figures were growingdim, and then, as the storm struck with full violence for the secondtime, the darkness came down and hid them. 

"Now, " shouted Willet, as the wind whistled and screamed in their ears, "we'll make for the middle of the lake!"

Relying upon their surpassing skill with the paddle, they chose a mostdangerous course, so far as the risk of wreck was concerned, but theyintended that the long canoe should pass them in the dusk, and then theywould land in the rear. The waves were higher as they went toward thecenter of the lake, but they were in no danger of being dashed againstthe cliffs, and superb work with the paddles kept them from beingswamped. Luckily the darkness endured, and, as they were able to catchthrough it no glimpse of the long canoe, they had the certainty of beinginvisible themselves. 

"Why not go all the way across to the eastern shore?" shouted Robert. "We may find anchorage there, and we'd be safe from both the Hurons andthe storm!"

"Dagaeoga is right, " said Tayoga. 

"Well spoken!" said Willet. "Do the best work you ever did with thepaddles, or we'll find the bottom of the lake instead of the easternshore!"

But skill, strength and quickness of eye carried them in safety acrossthe lake, and they found a shore of sufficient slope for them to landand lift the canoe after them, carrying it back at least half a mile, and not coming to rest until they reached the crest of a high hill, wooded densely. They put the canoe there among the bushes and sank downbehind it, exhausted. The rifles and precious ammunition, wrappedtightly in the folds of their blankets, had been kept dry, but they werewet to the bone themselves and now, that their muscles were relaxed, thecold struck in. The three, despite their weariness, began to exerciseagain vigorously, and kept it up until the rain ceased. 

Then the second storm stopped as suddenly as the first had departed, thedarkness went away, and the great lake stood out, blue and magnificent, in the light. Far to the south moved the long canoe, a mere black dotin the water. Tayoga laughed in his throat. 

"They rage and seek us in vain, " he said. "They will continue pursuingus to the south. They do not know that Manitou sent the second stormespecially to cover us up with a darkness in which we might escape. "

"It's a good belief, Tayoga, " said Willet, "and as Manitou arranged thatwe should elude them he is not likely to bring them back into our path. That being the case I'm going to dry my clothes. "

"So will I, " said Robert, and the Onondaga nodded his own concurrence. They took off their garments, wrung the water out of them and hung themon the bushes to dry, a task soon to be accomplished by the sun that nowcame out hot and bright. Meanwhile they debated their further course. 

"The long canoe still goes south, " said Tayoga. "It is now many milesaway, hunting for us. Perhaps since they cannot find us, the Hurons willconclude that the storm sank us in the lake!"

"But they will hunt along the shore a long time, " said Willet. "They'renothing but a tiny speck now, and in a quarter of an hour they'll be outof sight altogether. Suppose we cross the lake behind them--I think Isee a cove down there on the western side--take the canoe with us andwait until they go back again. "

"A wise plan, " said Tayoga. 

In another hour their deerskins were dry, and reclothing themselves theyreturned the canoe to the lake, the Hurons still being invisible. Thenthey crossed in haste, reached the cove that Willet had seen, andplunged into the deep woods, taking the canoe with them, and hidingtheir trail carefully. When they had gone a full three miles they cameto rest in a glade, and every one of the three felt that it was time. Muscles and nerves alike were exhausted, and they remained there all therest of the day and the following night, except that after dark Tayogawent back to the lake and saw the long canoe going northward. 

"I don't think we'll be troubled by that band of Hurons any more, " hereported to his comrades. "They will surely think we have been drowned, and tomorrow we can continue our own journey to the south. "

"And on the whole, we've come out of it pretty well, " said Willet. 

"With the aid of Manitou, who so generously sent us the second storm, "said Tayoga. 

They brought the canoe back to the lake at dawn, and hugging the westernshore made leisurely speed to the south, until they came to theneighborhood of the French works at Carillon, when they landed againwith their canoe, and after a long and exhausting portage launchedthemselves anew on the smaller but more splendid lake, known to theEnglish as George and to the French as Saint Sacrement. Now, though, they traveled by night and slept and rested by day. But Lake George inthe moonlight was grand and beautiful beyond compare. Its waters weredusky silver as the beams poured in floods upon it, and the loftyshores, in their covering of dark green, seemed to hold up the skies. 

"It's a grand land, " said Robert for the hundredth time. 

"It is so, " said Tayoga. "After Manitou had practiced on many othercountries he used all his wisdom and skill to make the country of theHodenosaunee. "

The next morning when they lay on the shore they saw two French boats onthe lake, and Robert was confirmed in his opinion that the prevision ofthe French leaders would enable them to strike the first blow. Alreadytheir armed forces were far down in the debatable country, and theycontrolled the ancient water route between the British colonies andCanada. 

On the second night they left the lake, hid the canoe among the bushesat the edge of a creek, and began the journey by land to the vale ofOnondaga. It was likely that in ordinary times they would have made itwithout event, but they felt now the great need of caution, since thewoods might be full of warriors of the hostile tribes. They were sure, too, that Tandakora would find their trail and that he would notrelinquish the pursuit until they were near the villages of theHodenosaunee. The trail might be hidden from the Ojibway alone, butsince many war parties of their foes were in the woods he would learn ofit from some of them. So they followed the plan they had used on thelake of traveling by night and of lying in the bush by day. 

Another deer fell to Tayoga's deadly arrow, and on the third day as theywere concealed in dense forest they saw smoke on a high hill, rising inrings, as if a blanket were passed rapidly over a fire and back againin a steady alternation. 

"Can you read what they say, Tayoga?" asked Willet. 

"No, " replied the Onondaga. "They are strange to me, and so it cannot beany talk of the Hodenosaunee. Ah, look to the west! See, on anotherhill, two miles away, rings of smoke also are rising!"

"Which means that two bands of French Indians are talking to each other, Tayoga?"

"It is so, Great Bear, and here within the lands of the Hodenosaunee!Perhaps Frenchmen are with them, Frenchmen from Carillon or some otherpost that Onontio has pushed far to the south. "

The young Onondaga spoke with deep resentment. The sight of the twosmokes made by the foes of the Hodenosaunee filled him with anger, andWillet, who observed his face, easily read his mind from it. 

"You would like to see more of the warriors who are making thosesignals, " he said. "Well, I don't blame you for your curiosity andperhaps it would be wise for us to take a look. Suppose we stalk thefirst fire. "

Tayoga nodded, and the three, although hampered somewhat by their packs, began a slow approach through the bushes. Half the distance, and Tayoga, who was in advance, putting his finger upon his lips, sank almost flat. 

"What is it, Tayoga?" whispered Willet. 

"Someone else stalking them too. On the right. I heard a bush move. "

Both Willet and Robert heard it also as they waited, and used as theywere to the forest they knew that it was made by a human being. 

"What's your opinion, Tayoga?" asked the hunter. 

"A warrior or warriors of the Hodenosaunee, seeking, as we are, to seethose who are sending up the rings of smoke, " replied the Onondaga. 

"If you're right they're likely to be Mohawks, the Keepers of theEastern Gate. "

Tayoga nodded. 

"Let us see, " he said. 

Putting his fingers to his lips, he blew between them a note soft andlow but penetrating. A half minute, and a note exactly similar came froma point in the dense bush about a hundred yards away. Then Tayoga blew ashorter note, and as before the reply came, precisely like it. 

