The Lords of the Wild A Story of the Old New York Border

h well and yet remain hidden. They could also see from where they lay the shimmering waters of Andiatarocte, and the lake seemed to be once more at peace. They felt satisfaction that

come?" Robert asked

ing Grosvenor with him, it is Tayoga," replied the hunter. "I

come," said Ro

The hours alone will tell. It's hard

oul of Tayoga and Grosvenor. Would they come? Willet was able to read his mind. He was intensely anxious himself, but he knew th

used to the woods, and can't go through them as fast as we can. W

ng suddenly

that!" he

among the leaves, nor yet the distant song of a bird. It was the faint h

ear it?" h

'tis Tayoga too who comes. But whether he comes alone, or with

t we send

wer signals we give the less likely the enemy is to get a hint we're here

Tayoga or anybody else. But the minutes passed and he took courage. Tayoga had not yet come. If alone he would have arrived by this time. His slowness must be due to the fact that he had Grosvenor with him. More minutes passed and he heard steps in the undergrowth. Now he was sure. Tayoga was not alone. His moccasins never lef

ou are here!"

too," panted Grosvenor. "It was a miracle! I had give

th, man," said Willet. "The

ed against a tree, and Robert noticed then that he carried an extra rifle and ammunition. The Onondaga thought of

" said the hu

o to see both of you, Mr. Willet and Mr. Lennox. I don't unde

of Tayoga's workin

t, and nearly all the Indians ran off in pursuit of something or other. Only two were left with me. There was a shot from the woods, one of them fell, this wonderful friend of yours a

the hunter, "and you see too, Lieutenant Grosvenor, that he even had the forethought to bring away with him the rifl

d handed him the rif

flowing back into his

at a bite?"

although I'll confess I've had no appetite up to

ga, who seemed to feel no weariness, and the others were watchi

e're out of the ring now, and it's our affair to keep out. Lieutenant Grosvenor,

ent northward with ten men to scour the country, and in the woods we were set upon suddenly by savage warriors. My troopers were either killed or scattered, and I was taken. That was yesterday morning. Since then I have been hurri

n hunting us too, and when he comes back to his camp he

rosvenor with attempt at a smile. "If I could

he examined the forest on all si

had been made again so wonderfully put new strength in Grosvenor's frame. So they were able to tra

ed there was no hostile sig

ake Champlain and it was believed Montcalm would fortify somewhere near Ticonderoga, yet Lake George was debatable. It was generally consi

could not live on air and mountain lakes alone, however splendid they might be, and, although the wilderness usually furnished food to three such capable hunters, they

entirely, sitting down on fallen timber which had been heaped in a windrow by a passing hurricane. They were still in dense forest and had born

ank you fellows for sav

s we have to save one another now and then, or none of us wo

f the forest. I f

border brings strange and unexpected chances. But our present crisis is not over. We're

forest, where he was examining the ground, obviously with great concentration

e ranger, Black Rifl

that?" asked Gro

he has written his name in the earth; that is, he has

only a very faint impression, and he never would have n

een left by a de

ndicate very clearly that a human foot and nothing else pressed there. Here is anoth

nor again objected, "it might be that of any

inherited the forest lore of

eps are far apart, so we are sure that they are those of a tall man; the imprints are deep, proving them to have been made by a heavy man, and at the outer edge of the heel the impression is deeper than on the inner edge. I noticed, when we last saw Black Rifle, which was

ave put strips of hide

are a hundred to one against the fact that any other man tall, large and heavy with moose hide strips to even the wear of his moccasin heel

rt, who had never felt

ge. "What was Bl

he turns about. Ah, he wishes to see if there are any canoes visible on the lake, for lo! the trail now leads toward the water! Here he found that none was to be seen and here he rested. Black Rifle had been long on his fe

e observation is what every trailer has to learn," said Willet, "else you are no trailer at all, and you'll lea

r! Peace!" protes

what did Black Rifle do after

too deep down for any bird to reach with his bill. Black Rifle sat here quite a long time. He was thinking hard. He did not need so much time for resting. He remained sitting on the log while he was trying to decide what he would do. It is likely that Black Rifle thought a great force was behind him, and he turned back to see. Had he kept straight

hink that?" a

n the hillock from which we can get a good view over the country, and walked to every side of the crest to find where the best view could be obtained. That, Red Coat, is the simplest of all things. Behold the traces of his moccasins as he walked fr

