r attempt
at revenge upon those who had defeated him. There was a rumor that
the Indians with the French were becoming much dissatisfied, that
they were awed by the reports of the mighty British and American force
advancing under Abercrombie, and might leave the French to meet it
alone.

"Do you think there is much in these rumors?" asked Robert, as he and
the Onondaga went into the forest.

"I do," replied Tayoga. "The warriors with the French do not like the
cannon, and they say the force that is coming against Montcalm is very
vast. A great battle may be fought, but Tandakora and his men are not
likely to be there. They will go away and await a better day."

"Then I'm glad they'll desert for a while. They're the eyes and ears
of the French. That will leave our own scouts and forest runners the
lords of the wild, though it seems to me, Tayoga, that you're the true
and veritable lord of the wild."

"Then if that were so, though you praise my skill too much, Dagaeoga,
you and the Great Bear and Black Rifle also are lords of the wild."

"Lords of the wild! I like the term. It is something to be that
at this time and in this region. We're mainly a wilderness people,
Tayoga, and our wars are waged in the woods. We're not more than two
miles from the camp now, and yet we're completely lost in the forest.
There's not a trace of man. I don't even see any smoke soiling the
sky."

"It is so, Dagaeoga, and we are again in the shadow of peril. Dangers
in the forest are as thick as leaves on the trees. Here is an old
trail of our enemies."

"I'm not interested in old trails. What we're looking for is new
ones."

"If we keep going toward the north it may be that we will find them,
Dagaeoga."

Several miles farther on they came to other trails which the Onondaga
examined with great interest and care. Two or three he pronounced
quite recent, but he did not read any particular purpose in them.

"It is likely that they were made by hunters," he said. "While the
armies are gathering, the warriors are sure to seek game. Here two of
them passed, and here they stood behind a tree. It is sure now that
those two were hunting. I think they stood behind a tree to ambush a
deer. The deer was to the west of them. The traces they left in
the soft earth under the tree show that the toes of their moccasins
pointed toward the west and so they were looking that way, at the
deer, which probably stood in the thicket over there nibbling at