"It is the Ganeagaono, " said Tayoga with certainty, "and we will awaitthem here. "

The three remained motionless and silent, but in a few minutes thebushes before them shook, and four tall figures, rising to their fullheight, stood in plain view. They were Mohawk warriors, all young, powerful and with fierce and lofty features. The youngest and tallest, aman with the high bearing of a forest chieftain, said:

"We meet at a good time, O Tayoga, of the clan of the Bear, of thenation Onondaga, of the great League of the Hodenosaunee. "

"It is so, O Daganoweda, of the clan of the Turtle, of the nationGaneagaono, of the great League of the Hodenosaunee, " replied Tayoga. "I see that my brethren, the Keepers of the Eastern Gate, watch when thesavage tribes come within their territory. "

The brows of the young Mohawk contracted into a frown. 

"Most of our warriors are on the great trail to the vale of Onondaga, "he said. "We are but four, and, though we are only four, we intended toattack. The smoke nearer by is made by Hurons and Caughnawagas. "

"You are more than four, you are seven, " said Tayoga. 

Daganoweda understood, and smiled fiercely and proudly. 

"You have spoken well, Tayoga, " he said, "but you have spoken as Iexpected you to speak. Onundagaono and Ganeagaono be the first nationsof the Hodenosaunee and they never fail each other. We are seven and weare enough. "

He took it for granted that Tayoga spoke as truly for the two white menas for himself, and Robert and the hunter felt themselves committed. Moreover their debt to the Onondaga was so great that they could notabandon him, and they knew he would go with the Mohawks. It would alsobe good policy to share their enterprise and their danger. 

"We'll support you to the end of it, " said Willet quietly. 

"The English have always been the friends of the Hodenosaunee, " saidDaganoweda, as he led the way through the undergrowth toward the pointfrom which the smoke come. Neither Robert nor Willet felt any scrupleabout attacking the warriors there, as they were clearly invaders withhostile purpose of Mohawk territory, and it was also more than likelythat their immediate object was the destruction of the three. Yet thetwo Americans held back a little, letting the Indians take the lead, notwishing it to be said that they began the battle. 

Daganoweda, whose name meant "Inexhaustible, " was a most competent youngchief. He spread out his little force in a half circle, and the sevenrapidly approached the fire. But Robert was glad when a stick brokeunder the foot of an incautious and eager warrior, and the Hurons andCaughnawagas, turning in alarm, fired several bullets into the bushes. He was glad, because it was the other side that began the combat, and ifthere was a Frenchman with them he could not go to Montreal or Quebec, saying the British and their Indians had fired the first shot. 

All of the bullets flew wide, and Daganoweda's band took to cover atonce, waiting at least five minutes before they obtained a single shotat a brown body. Then all the usual incidents of a forest strugglefollowed, the slow creeping, the occasional shot, a shout of triumph orthe death yell, but the Hurons and Caughnawagas, who were about a dozenin number, were routed and took to flight in the woods, leaving three oftheir number fallen. Two of the Mohawks were wounded but not severely. Tayoga, who was examining the trail, suddenly raised his head and said:

"Tandakora has been here. There is none other who wears so large amoccasin. Here go his footsteps! and here! and here!"

"Doubtless they thought we were near, and were arranging with the otherband to trap us, " said Willet. "Daganoweda, it seems that you and yourMohawks came just in time. Are the smoke rings from the second firestill rising? We were too far away for them to hear our rifles. "

"Only one or two rings go up now, " replied Tayoga. "Since they havereceived no answer in a long time they wonder what has happened. See howthose two rings wander away and dissolve in the air, as if they wereuseless, and now no more follow. "

"But the warriors may come here to see what is the matter, and we oughtto be ready for them. "

Daganoweda, to whom they readily gave the place of leader, since byright it was his, saw at once the soundness of the hunter's advice, andthey made an ambush. The second band, which was about the size of thefirst, approached cautiously, and after a short combat retired swiftlywith two wounded warriors, evidently thinking the enemy was in greatforce, and leaving the young Mohawk chieftain in complete possession ofhis victorious field. 

"Tayoga, and you, Great Bear, I thank you, " said Daganoweda. "Withoutyour aid we could never have overcome our enemies. "

"We were glad to do what we could, " said Willet sincerely, "since, as Isee it, your cause and ours are the same. "

Tayoga was examining the fleeing trail of the second band as he hadexamined that of the first, and he beckoned to his white comrades and toDaganoweda. 

"Frenchmen were here, " he said. "See the trail. They wore moccasins, buttheir toes turn out in the white man's fashion. "

There was no mistaking the traces, and Robert felt intense satisfaction. If hostile Indians, led by Frenchmen, were invading the territory of theHodenosaunee, then it would be very hard indeed for Duquesne and Bigotto break up the ancient alliance of the great League with the English. But he was quite sure that no one of the flying Frenchmen was St. Luc. The chevalier was too wise to be caught in such a trap, nor would helend himself to the savage purposes of Tandakora. 

"Behold, Daganoweda, " he said, "the sort of friends the French would beto the Hodenosaunee. When the great warriors of the Six Nations go tothe vale of Onondaga to hear what the fifty sachems will say at theircouncil, the treacherous Hurons and Caughnawagas, led by white men fromMontreal and Quebec, come into their land, seeking scalps. "

The power of golden speech was upon him once more. He felt deeply whathe was saying, and he continued, calling attention to the ancientfriendship of the English, and their long and bitter wars with theFrench. He summoned up again the memory of Frontenac, never dead in thehearts of the Mohawks, and as he spoke the eyes of Daganoweda and hiscomrades flashed with angry fire. But he did not continue long. He knewthat at such a time a speech protracted would lose its strength, andwhen the feelings of the Mohawks were stirred to their utmost depths hestopped abruptly and turned away. 

"'Twas well done, lad! 'twas well done!" whispered Willet. 

"Great Bear, " said Daganoweda, "we go now to the vale of Onondaga forthe grand council. Perhaps Tayoga, a coming chief of the clan of theBear, of the great nation Onondaga, will go with us. "

"So he will, " said Willet, "and so will Robert and myself. We too wishto reach the vale of Onondaga. An uncommonly clever Frenchman, oneChevalier Raymond de St. Luc, has gone there. He is a fine talker and hewill talk for the French. Our young friend here, whom an old chief ofyour nation has named Dagaeoga, is, as you have heard, a great orator, and he will speak for the English. He will measure himself against theFrenchman, St. Luc, and I think he will be equal to the test. "

The young Mohawk chieftain gave Robert a look of admiration. 

"Dagaeoga can talk against anybody, " he said. "He need fear noFrenchman. Have I not heard? And if he can use so many words here in theforest before a few men what can he not do in the vale of Onondagabefore the gathered warriors of the Hodenosaunee? Truly the throat ofDagaeoga can never tire. The words flow from his mouth like water overstones, and like it, flow on forever. It is music like the wind singingamong the leaves. He can talk the anger from the heart of a ragingmoose, or he can talk the otter up from the depths of the river. Greatis the speech of Dagaeoga. "

Robert turned very red. Willet laughed and even Tayoga smiled, althoughthe compliment was thoroughly sincere. 

"You praise me too much, Daganoweda, " said young Lennox, "but in a greatcause one must make a great effort. "

"Then come, " said the Mohawk chieftain. "We will start at once for thevale of Onondaga. "

They struck the great trail, _waagwenneyu_, and traveled fast. The nextday six Mohawks from their upper castle, Ganegahaga on the Mohawk rivernear the mouth of West Canada Creek, joined them and they continued topress on with speed, entering the heart of the country of theHodenosaunee, Robert feeling anew what a really great land it was, withits green forests, its blue lakes, its silver rivers and its myriad ofcreeks and brooks. Nature had lavished everything upon it, and he didnot wonder that the Iroquois should guard it with such valor, andcherish it with such tenderness. As he sped on with them he wasacquiring for the time at least an Indian soul under a white skin. Longassociation and a flexible mind enabled him to penetrate the thoughts ofthe Iroquois and to think as they did. 

