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

about half an hour, when Tayoga

y, so slow that he barely creeps, and his feet press

envy out of his voice. "You said a while back that he was going to kill the bear, because he was hungry, and it

ed with sinc

and broke it into the right length over the log. You can see where he broke places in the bark at the same time. Then he heaped them all in the little hollow, where he has left the pile of ashes. But, before he lighted a fire, with his flint and steel, he made a wide circle all about to see if any enemy might be near. We knew he would do that because Black Rifle is a

or, "I can't stand such torture! You'll

o endure. Among us a warrior will purposely put the fire to his hand or his breast and hold it there until the

not see the lurking gleam of

e that I am starving," he said. "I'm starving in

Rifle's little camp. One of them became so persistent and bold-a wolf it was-that Black Rifle, not willing to shoot, seized a large stone, and threw it at him with great violence. There lies the stone at the edge of the wood, and as there is fresh earth on its under surface it was partly imbedded in the ground where Black Rifle snatched it up. There, just beyond your right foot, Red Coat, is a little depr

ng me preliminary pract

t, old fellow. I'l

tart again with a vigorous and strong step. Lo, it is as I said! He is taking a long stride, but I do not think he is walking fast. His pace is very

the brain of the Onondaga. He saw that the trail was

e body can endure and yet live. Here Black Rifle stopped and rested on these stones, perhaps an hour. No, Red Coat, there are no signs to show it, but the trail on the other side is much fresher, which pr

s I told you, I'd

. But it is not enough

We will have a portio

r talk sounds a l

sten, R

hat penetrated far in the forest. In a few instants, the answer, another whist

g for us. We will now go forward

the dark hunter rose up to meet them. His face show

ew that Tayoga, the greatest trailer the world has ever known, would be sure to strike my traces, and that he'd read them like print. And here's Robert too, a fine boy, if I do

o," said Grosv

," said Tayoga, "but he will

said Black Rifle. "Then co

wait for us?"

far away. Tandakora's men seemed to be trailing somebody, and hiding in the bushes, I spied on them. I was near enough to hear two warriors talking and I le

Black Rifle," said

" said

equal portions among all, was stored away in their knapsacks, Grosvenor luckily having retained his own as the India

und, Black Rifle

orce. He's throwing

arquis fortifies to m

hat all know is coming.

most about

great one,"

g, his imagination at once alive. "We'll put out forever the fi

on with present difficulties first. It seems to me it's our duty now to follow St. Luc, and see what he means to do wi

aid. "After that wonderful escape I'm ready for anything. I see that

scouts and skirmishers in order that we may be kept in complete ignorance of Montcalm's movement

s to trailing that boy just breathes it in. He adds some new tricks every day. But I think we'd better lie by

with the warriors all about us, but we must take the risk. We'd better go to the next brook and wal

alk along its pebbly bed fully a mile and a half as a precaution, keeping to t

n us," said Willet. "Do you think, Lieutenant, that aft

!" replied Grosvenor. "I don

for the others, "and I think we'll make

not in a hollow where it seems t

l have a view all about us, and I don't think our enemies can come too near, unseen by us. When we get into the thicket on the hill,

le," said Black Rifle.

on the stones. We m

l were asleep except Black Rifle, who sat with his rifle between

about him. His right name even had disappeared, and, to the border, far and near he was just Black Rifle, or Black Jack, a great scout and a terror to the Indians. In his way, he was fond of

the little animals worked or played as usual in the bushes. Everything said to him that no enemy was near, and hi

" said the Onondaga. "I

ied the scout, "and I'll sit a while with you. Nothing has

l. Tandakora feels his grudge against us. He has tried to do us much harm a

something walking in the thick

g for a good place in which to pass the

, Ta

other minute, it will take him a whiff of the human odor

ut I take it that you know w

gift from Manitou, when it really is the work of Manitou? Ah, the bear is going toward the south and he is well fr

nondaga in the dusk, and his

"I don't believe such eyes and ears as yours

ever good they may be the credit belongs to Man

must yield a certain pleasure. They're particularly valuab

arriors and the French so near us it is

ng about it. I never saw anybody sleep more so

ill not awaken them. That it will be near us soon I do n

oid to meet that of the great Onondaga chief who had gone away four hundred years ago. Black Rifle regarded him with respect. He too was steeped in Indi

see, Tayoga

the dying voice of a distant wind, and I cannot understand their words. But both the great warriors look down warningly at us. They tell us to beware, that we are threatened by a great peril. I can read their faces. But a mist is passing in the heavens. The s

k it's floating in from the lake. It will be all over the thickets soon. I reckon that the danger threatening us is from the warriors, an

to himself who was merely an involuntary agent. The mist and vapors were increasing, drifting toward them in clouds from the lake, a vanguard of sh

they were at the feet of the watchers, and the two saw each other but dimly. They seemed to be in a t

r, Tayoga?" whis

ers of the wilderness, a little wind among the

why should he be uneasy, Tayoga? Any deer in his rig

ause. A deer is not like a man, full of fancies and creating danger when danger there is non

he scen

when it falls! Ah, Manitou is good to me! He makes me hear to-night better than I ever heard before, because it is his purpose, I know not why, to make me do so! There co

w they are whit

e from a band of warriors. I hear the echo of a voice! I think it is a command, a short, sharp word or two such as white officers give. The sounds of the footsteps merge now, Black Rifle, because the men are marching to the same

's so, Tayoga. Will

ot think they will see us

ake the othe

It is not because they do not know the way, but becau

your ear can tell

ankers and skirmishers. Only St. Luc could make them come, because we know that even the French have great trouble in inducing them to enter big battles. They lik

St. Luc up to some trick

k is, Black Rifle. Ah, they have

us, Tayoga! We left no trail. Besides, this fog is so

p and positive. It is St. Luc, because, being the leader, he is the only one who would walk that way at such a time. I think he wants to see for himself or rather feel just where they

his comrade

Luc is long. It is surely De Courcelles. St. Luc does not like him, but he has to use him, because the Frenchmen are not many, a

if I had to go anyw

the soldiers, and now ther

they're waitin

hat the fog will rise. You know how suddenly a fo

s at once. They'll be

if the fog should

it will?" asked Bl

ghed under

in thickness. It would not be wise for us to move, because there may be ears among them as keen as ours, and they might hear us. Then blinded by the fog

ay down and put hi

pered, "and I want to notice what they're doing as far as I can. I make

han for us. They are still uncertain where they are. Five or six men are going southward, about as many have

ng in our direction

a fish is hidden in the water, and it will be almost as hard to

cautiously feeling a way through the great bank of mist. It was true that they could pass near without seeing, but chance might bring them straight to the little group. He shifted his fingers to the lock and trigger of his rifle, and loo

Now they change back again, and now they keep turning toward the left. I think they wil

the fog, but the quick hands were ready for instant use. He knew, as Tayoga had said, that the chance of the warriors walki

the short one's four and even then the short man is always behind. They do not walk in single file as usual, but spread out that they may cover as much ground as possible. Now they ar

at Black Rifle almost fancied he could see the dim figures in the fog. When t

pered. "I'll sit up now and you can do the re

ack. I think the one that went south probably found the way in which they wanted to go, and they will now move on

ger, and then announced that

t Bear, Dagaeoga, and Red Coat have

were lucky," sa

to learn that such danger had passed so near them. T