The Hunters of the Hills

gle glance that he cast upon Robert and his comrades, showed full of black and evil passions. Then, as if they were no longer present, he stalked to the fire

, calm, outwardly at least. The initiative was not his now, nor that of his comrades, and he glanced anxiously at de Courcelles to see how he would take this rude invasion of his camp. The Fren

d to his aid. He spoke courteously to Tandakora, but, as his words were in the Ojibway dialect, Robert did not understand them. The Indian made a guttural reply and continued to gnaw fiercely at the bone of the deer. De Courcelles stil

that you attacked him and his party in the

akora

clearly, and the statement came with the impact of a bullet. The tan of de Courcelles' fac

man a liar," he said, "but it

ho knows not the law, been worth more than that of one who is a member of the cl

did not see him, his fathomless eyes again staring into the fire. Robert looked at Willet, and he saw the hunter's eye also fall upon the handle of his tomahawk, a weapon which he knew the Great Bear c

t. Robert, watching him now, believed he was not at all

Majesty, King Louis of France, wishes all his red brethren to dwell together in peace. Yet I but tell to you, Tayoga, what Tandakora has

beneath our bullets, but they came swimming in the night, seeking to murder us while we slept, and while there i

ndle of his tomahawk tightened convulsively, but the fixed gaze of the hunter seemed to draw him at that moment. He saw that Willet's eyes were

. Then they looked at each other, and being acute men with a f

ior against another, and I cannot say which is the better. But since you are going to the Marquis Duquesne at

Robert saw that they wer

l of Canada," he said. "We cannot be tried at Quebec for an offense that we have never committed, a

nter was fixed upon him with deadly menace, and another hand equally as powerful and perhaps quicker than hi

t time. "If you have suffered wrongs Onontio will avenge them. His eye see

o was going with belts from the Marquis Duquesne to the council of the fifty chiefs in the va

u and your friends are our guests, Mr. Lennox, we cannot treat you except as such. Take to yo

of his tomahawk, and, rising to his fu

in the spirit in which

and being worn from a l

et slumber here on the

ve

happy good night," sai

folded their blankets them a

lonel could not permit any attack in his own camp upon those who bore an important message from the Governor of New York to the Governor General of Canad

d Indians were building a fire. Robert's questing eye sought at once for the Ojibway, but he was gone, and the youth was not surprised. His departure in the night was a relief to everybody, even to the French, and Robert felt that an evil influence was removed. The air that for a space t

al that morning, having no reason for not showing his better side, and the lad, who was learning not only to fenc

ning. Your experience with the Ojibway has left no ill results. He departed in the ni

"I knew that a French gentleman could not ta

a sharp glance, but the

verything that passes in a vast wilderness. I, too, shall forget it. Nor is it likely that it will ever be

fere with the progress of the mission. Tayoga and Willet also seemed to have forgotten the episode of the night before, and asked no questions about Tandakora. After breakfast, the three put their canoe back in the river, and thanking their

g silence. "This is our soil, but they march o

, "but I'm thinking it belongs to neither. The ownership, I dare say, will not be decid

ls of foliage on either side o

is a fitful thing, but always it is wild and lawless. He longs, night and day, for scalps,

one ahead with the int

he d

from cover on the bank, and then the wilderness would swallow him up and hide him from pursuit. He could go

yoga, to think that bloodthirsty wretch may be waitin

may see him moving among the trees. The Ojibway is no marksma

e Ojibway was full of malice and that his 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 foresa

ourselves now that we'll just

trong," said Robert. "You feel then

t where the stream became much narrower an

t the heart of a murderer would love. Suppose that Dagaeoga and I paddle, and that the Great Bear rests with his rifle across his k