He knew how the word had been passed through the vast forest. He knewthat every warrior, woman and boy of the Hodenosaunee understood how thetwo great powers beyond the sea and their children here, were about togo into battle on the edge of their country. And what must theHodenosaunee do? And he knew, too, that as the Six Nations went so mightgo the war in America. He had seen too much to underrate their valor andstrength, and on that long march his heart was very anxious within him. 

CHAPTER XV

THE VALE OF ONONDAGA

The heavens favored their journey. They were troubled by no more stormsor rain, and as the soft winds blew, flowers opened before them. Gamewas abundant and they had food for the taking. As they drew near thevale they were joined by a small party of Oneidas, and a little laterwere met by an Onondaga runner who spoke with great respect to Tayogaand who gave them news. 

The Frenchman, St. Luc, and the Canadian, Dubois, who had come withthem, were in the vale of Onondaga, where they had been received asguests, and had been treated with hospitality. The fifty sachems, takingtheir own time, had not yet met in council, and St. Luc had beencompelled to wait, but he had made great progress in the esteem of theHodenosaunee. Onontio could not have sent a better messenger. 

"I knew that he would do it, " said Willet. "That Frenchman, St. Luc, iswonderful, and if anybody could convert the Hodenosaunee to the Frenchcause he's the man. Oh, he'll ply 'em with a thousand arguments, andhe'll dwell particularly on the fact that the French have moved firstand are ready to strike. We haven't come too soon, Robert. "

But the runner informed them further that it would yet be some timebefore the great council in the Long House, since the first festival ofthe spring, the Maple Dance, was to be held in a few days, and thechiefs had refused positively to meet until afterward. The sap wasalready flowing and the guardians of the faith had chosen time and placefor this great and joyous ceremony of the Hodenosaunee, joyous despitethe fact that it was preceded by a most solemn event, the generalconfession of sins. 

The eyes of Tayoga and of the Mohawks and Oneidas glistened when theyheard. 

"We must be there in time for all, " said Tayoga. 

"Truly we must, brother, " said Daganoweda, the Mohawk. 

And now they hastened their speed through the fertile and beautifulcountry, where spring was attaining its full glory, and, as the sapbegan to run in the maples, so the blood leaped fresh and sparkling evenin the veins of the old. A band of Senecas joined them, and when theycame to the edge of the vale of Onondaga they were a numerous party, alleager, keen, and surcharged with a spirit which was religious, politicaland military, the three being inseparably intertwined in the lives ofthe Hodenosaunee. 

They stood upon a high hill and looked over the great, beautiful valleyfull of orchards and fields and far to the north they caught a slightglimpse of the lake bearing the name of the Keepers of the Council Fire. Smoke rose from the chimneys of the solid log houses built by this mostenlightened tribe, flecking the blue of the sky, and the whole scenewas one of peace and beauty. The eyes of Tayoga, the Onondaga, and ofDaganoweda, the Mohawk, glistened as they looked, and their heartsthrobbed with fervent admiration. It was more than a village of theOnondagas that lay before them, it was the temple and shrine of thegreat league, the Hodenosaunee. The Onondagas kept the council fire, andranked first in piety, but the Mohawks, the Keepers of the Eastern Gate, were renowned even to the Great Plains for their valor, and they stoodwith the Onondagas, their equals man for man, while the Senecas, knownto themselves and their brother nations as the Nundawaono, were morenumerous than either. 

"We shall be in time for the great festival, the Maple Dance, " saidTayoga to the young Mohawk. 

"Yes, my brother, we have come before the beginning, " said Daganoweda, "and I am glad that it is so. We may not have the Maple Dance again formany seasons. The shadow of the mighty war creeps upon the Hodenosaunee, and when the spring returns who knows where the warriors of the greatLeague will be? We are but little children and we know nothing of thefuture, which Manitou alone holds in his keeping. "

"You speak truth, Daganoweda. The Ganeagaono are both valiant and wise. It is a time for the fifty sachems to use all the knowledge they havegathered in their long lives, but we will hear what the Frenchman, St. Luc, has to say, even though he belongs to the nation that sentFrontenac against us. "

"The Hodenosaunee can do no less, " said the Mohawk, tersely. 

Robert could not keep from hearing and he was glad of the little affairwith the two hostile bands, knitting as it did their friendship with theMohawks. But he too, since he had penetrated the Iroquois spirit and sawas they did, felt the great and momentous nature of the crisis. Whilethe nations of the Hodenosaunee might decide whether English or Frenchwere to win in the coming war they might, at the same time, decide thefate of the great League which had endured for centuries. 

They descended into the vale of Onondaga, but at its edge, in a greatforest, the entire group stopped, as it became necessary there forTayoga, Willet and Robert to say a temporary farewell to the others whowould not advance into the Onondaga town until the full power of theHodenosaunee was gathered. The council, as Robert surmised and as he nowlearned definitely, had been called by the Onondagas, who had sentheralds with belts eastward to the Oneidas, who in turn had sent themyet farther eastward to the Mohawks, westward to the Cayugas whose dutyit was to pass them on to the Senecas yet more to the west. The Oneidasalso gave belts to the Dusgaowehono, or Tuscaroras, the valiant tribethat had come up from the south forty years before, and that had beenadmitted into the Hodenosaunee, turning the Five Nations into the Six, and receiving lands within the territory of the Oneidas. 

Already great numbers of warriors from the different nations, theirchiefs at their head, were scattered about the edges of the valleyawaiting the call of the Onondagas for participation in the Maple Dance, and the great and fateful council afterward. And since they did not knowwhether this council was for peace or for war, every sachem had broughtwith him a bundle of white cedar fagots that typified peace, and also abundle of red cedar fagots that typified war. 

"Farewell, my friends, " said Daganoweda, the Mohawk, to Tayoga, Robertand Willet. "We rest here until the great sachems of the Onondagas sendfor us, and yet we are eager to come, because never before was theresuch a Maple Dance and never before such a council as these will be. "

"You speak true words, Daganoweda, " said Robert, "and the Great Bear andI rejoice that we are adopted sons of the Iroquois and can be here. "

Robert spoke from his heart. Not even his arrival at Quebec, great ashad been his anticipations and their fulfillment, had stirred in himmore interest and enthusiasm. The feeling that for the time being he wasan Iroquois in everything except his white skin grew upon him. He saw asthey saw, his pulses beat as theirs beat, and he thought as theythought. It was not too much for him to think that the fate of NorthAmerica might turn upon the events that were to transpire within thevale of Onondaga within the next few days. Nor was he, despite hisheated brain, and the luminous glow through which he saw everything, farfrom the facts. 

Robert saw that Willet, despite his years and experience, was deeplystirred also, and the dark eyes of Tayoga glittered, as well they might, since the people who were the greatest in all the world to him wereabout to deliberate on their fate and that of others. 

The three, side by side, their hearts beating hard, advanced slowly andwith dignity through the groves. From many points came the sound ofsinging and down the aisles of the trees they saw young girls infestival attire. All the foliage was in deepest green and the sky wasthe soft but brilliant blue of early spring. The air seemed to becharged with electricity, because all had a tense and expectant feeling. 

For Robert, so highly imaginative, the luminous glow deepened. He hadstudied much in the classics, after the fashion of the time, in theschool at Albany, and his head was filled with the old Greek and Romanlearning. Now he saw the ancient symbolism reproduced in the greatforests of North America by the nations of the Hodenosaunee, who hadnever heard of Greece or Rome, nor, to him, were the religion and poetryof the Iroquois inferior in power and beauty, being much closer kin thanthe gods of Greece and Rome to his own Christian beliefs. 

