not come. I said so often
to Lennox. You would never have known my belief, because Lennox would
not have told it to you, but I feel that I must apologize to you for
the thought. I underrated you, but I underrated you because I did not
believe any human being could do what you have done."

Tayoga smiled, showing his splendid white teeth. "Your thoughts did
me no wrong," he said in his precise school English, "because the
elements and chance itself seemed to have conspired against me."

Later he told what he had heard in the vale of Onondaga where the
sachems and chiefs kept themselves well informed concerning the
movements of the belligerent nations. The French were still the more
active of the rival powers, and their energy and conquests were
bringing the western tribes in great numbers to their flag. Throughout
the Ohio country the warriors were on the side of the French who were
continuing the construction of the powerful fortress at the junction
of the Alleghany and the Monongahela. The French were far down in the
province of New York, and they held control of Lake Champlain and of
Lake George also. More settlements had been cut off, and more women
and children had been taken prisoners into Canada.

But the British colonies and Great Britain too would move, so Tayoga
said. They were slow, much slower than Canada, but they had the
greater strength and the fifty sachems in the vale of Onondaga knew
it. They could not be moved from their attitude of friendliness toward
the English, and the Mohawks openly espoused the English side. The
American, Franklin, was very active, and a great movement against Fort
Duquesne would be begun, although it might not start until next
spring. An English force under an English general was coming across
the sea, and the might of England was gathering for a great blow.

The Onondaga had few changes in the situation to report, but he at
least brought news of the outside world, driving away from the young
soldiers the feeling that they were cut off from the human
race. Wilton was present when he was telling of these things and when
he had finished Robert asked:

"How did you make your way through the great snow, Tayoga?"

"It is well to think long before of difficulties," he replied. "Last
year when the winter was finished I hid a pair of snow shoes in this
part of the forest, and when the deep snow came I found them and used
them."

Robert glanced at Wilton, whose eyes were widening.