't possibly k

know it,

ven know a b

e whether I am right. Here is the brook, and there are the faint traces made by Black Rifle's knees, when he knelt to reach the water. He started away, but found that he was still thirsty, so he came back and drank again. Here are his footprints about a yard from the others. This time, he will go back toward the south, and I think it is sure that

r's eyes

at of trailing through the wilderness, and I ca

ghest degree of perfection. He was born with a gift for it, a very great gift. He inherited all the lea

said Tayoga modestly. "For unknown reasons he

a piece," said the hunter. "If Black Rifle found it necessary to cover the rear, it's a m

e," said Tayoga. "We will tak

e to make the most of every passing minute, and, seeing Robert imitate him exactly, Grosvenor

d to him that the three, and especially the Onondaga, could do everything. Tayoga's skill as a trailer and scout was so marvelous that no enemy could come anywhere near without his knowledge. The young Englishman felt that h

said Tayoga. "I can watch for us all, and it is

o hostile sign came back and lay on the turf near them. He relaxed his figure again and closed his eyes, which may have seemed strange but which was not so in the case of Tayoga. His hearing was extraordinarily acute, and, when his e

or and sweetness; that a rabbit was hopping about in the undergrowth, curious and yet fearful; that an eagle with a faint whirr of wings had alighted on a bough, and was looking at the three; that the eagle thinking they might be dangerous had unfolded his wings again and w

ecord showed that for nearly two hours the life of the wilderness went on as usual, the ordinary work and play of animal and bird, and then the drums told him that man was coming. A footstep was registered very clearly, and then another and

he pursuit was still far away and that they were in no immediate danger. He knew it by his easy, regular walk, free from either haste or lagging delay. He kne

nt figure of his friend now in full view. Robert an

d each other and the way they could read the signs of

he hunter, "but I

we need not awake

em sleep an

proached and Willet replied that he had hoped for

id the hunter, "so it would be wise for you to join them if you ca

said Tayoga. "At

himself, was well nigh miraculous. After such startling luck they could not fail, and an omen of continued good fortune was the fact they had encountered the trail of Black Rifle. He would be a powerful addition to their little force, when

ime, and when they awoke the

ng enough I may learn to be a scout too. But as all my life has been spent in quite diff

ga s

" he said. "Red Coat

feel equal to any march," continued Grosve

looked at Willet, who in hi

bottoms of our knapsacks are looking up at us. We'll have a splendid chance

the true mettle. In an instant hi

elusion of a moment, and it passed as quickly

hers l

ve been hungrier than this often, and, as you see, I've never starved to death a single time. Ther

us to follow on the trail

lot colder, while you lads slept, though I thin

cked up the traces, which now led south,

st have divined where St. Luc with his force lay, and he took a dir

the hunter. "I see th

mean by moving abou

nd it was necessary for him to provision his army of one at once. He suddenly saw a chance to do so and he

a deer?" sa

hes and vines and briars. A deer could not have gone into it, but a bear could, and we know

f that, Tayoga?

od a hunter to fire a useless shot, and too experienced to miss his game, when he needs it so badly.

s and briars were threshed about by the bear as he fell. Here are spots of blood, a

that he had more than made up for the loss of weight in his long winter fast. We will soon find where Black Rif

sked Grosvenor. "We can't

red trai

ok is flowing in the valley just ahead of us, because there is scarcely a valley in the country that does not have its brook. Eye tells me that Black Rifle finished his task by the great oak t

side it, the place where Black Rifle had cleaned his b

but we can see where they hopped about here on the ground, tore at the flesh, and fought with one another for the spoil. A lynx came, and then another, and then wolve

r their brief banquet. The trails led away in different directions, but that of Black Rifle went on towa

said Tayoga. "Black Rifle no longer skips

nor. "I don't forget that you saved my life, when by all t

"nor would he carry such a burden, without good cause. It may be t

ble," said

, they pressed fo