"Manitou favors us, " said Tayoga, looking up at the soft blue velvet ofthe sky. "Gaoh, the spirit of the Winds, moves but gently in his home, Dayodadogowah. "

He looked toward the west, because it was there that Gaoh, who had thebent figure and weazened face of an old man, always sat, Manitou havingimprisoned him with the elements, and having confined him to one place. In the beautiful Iroquois mythology, Gaoh often struggled to releasehimself, though never with success. Sometimes his efforts were but mild, and then he produced gentle breezes, but when he fought fiercely forfreedom the great storms blew and tore down the forests. 

"Gaoh is not very restless today, " continued Tayoga. "He struggles butlightly, and the wind from the west is soft upon our faces. "

"And it brings the perfume of flowers and of tender young leaves withit, Tayoga, " said Willet. "It's a wonderful world and I'm just a boytoday, standing at its threshold. "

"And even though war may come, perhaps Manitou will smile upon us, " saidTayoga. "The Three Sisters whom Hawenneu, who is the same to the whiteman as Manitou, gave to us, the spirit of the Corn, the spirit of theSquash and the spirit of the Bean will abide with us and give us plenty. The spirits in the shape of beautiful young girls hover over us. Wecannot see them, but they are there. "

He looked up and shadows passed over their heads. To the mystic soul ofthe young Onondaga they were the spirits of the three sisters whotypified abundance, and Robert himself quivered. He still saw with theeyes and felt with the heart of an Iroquois. 

Both he and Tayoga were conscious that the spirits were everywhere aboutthem. All the elements and all the powers of nature were symbolized andtypified. The guardians of fire, earth, water, healing, war, the chase, love, winter, summer and a multitude of others, floated in the air. Thetrees themselves had spirits and identity and all the spirits whotogether constituted the Honochenokeh were the servants and assistantsof Hawenneyu. To the eyes of Tayoga that saw not and yet saw, it was ahighly peopled world, and there was meaning in everything, even in thefall of the leaf. 

Tayoga presently put his fingers to his lips and uttered a long mellowwhistle. A whistle in reply came from a grove just ahead, and fourteenmen, all of middle years or beyond, emerged into view. Though elderly, not one among them showed signs of weakness. They were mostly tall, theyheld themselves very erect, and their eyes were of uncommon keenness andpenetration. They were the fourteen sachems of the Onondagas, and attheir head was the first in rank, Tododaho, a name that never ceased toexist, being inherited from the great chief who founded the Leaguecenturies before, and being passed on from successor to successor. Closeto him came Tonessaah, whose name also lasted forever and who was thehereditary adviser of Tododaho, and near him walked Daatgadose and theothers. 

Tayoga, Robert and Willet stopped, and the great chief, Tododaho, a manof splendid presence, in the full glory of Iroquois state costume, gavethem welcome. The sight of Tayoga, of lofty birth, of the clan of theBear, of the nation Onondaga, was particularly pleasing to his eyes. Itwas well that the young warriors, who some day would be chiefs to leadin council and battle, should be present. And the coming of the whiteman and the white lad, who were known to be trusted friends of theHodenosaunee, was welcome also. 

The three, each in turn, made suitable replies, and Robert, his gift ofgolden speech moving him, spoke a little longer than the others. He madea free use of metaphor and allegory, telling how dear were theprosperity and happiness of the Hodenosaunee to his soul, and he feltevery word he said. Charged with the thoughts and impressions of anIroquois, the fourteen chiefs were the quintessence of dignity andimportance to him, and when they smiled and nodded approval of hisyouthful effort his heart was lifted up. Then he, Tayoga and Willetbowed low to these men who in very truth were the keepers of the councilfire of the Hodenosaunee, and whose word might sway the destinies ofNorth America, and, bowing, passed on that they might rest in the LongHouse, as became three great warriors who had valiantly done their dutyin the forest when confronted by their enemies, and who had come to doanother and sacred duty in the vale of Onondaga. 

Young warriors were their escort into one of the great log houses, whichin their nature were much like the community houses found at a later dayin the far southwest. The building they entered was a full hundred andtwenty feet in length and about forty feet broad, and it had five fires, each built in the center of its space. The walls and roof were of polesthatched with bark, and there were no windows, but over each fire was acircular opening in the roof where the air entered and the smoke wentout. If rain or storm came these orifices were covered with greatpieces of bark. 

On the long sides of the walls extended platforms about six feet wide, covered with furs and skins where the warriors slept. Overhead was abark canopy on top of which they placed their possessions. About a dozenwarriors were in the house, all lying down, but they rose and greetedthe three. Berths were assigned to them at once, food and water werebrought, and Robert, weary from the long march, decided that he wouldsleep. 

"I think I'll do the same, " said Willet, "and then we'll be fresh forwhat's coming. Tayoga, I suppose, will want to see his kin first. "

Tayoga nodded, and presently disappeared. Then Robert and Willet tooktheir places upon the bark platforms and were soon asleep, not awakeninguntil the next morning when they went forth and found that theexcitement in the valley had increased. Tayoga came to them at once andtold them that Sanundathawata, the council of repentance, was about tobe held. The dawn was just appearing, and as the sun rose the sachems ofthe Onondagas would proceed to the council grove and receive the sachemsof the allied nations. 

"You will wish to see the ceremony, " he said. 

"Of course, of course!" said Robert, eagerly, who found that with thecoming of a new day he was as much an Iroquois in spirit as ever. Norcould he see that Willet was less keen about it and the three proceededpromptly to the council grove where a multitude was already hastening. There was, too, a great buzz of talk, as the Iroquois here in the vale, the very heart of their country, did not show the taciturnity in whichthe red man so often takes refuge in the presence of the white. 

The fourteen Onondaga chiefs, Tododaho at their head and Tonessaah athis right, were gathered in the grove, and the warriors of the alliednations approached, headed by their chiefs, nine for the Mohawks, tenfor the Oneidas, nine for the Cayugas, and eight for the Senecas, whilethe Tuscaroras, who were a new nation in the League, had none at all, but spoke through their friends, the Oneidas, within whose lands theyhad been allowed to settle. And when the roll of the nations of theHodenosaunee was called it was not the Onondagas, Keepers of the CouncilFire, who were called first, although they were equal in honor, andleaders in council, but the fierce and warlike Mohawks. Then came theOnondagas, after them the numerous Senecas, followed by the Oneidas, with the Cayugas next and the sachemless Tuscaroras last, but filledwith pride that they, wanderers from their ancient lands, and not largein numbers, had shown themselves so valiant and enduring that thegreatest of all Indian leagues, the Hodenosaunee, should be willing toadmit them as a nation. 

Behind the sachems stood the chiefs, the two names not being synonymousamong the Iroquois, and although the name of the Mohawks was calledfirst the Onondagas were masters of the ceremonies, were, in fact, thepriests of the Hodenosaunee, and their first chief, Tododaho, was thefirst chief of all the League. Yet the Senecas, who though superior innumbers were inferior in chiefs, also had an office, being Door Keepersof the Long House, while the Onondagas were the keepers in the largersense. The eighth sachem of the Senecas, Donehogaweh, had the actualphysical keeping of the door, when the fifty sachems met within, and healso had an assistant who obeyed all his orders, and who, upon occasion, acted as a herald or messenger. But the Onondaga sachem, Honowenato, kept the wampum. 

The more Robert saw of the intertwined religious, military and politicalsystems of the Hodenosaunee, the more he admired them, and he missednothing as the Onondaga sachems received their brother sachems of theallied tribes, all together being known as the Hoyarnagowar, while thechiefs who were elective were known collectively as the Hasehnowaneh. 

