could have been taken, and,
since he had not come, Robert's heart again beat to the tune of hope.

Willet with whom he talked a little, was of like opinion. He looked to
Tayoga to bring them help, and, if he failed their case, already hard,
would become harder. The hunter did not conceal from himself the
prowess and skill of St. Luc and he knew too, that the savage
persistency of Tandakora was not to be held lightly. Like Robert he
gazed long into the blue west, which was flecked only by little clouds
of white.

"A sign! A sign!" he said. "If we could only behold a sign!"

But the heavens said nothing. The sun, a huge ball of glowing copper,
was already far down the Western curve, and the hunter's heart beat
hard with anxiety. He felt that if help came it should come soon. But
little water was left to the soldiers, although their food might last
another day, and the night itself, now not far away, would bring the
danger of a new attack by a creeping foe, greatly superior in
numbers. He turned away from the cliff, but Robert remained, and
presently the youth called in a sharp thrilling whisper:

"Dave! Dave! Come back!"

Robert had continued to watch the sky and he thought he saw a faint
dark line against the sea of blue. He rubbed his eyes, fearing it was
a fault of vision, but the trace was still there, and he believed it
to be smoke.

"Dave! Dave! The signal! Look! Look!" he cried.

The hunter came to the edge of the cliff and stared into the west. A
thread of black lay across the blue, and his heart leaped.

"Do you believe that Tayoga has anything to do with it?" asked Robert.

"I do. If it were our foes out there he'd have been back long since."

"And since it may be friends they've sent up this smoke, hoping we'll
divine what they mean."

"It looks like it. Tayoga is a sharp lad, and he'll want to put heart
in the soldiers. It must be the Onondaga, and I wish I knew what his
smoke was saying."

Captain Colden joined them, and they pointed out to him the trace
across the sky which was now broadening, explaining at the same time
that it was probably a signal sent up by Tayoga, and that he might be
leading a force to their aid.

"What help could he bring?" asked the captain.

Willet shook his head.

"I can't answer you there," he replied; "but the smoke has
significance for us. Of that I feel sure. By sundown we'll know what
it means."

"And that's only about two hours away," said Captain Colden.