victory over us. He did not get
much satisfaction from Sharp Sword, because he stayed with him only a
very short time. Here his trail leads away again, and Sharp Sword once
more walks on alone.

"Perhaps Sharp Sword prefers to be alone. Most men do after a
disappointment, and he knows that his attack upon the boat builders
has been a failure. Sharp Sword does not like failures any more than
other people do, and he wants to think. He is planning how to win
a great success, and to atone for his failure here. I do not see
anything of De Courcelles. I do not find his trail anywhere, which
shows that the wound you gave him, Dagaeoga, was severe. He is being
carried either by warriors or French soldiers on a litter. It is far
more likely to be soldiers, and here I find them, the trail of four
men who walk exactly even, two by two all the time. The rage of De
Courcelles will mount very high against you, Dagaeoga, and you will
have to beware of him."

"I am ready for him," said Robert, proudly.

The broad trail led steadily on toward the north, but Willet, after a
while, spread out his own little force, taking no chances with forest
ambush. He considered it highly probable that before long Tandakora
would curve aside with some of his warriors, hoping to trap the
unwary. He was confirmed in his opinion by the Onondaga's reading of
the trail.

"I find the footprints of the Ojibway chief again," said Tayoga. "Here
they go at the edge of the trail. Now he has stopped. His stride
has ceased, and he stands with his moccasins close together. He is
probably talking with his warriors and he meditates something. The
rage of Tandakora is as great as that of De Courcelles, but Tandakora
is not hurt, and he is able to strike. He moves on again, and, ah!
here he goes into the woods. Beyond question he is now engaged in
planting an ambush for those who would follow St. Luc. Shall we go
back, Great Bear, or shall we meet the Ojibway's ambush with an ambush
of our own?"

The black eyes of the Onondaga sparkled.

"We ought to turn back," replied Willet, "but I can't resist playing
Tandakora's own game with him. It may give us a chance to rid the
border of that scourge. We'll leave the trail, and go into the deep
bush."

Led by the hunter the little band plunged into the forest and began
a careful circle, intending to come back to the trail some distance
ahead, and to post themselves behind Tandakora in case that wily
savage was plann