Robert, Willet, and Tayoga, who was yet too young to have a part in theceremonies, stood on one side with the crowd and watched with the mostintense interest. Among the nine Mohawk sachems they recognizedDayohogo, who had given Robert the name Dagaeoga, and the lad resolvedto see him later and renew their friendship. 

Meanwhile the thirty-six visiting sachems formed themselves in a circle, with Tododaho, highest of the Onondagas in rank, among them, and facingthe sun which was rising in a golden sea above the eastern hills. Presently the Onondaga lifted his hand and the hum and murmur in thegreat crowd that looked on ceased. Then starting towards the north thesachems moved with measured steps around the circle three times. Everyone of them carried with him a bundle of fagots, and in this case halfof the bundle was red and half white. When they stopped each sachem puthis bundle of fagots on the ground, and sat down before it, while anassistant sachem came and stood behind him. Tododaho took flint andsteel from his pouch, set fire first to his own fagots and then to allthe others, after which he took the pipe of peace, lighted it from oneof the fires, and, drawing upon it three times, blew one puff of smoketoward the center of the heavens, another upon the ground, and the lastdirectly toward the rising sun. 

"He gives thanks, " whispered Tayoga, to Robert, "first to Manitou, whohas kept us alive, next to our great mother, the Earth, who has producedthe food that we eat and who sends forth the water that we drink, andlast to the Sun, who lights and warms us. "

Robert thought it a beautiful ceremony, full of idealism, and he noddedhis thanks to Tayoga while he still watched. Tododaho passed the pipe tothe sachem on his right, who took the three puffs in a similar manner, and thus it was passed to all, the entire act requiring a long time, butat its end the fourteen Onondaga sachems and the thirty-six visitingsachems sat down together and under the presidency of Tododaho thecouncil was opened. 

"But little will be done today, " said Tayoga. "It is merely what youcall at the Albany school a preliminary. The really great meeting willbe after the Maple Dance, and then we shall know what stand theHodenosaunee will take in the coming war. "

Robert turned away and came face to face with St. Luc. He had known thatthe chevalier was somewhere in the vale of Onondaga, but in hisabsorption in the Iroquois ceremonies he had forgotten about him. Now herealized with full force that he had come to meet the Frenchman and tomeasure himself against him. Yet he could not hide from himself acertain gladness at seeing him and it was increased by St. Luc's frankand gay manner. 

"I was sure that we should soon meet again, Mr. Lennox, " he said, "andit has come to pass as I predicted and hoped. And you too, Mr. Willet! Igreet you both. "

He offered a hand to each, and the hunter, as well as Robert, shook itwithout hesitation. 

"You reached Quebec and fulfilled your mission?" he said, giving Roberta keen look of inquiry. 

"Yes, but not without event, " replied the youth. 

"I take it from your tone that the event was of a stirring nature. "

"It was rather a chain of events. The Ojibway chief, Tandakora, whom wefirst saw with you, objected to our presence in the woods. "

St. Luc frowned and then laughed. 

"For that I am sorry, " he said. "I would have controlled the Ojibway ifI could, but he is an unmitigated savage. He left me, and did what hechose. I hope you do not hold me responsible for any attacks he may havemade upon you, Mr. Lennox. "

"Not at all, Monsieur, but as you see, we have survived everything andhave taken no hurt. Quebec also, a great and splendid city, was notwithout stirring event, not to say danger. "

"But not to heralds, for such I take you and Mr. Willet and Tayoga tohave been. "

"A certain Pierre Boucher, a great duelist, and if you will pardon mefor saying it, a ruthless bravo, also was disposed to make trouble forus. "

"I know Boucher. He is what you say. But since you are here safe andunhurt, as you have just reminded me, you escaped all the snares he setfor you. "

"True, Monsieur de St. Luc, but we have the word that the fowler mayfall into his own snare. "

"Your meaning escapes me. "

"Boucher, the duelist and bravo, will never make trouble for anybodyelse. "

"You imply that he is dead? Boucher dead! How did he die?"

"A man may be a great swordsman, and he may defeat many others, but thetime usually comes when he will meet a better swordsman than himself. "

"Yourself! Why, you're but a lad, Mr. Lennox, and skillful as you may beyou're not seasoned enough to beat such a veteran as Boucher!"

"That is true, but there is another who was. "

He nodded toward the hunter and the chevalier's eyes opened wide. 

"And you, a hunter, " he said, "could defeat Pierre Boucher, who has beenaccounted the master swordsman! There is more in this than meets theeye!"

He stared at Willet, who met his gaze firmly. Then he shrugged hisshoulders and said:

"I'm not one to pry into the secrets of another, but I did not thinkthere was any man in America who was a match for Boucher. Well, he isgone to another world, and let us hope that he will be a better man init than he was in this. Meanwhile we'll return to the business thatbrings us all here. I speak of it freely, since every one of us knows itwell. I wish to bring in the Hodenosaunee on the side of France. Theinterests of these red nations truly lie with His Majesty King Louis, since you British colonists will spread over their lands and will drivethem out. "

"Your pardon, Chevalier de St. Luc, but it is not so. The English havealways been the good friends of the Six Nations, and have never brokentreaties with them. "

"No offense was meant, Mr. Lennox. But we do not wish to waste ourenergies here debating with each other. We will save our skill andstrength for the council of the fifty, where I know you will present thecause of the British king in such manner that its slender justificationwill seem better than it really is. "

Robert laughed. 

"A stab and praise at the same time, " he said. "No, Monsieur de St. Luc, I have no wish to quarrel with you now or at any other time. "

"And while we're in the vale of Onondaga we'll be friends. "

"If you wish it to be so. "

"And you too, Mr. Willet?"

"I've nothing against you, Chevalier de St. Luc, although I shall fightthe cause of the king whom you represent here. On the other hand I maysay that I like you and I wish nothing better than to be friends withyou here. "

"Then it is settled, " said St. Luc in a tone of relief. "It is a goodway, I think. Why be enemies before we must? I shall see, too, that mygood Dubois becomes one of us, and together we will witness the MapleDance. "

St. Luc's manner continued frank, and Robert could not question hissincerity. He was glad that the chevalier had proposed the temporaryfriendship and he was glad, too, that Willet approved of it, since hehad such a great respect for the opinion of the hunter. St. Luc, nowthat the treaty was made, bore himself as one of their party, and thedark Canadian, Dubois, who was not far away, also accepted the situationin its entirety. Tayoga, too, confirmed it thoroughly and now that St. Luc was with him on a footing of friendship Robert felt more deeply thanever the charm of his manner and talk. It seemed to him that thechevalier had the sincerity and honesty of de Galisonnière, with moreexperience and worldly wisdom, his experience and worldly wisdommatching those of de Courcelles with a great superiority in sincerityand honesty. 

The three quickly became the five. St Luc and Dubois being accepted wereaccepted without reserve, although Dubois seldom spoke, seeming toconsider himself the shadow of his chief. The next day the five stoodtogether and witnessed the confessions of sins in the council grove, the religious ceremony that always preceded the Maple Dance. 

Tododaho spoke to the sachems, the chiefs and the multitude upon theircrimes and faults, the necessity for repentance and of resolution to dobetter in the future. Robert saw but little difference between hissermon and that of a minister in the Protestant faith in which he hadbeen reared. Manitou was God and God was Manitou. The Iroquois and thewhite men had traveled by different roads, but they had arrived atpractically the same creed and faith. The feeling that for the timebeing he was an Iroquois in a white man's skin was yet strong upon him. 

