e West India trade, looking at the latest
fashions from England that have come on the ships up the Delaware,
building new houses out Germantown way, none of them thinking much of
the war, except old Ben Franklin, who pegs forever at the governor of
the Province, the Legislature, and every influential man to take
action before the French and Indians seize the whole border."

"I hope Franklin will stir 'em up, and that they won't forget us out
here in the woods. For us at least the French and Indians are a
reality."

Meanwhile summer had turned into autumn, and autumn itself was
passing.

CHAPTER V

THE RUNNER

Fort Refuge, the stronghold raised by young arms, was the most distant
point in the wilderness held by the Anglo-American forces, and for a
long time it was cut off entirely from the world. No message came out
of the great forest that rimmed it round, but Colden had been told to
build it and hold it until he had orders to leave it, and he and his
men waited patiently, until word of some kind should come or they
should be attacked by the French and Indian forces that were gathering
continually in the north.

They saw the autumn reach its full glory. The wilderness glowed in
intense yellows and reds. The days grew cool, and the nights cold, the
air was crisp and fresh like the breath of life, the young men felt
their muscles expand and their courage rise, and they longed for the
appearance of the enemy, sure that behind their stout palisade they
would be able to defeat whatever numbers came.

Tayoga left them early one morning for a visit to his people. The
leaves were falling then under a sharp west wind, and the sky had a
cold, hard tint of blue steel. Winter was not far away, but the day
suited a runner like Tayoga who wished to make speed through the
wilderness. He stood for a moment or two at the edge of the forest, a
strong, slender figure outlined against the brown, waved his hand to
his friends watching on the palisade, and then disappeared.

"A great Indian," said young Wilton thoughtfully. "I confess that I
never knew much about the red men or thought much about them until I
met him. I don't recall having come into contact with a finer mind of
its kind."

"Most of the white people make the mistake of undervaluing the
Indians," said Robert, "but we'll learn in this war what a power they
are. If the Hodenosaunee had turned against us we'd have been beaten
already."

"At any rate, Tayoga