I think I can watch both sides of the stream pretty well, and if the Ojibway fires I can fire back at the flash. We'll rely upon our speed to make his bullet m

ent, in the clear light of the morning, a fish leaping up now and then in the waters so seldom stirred by any strange presence. The whole scene was saturated with the beauty and the majesty of the wilderness, and to the eye th

the lock and his finger on the trigger. Eyes, trained by many years in the forest, searched continually among the trees for a figure that did not belong there, and, at the sam

d like an arrow. Those are grand strokes, Tayoga! And yours too, Robert! Now, our speed is increasing! We fairly fly! Good lads! I knew you were both wonderful with the paddle, but I did not know you were such marvels! Never mind the woods, Robert, I'm watching 'em!

nd of him?" asked

k him in the shoulder. His rifle fell from his hand, and then he dropped down in the underbrush, thinking one of you might snatch up a weapon and fire. No, I didn't make an end of him, Robert, but

can't lie in ambush for us. It's pretty oppressive to have an invisible death lurkin

either side, where no enemy can lay an ambush. Easy now, lads! The danger has passed. That fiend is lying in the thicket binding up his wounded shoulder as best he can, and tomorrow we

stream. Then he sank back in his seat, relaxing after his great effort, his

w, Dave," he said, "because the jour

the hunter, "but we've run past most of 'em. The

e the forest, but they judged that it came from the camp fires of hunters, and they paid no further attention to it. That night they took t

have a share in it. But here it's surely French by right of long occupation. We can reach Montreal by ni

e sky, flowing in a mighty mass toward the sea. Tayoga's eyes sparkled also. The young warrior

mighty rock that once belonged to a nation of the Hode

f your old homes, but it is the English who have respected all your rights," sa

" said the

hey went down the stream, which was not bare of life. They saw two great canoes, each

French," said Willet. "Of what

carry back blankets and beads and guns and ammunition. Above the Great Lakes and running on, no man knows how far, are many other vast lakes. It is said that some in the distant north are as lar

ut those lakes, worlds and worlds of 'em, and some of 'em so big that you can paddle days without reaching the end. I suppose there are chains and chains of lakes runn

" said Tayoga. "A wind is coming and

"A little bark canoe like ours w

ef force of the wind passed over their heads. In the center of the stream the water rose

sses," said Willet. "Suppose we draw in among those bus

did not relish a swamping of the

he three still watched the distant boat, which seemed to be o

sail when it wishes," said Wi

ers are in it

, boy. I think I caught

Bear. The French officers no doubt have the glasses that mag

don't want to have even the appearance of hiding, I think we'd better

. Lawrence, keeping in comparatively quiet waters near the southern side. The

es from Hochelag

the French Montreal, was Iro

a palisade, and many of our people think that a nation of the Hodenosaunee, perhaps the Mohawks, lived in it,

are traveling on lands and waters that once belonged to your people. But we're right in believin

yet-and there's plenty of water in the St. Lawrence for all

y will, what we're about, I shall tell them that we're going

ships were everyday matters to them, and were not to be noticed unduly. A tall young man standing up in the boat hailed them in French and then in English. Robert, watching out of the corner of his eye, saw that he was fair, like so many of the northern French, that

emanded the offi

on of spokesman, had decided already that his

briefly, and the three

are you going?" demanded the off

ce it. Using wonderful skill, they always brought it back to the true level and maintained a steady course ah

King Louis of France, upon this river, and unless you

rs of great importance to the Marquis Duquesne at Quebec. I

e on such a mission, but I mus

odenosaunee. Next comes David Willet, a famous hunter and scout, well known throughout the provinces of New York and Massachusetts and even in Canada, a

haughty manner. The ans

uedoc, stationed for the present at Montreal and charged with the duty of watching the river for all do

a distinguished name. W

Canada wh

, the Marquis Duquesne. It gives me pride to s

Galisonnière's good graces through his famil

y a great Governor Gene

from the Sieur de Robe

rnais and on to your

sonn

a gave Robert approvin

flushed wi

with you, but conversation is carried on with difficulty under such circumstances. Suppose we run into the

the canoe, two ends would be served at the same time. Willet and the Onondaga also nodded in acquiescence, and a mile or two farther on they and the c