Many of the Indian sachems and chiefs were men of great eloquence, andthe speech of Tododaho amid such surroundings, with the breathlessmultitude listening, was impressive to the last degree. Its solemnitywas increased, when he held aloft a belt of white wampum, and, enumerating his own sins, asked Manitou to forgive him. When he hadfinished he exclaimed, "Naho, " which meant, "I have done. " Then hepassed the wampum to Tonessaah, who also made his confession, and allthe other sachems and chiefs did the same, the people, too, joining withintense fervor in the manifestation. 

A huge banquet of all that forest, river and field afforded was spreadthe next morning, and at noon athletic games, particularly those withthe ball, in which the red man excelled long before the white man came, began and were played with great energy and amid intense excitement. Atthe same time the great Feather Dance, religious in its nature, wasgiven by twelve young warriors and twelve young girls, dressed in theirmost splendid costumes. 

Night came, and the festival was still in progress. What the Indian didhe did with his whole heart, and all his strength. Darkness compelledthe ball games to cease, but the dancing went on by the light of thefires and fresh banquets were spread for all who cared. Robert knew thatit might last for several days and that it would be useless until theend for either him or St. Luc to mention the subject so dear to theirhearts. Hence came an agreement of silence, and all the while theirfriendship grew. 

It is true that official enemies may be quite different in private life, and Robert found that he and St. Luc had much in common. There was acertain kindred quality of temperament. They had the same courage, thesame spirit of optimism, the same light and easy manner of meeting acrisis, with the same deadly earnestness and concentration concealedunder that careless appearance. It was apparent that Robert, who hadspent so much of his life in the forest, was fitted for great events andthe stage upon which men of the world moved. He had felt it in Quebec, when he came into contact with what was really a brilliant court, withall the faults and vices of a court, one of the main objects of whichwas pleasure, and he felt it anew, since he was in the constantcompanionship of a man who seemed to him to have more of that knightlyspirit and chivalry for which France was famous than any other he hadever met. St. Luc knew his Paris and the forest equally well. Nor washe a stranger to London and Vienna or to old Rome that Robert hoped tosee some day. It seemed to Robert that he had seen everything and doneeverything, not that he boasted, even by indirection, but it was drawnfrom him by the lad's own questions, back of which was an intensecuriosity. 

Robert noticed also that Willet, to whom he owed so much, neverintervened. Apparently he still approved the growing friendship of thelad and the Frenchman, and Tayoga, too, showed himself not insensible toSt Luc's charm. Although he was now among his own people, and in thesacred vale of which they were the keepers, he still stayed in thecommunity house with Robert and sought the society of his white friends, including St. Luc. 

"I had thought, " said Robert to the hunter the third morning after theirarrival, "that you would prefer for us to show a hostile face to St. Luc, who is here to defeat our purpose, just as we are here to defeathis. "

"Nothing is to be gained by a personal enmity, " replied the hunter. "Weare the enemies not of St. Luc, but of his nation. We will meet himfairly as he will meet us fairly, and I see good reasons why you and heshould be friends. "

"But in the coming war he's likely to be one of our ablest and mostenterprising foes. "

"That's true, Robert, but it does not change my view. Brave men shouldlike brave men, and if it is war I hope you and St. Luc will not meet inbattle. "

"You, too, seem to take an interest in him, Dave. "

"I like him, " said Willet briefly. Then he shrugged his shoulders, andchanged the subject. 

The great festival went on, and the agents of Corlear and Onontio werestill kept waiting. The sachems would not hear a word from either. AsRobert understood it, they felt that the Maple Dance might not becelebrated again for years. These old men, warriors and statesmen both, saw the huge black clouds rolling up and they knew they portended astorm, tremendous beyond any that North America had known. France andEngland, and that meant their colonies, too, would soon be locked fastin deadly combat, and the Hodenosaunee, who were the third power, mustlook with all their eyes and think with all their strength. 

While the young warriors and the maidens sang and danced withoutceasing, the sachems and the chiefs sat far into the night, and asgravely as the Roman Senate, considered the times and their needs. Runners, long of limb, powerful of chest, and bare to the waist, camefrom all points of the compass and reported secretly. One from Albanysaid that Corlear and the people there and at New York were talking ofwar, but were not preparing for it. Another, a Mohawk who came out ofthe far east, said that Shirley, the Governor of Massachusetts, wasthinking of war and preparing for it too. A third, a Tuscarora, who hadtraveled many days from the south, said that Dinwiddie, the Governor ofVirginia, was already acting. He was sending men, led by a tall youthnamed Washington, into the Ohio country, where the French had alreadygone to build forts. An Onondaga out of the north said that Quebec andMontreal were alive with military preparations. Onontio was giving tothe French Indians muskets, powder, bullets and blankets in a profusionnever known before. 

The red fagots were rapidly displacing the white, and the secretcouncils of the fifty sachems were filled with anxiety, but they hid alltheir disquietude from the people, and much of it from the chiefs. But, to their eyes, all the heavens were scarlet and the world was about tobe in upheaval. It was a time for every sachem to walk with cautioussteps and use his last ounce of wisdom. 

On the fourth night a powerful ally of St. Luc's arrived, although thechevalier had not called him, and did not know until the next day thathe had come. He was a tall, thin man of middle years, wrapped in a blackrobe with a cross upon his breast, and he had traveled alone through thewilderness from Quebec to the vale of Onondaga. He carried no weapon butunder the black robe beat a heart as dauntless as that of Robert, or ofWillet, or of Tayoga, and an invincible faith that had already movedmountains. 

Onondaga men and women received Father Philibert Drouillard, and kneltfor his willing blessing. Despite the memories of Champlain andFrontenac, despite the long and honored alliance with the English, theFrench missionaries, whom no hardships could stop, had made convertsamong the Onondagas, an enlightened nation with kindly and gentleinstincts, and of all these missionaries Father Drouillard had the mosttenacious and powerful will. And piety and patriotism could dwelltogether in his heart. The love of his church and the love of his raceburned there with an equal brightness. He, too, had seen the clouds ofwar gathering, thick and black, and knowing the power of theHodenosaunee, and that they yet waited, he had hastened to them to winthem for France. He was burning with zeal and he would have gone forththe very night of his arrival to talk, but he was so exhausted that hecould not move, and he slept deeply in one of the houses, while hisfaithful converts watched. 

Robert encountered the priest early the next morning, and the meetingwas wholly unexpected by him, although the Frenchman gave no sign ofsurprise and perhaps felt none. 

"Father Drouillard!" he exclaimed. "I believed you to be in Canada! Idid not think there was any duty that could call you to the vale ofOnondaga!"

The stern face of the priest relaxed into a slight smile. This youth, though of the hostile race, was handsome and winning, and as FatherDrouillard knew, he had a good heart. 

"Holy Church sends us, its servants, poor and weak though we may be, onfar and different errands, " he said. "We seek the wheat even among thestones, and there are those, here in the vale of Onondaga itself, whowatch for my coming. "

Robert recalled that there were Catholic converts among the Onondagas, afact that he had forgotten for the time, and he realized at once what apowerful factor Father Drouillard would be in the fight against him. 

"The Chevalier de St. Luc has been here for some time, " he said, "waiting until the fifty sachems are ready to hear him in council, whenhe will speak for France. Mr. Willet and I are also waiting to speak forEngland. But the Chevalier de St. Luc and I are the best of friends, andI hope, Father Drouillard, that you, who have come also to uphold thecause of France, will not look upon me as an enemy, but as one, unfitting though he may be, who wishes to do what he can for hiscountry. "

Father Drouillard smiled again. 

"Ah, my son, " he said, "you are a good lad. You bore yourself well inQuebec, and I have naught against you, save that you are not of ourrace. "

"And for that, reverend sir, you cannot blame me. "

Father Drouillard smiled for the third time. It was not often that hesmiled three times in one day, and again he reflected that this was ahandsome and most winning lad. 

"Peace, my son!" he said. "Protestant you are and Catholic am I, Englishyou are and French am I, but no ill wind can ever blow between you andme. We are but little children in the hands of the Omnipotent and we canonly await His decree. "

Robert told Willet a little later that Father Drouillard had come, andthe hunter looked very grave. 

"Our task has doubled, " he said. "Now we fight both St. Luc and FatherDrouillard, the army and the church. "

CHAPTER XVI

THE GREAT TEST

While Robert and Willet had been glad hitherto that the council of thefifty sachems had delayed its meeting, they were anxious, now thatFather Drouillard had come, to hasten it. That the army and the church, that is the French army and the French church, were in close alliance, they soon had full proof. The priest and the chevalier were muchtogether, and Robert caught an occasional flash of exultation in St. Luc's eyes. 

The new influence was visible also among a minority of the Onondagas. The faith of the converts was very strong, and Father Drouillard was tothem not only a teacher but an emblem also, and through him, aFrenchman, they looked upon France as the chosen country of the new Godwhom they worshiped. And Father Drouillard never worked harder than inthose fateful days. His thin face grew thinner, and his lean figureleaner, but the fire in his eyes burned brighter. The fifty sachems saidnothing. Whether they were for the priest or against him, they neverinterfered with his energies, because without exception they respectedone who they knew sought nothing for himself, who could endure hardship, privation and even torture as well as they, and who also had the giftof powerful and persuasive speech. 

The other nations too, except one, listened to him, though less than theOnondagas. The fierce and warlike Mohawks would have none of him, norwould they allow St. Luc to speak to them. Never could a single Mohawkwarrior forget that Stadacona was theirs, though generations ago it hadbecome French Quebec. They recalled with delight the numerous raids theyhad made into Canada, and their many wars with the French. Robert sawthat one nation, and it was the one standing on an equality with theOnondagas, was irreconcilable. When the council met the nine sachems ofthe Mohawks, and their names would be called first, would provethemselves to the last man the bitter and implacable enemies of theFrench. So, feeling that he was right and loving his own country as muchas the priest and the chevalier loved theirs, he deftly worked upon theminds of the Mohawks. He talked to the fiery young chief, Daganoweda, oflost Stadacona that he had seen with his own eyes. He spoke of its greatsituation on the lofty cliffs above the grandest of rivers, and hedescribed it as the strongest fortress in America. The spirit of theyoung Mohawk responded readily. Robert's appeal was not made toprejudice. He felt that truth and right were back of it. As he saw it, the future of the Hodenosaunee lay with the English, the French couldnever be their real friends, the long breach between Quebec and the valeof Onondaga could not be healed. 

He had an able and efficient assistant in Tayoga, who was devoted tothe alliance with the English and the Americans, and who was constantlytalking with the sachems and chiefs. Willet, too, who had a longacquaintance with all the nations of the Hodenosaunee, and who had manyfriends among them, used all his arts of persuasion, which were by nomeans small, and thus the battle for the favor of the Iroquois went on. The night before the council was to be held, Tayoga, his black eyesflashing, came to Robert and the hunter and they talked together for along time. 

The great council was held the next day in the grove devoted to thatpurpose, the entire ceremony being Greek in its simplicity and dignity, and in its surroundings. The fifty sachems, arrayed in their finestrobes, sat once more in a half circle, save that Tododaho, the Onondaga, was slightly in front of the others, with Tonessaah at his elbow. Thenine Mohawk chiefs, fierce and implacable, sat close together, and longbefore the appeals of England and France were begun Robert knew how theywould vote. 

The effort that he would make had already taken definite shape in hismind. He would be moderate, he would not ask the Hodenosaunee to fightfor the English and Americans, he would merely ask the great nations torefuse the alliance of the French, and if they could not find it intheir hearts to take up the tomahawk for their old friends then toremain at peace in their villages, while English and French fought forthe continent. 

Spring was now far advanced. Robert had never seen the forest in deepergreen and he had never looked up to a bluer sky than the one that bentover them, as they walked toward the council grove. His heart wasbeating hard, but it was with excitement, not with fear. He knew that agreat test was before him, but his mind responded to it, in truth sprangforward to meet it. The breeze that came down from the hills seemed towhisper encouragement in his ears, and the words that he would speakwere already leaping to his lips. 

A great crowd, men, women and children, was gathered about the grove, and like the sachems they were clothed in their best. Brilliant red, blue or yellow blankets gleamed in the sun's rays, and the beads onleggings and moccasins of the softest tanned deerskin, flashed andglittered. Robert, with his memories of the Albany school still fresh, thought once more of the great Greek and Roman assemblies, where all thepeople came to hear their orators discuss the causes that meant most. And then his pulse leaped again and his confidence grew. 

Tododaho spoke first, and when he rose there was a respectful silencebroken only by the murmurs of the wind or the heavy breathing of themultitude. In a spirit of love and exhortation he addressed his people, all of the six great nations. He told them that the mighty powers beyondthe sea, England and France, who with their children divided nearly thewhole world between them, were about to begin war with each other. Thelands occupied by both bordered upon the lands of the Hodenosaunee, andthe storm of battle would hover over all their castles and over the valeof Onondaga. It was well for them to take long and anxious thought, andto listen with attention to what the orators of the English and theFrench would have to say. 

Then Father Drouillard spoke for France. He made an impressive figure, wrapped in his black robe, his eyes burning like coals of fire in histhin, dead white face. Near him on the right, his Onondaga converts weregathered, and he frequently looked at them as he told the fifty sachemsthat France, the greatest and strongest son of Holy Church, was theirbest friend, and their fitting ally. Such was the thread of hisdiscourse. He struck throughout the priestly note. He appealed not aloneto their sense of right in this world, but to the deeds they must do toinsure their entrance into the world to come. France alone could leadthem in the right path, she alone thought of their souls. 

The priest spoke with intense fervor, using the tongue of the Indianswith the greatest clearness and purity. His sincerity was obvious. Neither Robert nor Willet could doubt it for an instant, and they saw, too, that it was making an impression. Deep murmurs of approval cameoften from the converts, and now and then the whole multitude stirred inagreement. But the fifty sachems, all except the nine Mohawks, sat asexpressionless as stones. The Mohawks did not move, but the stern, accusing gaze they bent upon the priest never relaxed. As Robert hadforeseen, the most eloquent orator might talk a thousand years, and hecould never bring them a single inch toward France. 

Willet followed the priest. He attempted no flights. He left the futureto itself and emphasized the present and the past. He recalled thefacts, so well known, that the English had always been their friends, and the French always their enemies. The English had kept their treatieswith the Hodenosaunee, the French could not be trusted. 

The hunter, too, received applause, much of it, and when he finished hetook his position in the audience beside Tayoga. Then the Chevalier deSt. Luc stood before the fifty sachems, as gallant and as handsome afigure as one could find in either the Old World or the New, clothed ina white uniform faced with gold, his hair powdered and tied in a knot, his small sword, gold hilted, by his side. 

The chevalier knew the children of the forest, and Robert recognized atonce in him an antagonist even more formidable than he had expected. Hisappeal was to the lore of the woods and to valor. The French adaptedthemselves to the ways of the forest. They practiced the customs of theIndians, lived with them and often married their women. They could growand flourish together, while the Englishmen and the Bostonnais heldthemselves aloof from the red men, and pretended to be their superiors. The French soldier and the Indian warrior had much in common, side byside they were invincible, and together they could drive the Englishinto the sea, giving back to the red races the lands they had lost. 

He was a graceful and impassioned speaker, and he, too, made hisimpression. The principal point of his theme, that the French alonefraternized with the Indians, was good and all were familiar with thefact. He returned to it continually, and when he sat down the applausewas louder than it had been for either Willet or the priest. It wasevident that he had made a strong appeal, and the Onondaga and Senecasachems regarded him with a certain degree of favor, but the nine fierceand implacable Mohawk sachems did not unbend a particle. 

Then Robert rose. Despite the fewness of his years, the times and hardcircumstance had given him wisdom. He was surcharged, too, with emotion. He was yet an Iroquois for the time being, despite his white face. Hestill saw as they saw, and felt as they felt, and while he wished themto take the side of Britain and the British colonies, or at least notjoin the side of France and the French colonies, he was moved, too, by adeep personal sympathy. The fortunes of the Hodenosaunee were dear tohim. He had been adopted into the great League. Tayoga, as the redpeople saw it, was his brother in more than blood. 

He trembled a little with emotion as he looked upon the gravehalf-circle of the fifty sachems, and the clustering chiefs behind them, and then upon the people, the old men, the warriors, the women and thechildren. As he saw them, they were friendly. They knew him to be one ofthem by all the sacred rites of adoption, they knew that he had foughtby the side of the great young warrior Tayoga of the clan of the Bear, of the nation Onondaga, of the mighty League of the Hodenosaunee, andafter the momentary silence a deep murmur of admiration for the lithe, athletic young figure, and the frank, open face, ran through themultitude. 

He spoke with glowing zeal and in a clear, beautiful voice that carriedlike a trumpet. After the first minute, all embarrassment and hesitationpassed away, and his gift shone, resplendent. The freshness and fervorof youth were added to the logic and power of maturer years, and goldenwords flowed from his lips. The Indians, always susceptible to oratory, leaned forward, attentive and eager. The eyes of the fifty sachems beganto shine and the fierce and implacable Mohawks, who would not relax aparticle for any of the others, nodded with approval, as the speakerplayed upon the strings of their hearts. 

He dwelled less upon the friendship of the English than upon thehostility of the French. He knew that Champlain and Frontenac were faraway in time, but near in the feelings of the Hodenosaunee, especiallythe Mohawks, the warlike Keepers of the Eastern Gate. He said that whilethe French had often lived with the Indians, and sometimes had marriedIndian women, it was not with the nations of the Hodenosaunee, but withtheir enemies, Huron, Caughnawaga, St. Regis, Ojibway and other savagesof the far west. Onontio could not be the friend of their foes and theirfriends also. Manitou had never given to any man the power to carrywater on both shoulders in such a manner. 

The promises of the French to the great nations of the League had neverbeen kept. He and Willet, the hunter whom they called the Great Bear, and the brave young warrior, Tayoga, whom they all knew, had justreturned from the Stadacona of the Mohawks, which the French had seized, and where they had built their capital, calling it Quebec. They hadcovered it with stone buildings, palaces, fortresses and churches, but, in truth and right, it was still the Stadacona of the Mohawks. WhenTayoga and Willet and he walked there, they saw the shades of the greatMohawk sachems of long ago, come down from the great shining stars onwhich they now lived, to confound the French, and to tell the childrenof the Ganeagaono never to trust them. 

Stirred beyond control, a fierce shout burst from the nine Mohawksachems. It was the first time within the memory of the council that anyof its members had given evidence of feeling, while a question laybefore it, but their cry touched a common chord of sympathy. Applauseswept the crowd, and then, deep silence coming again, the oratorcontinued, his fervor and power increasing as he knew now that all thenations of the Hodenosaunee were with him. 

He enlarged upon his theme. He showed to them what a victorious Francewould do. If Quebec prevailed, the fair promises the priest and thechevalier had made to the Hodenosaunee would be forgotten. Even as theMohawks had lost Quebec and other villages they would lose now theircastles, the Upper, the Lower and the Middle, the Cayugas and theOneidas would be crushed, and with them their new brethren theTuscaroras. The French would burst with fire and sword into the sacredvale of Onondaga itself, they would cut down the council grove and burnthe Long House, then their armies would go forth to destroy the Senecas, the Keepers of the Western Gate. 

The thousands, swayed by uncontrollable emotion, sprang to their feetand a tremendous shout burst from them all. St. Luc, seeing theHodenosaunee slipping from his hands and from those of France, leapedup, unable to contain himself, and cried:

"Do not listen to him! Do not listen to him! What he says cannot come topass!"

The people were in a turmoil, and the council strove in vain for order, but the young speaker raised his hand and silence came again. 

"The Chevalier de St. Luc and Father Drouillard, who have spoken to youin behalf of France, are brave and good men, " he said, "but they cannotcontrol the acts of their country. They tell you what I say cannot cometo pass, but I tell you that it can come to pass, and what is more ithas come to pass. Behold!"

He took from beneath his deerskin tunic a tomahawk, large and keen, andheld it up. Its shining blade was stained red with the blood of a humanbeing. The silence was now so intense that it became heavy andoppressive. Everyone in the crowd expected something startling tofollow, and they were right. 

He swung the tomahawk about in a circle that all might see it, and theblood upon its blade. His feeling for the dramatic was strong upon him, and he knew that the right moment had come. 

"Do you know whose tomahawk this is?" he cried. 

The crowd was silent and waiting. 

"It is the tomahawk of Tandakora, the Ojibway, the friend and ally ofthe French. "

A fierce shout like a peal of thunder from the crowd, and then the sameintense, waiting silence. 

"Do you know whose blood stains the tomahawk of Tandakora, the Ojibway, the friend and ally of the French?"

A deep breath from the crowd. 

"It is the blood of Hosahaho, the Onondaga. You knew him well, one ofyour swiftest runners, a skillful hunter, a great warrior, one who liveda truthful and upright life before the face of Manitou. But he is gone. Three nights ago, Tandakora, the Ojibway, the friend and ally of theFrench, with a band of his treacherous men, foully murdered him inambush. But other Onondagas came, and Tandakora and his band had to fleeso fast that he could not regain his tomahawk. It has been brought tothe vale of Onondaga by those who saw Tandakora, but who could notovertake him. It was given by them to Tayoga, whom all of you know andhonor, and he has given it to me as proof of the faith of Onontio. Tandakora and Onontio are brothers. What Tandakora does Onontio doesalso, and the bright blood of Hosahaho, the Onondaga, that stains thetomahawk of Tandakora, the Ojibway, was shed by Onontio as well asTandakora. Behold! Here are the promises of Onontio, written red in theblood of your brother!"

An immense tumult followed, but presently Tododaho, first among thesachems, rose and stilled it with uplifted hands. Turning his eyes uponRobert, he said:

"You have spoken well, O Dagaeoga, and you have shown the proof of yourwords. Never will the great nations of the Hodenosaunee be the friendsof the French. There is too much blood between us. "

Then, turning to Chevalier de St. Luc and Father Drouillard, he said:

"Go you back to Quebec and tell Onontio that he cannot come to us withpromises in one hand and murder in the other. Our young men will guardyou and see that you are safe, until you pass out of our lands. Go!Through me the fifty sachems speak for the great League of theHodenosaunee. "

The chevalier and the priest, disappointed but dignified, left the valeof Onondaga that night, and St. Luc said to Robert that he bore him noill will because of his defeat. 

Several weeks later, as Robert, Willet, and Tayoga were on their way toAlbany, they heard from an Oneida runner that the English colonials fromVirginia, under young Washington, and the French had been in battle farto the west. 

"The war has begun, " said Willet solemnly, "a war that will shake bothcontinents. "

"And the Hodenosaunee will not help Onontio, " said Tayoga. 

"And the French may lose Quebec, " said Robert looking northward to thecity of his dreams.