Man, however, was not altogether absent, though less obviously present,
at that time. At the extreme western end of the lake, where the view of
the regions beyond was most extensive as well as most beautiful, there
was a bright green patch of land, free from underwood as well as trees--
a sort of natural lawn--which extended with a gentle slope towards the
lake; ending in a pebbly beach on which the waters rested so calm and
pure that it was difficult to distinguish the line where dry land and
water met.

A little to the right of this beautiful spot there grew a small clump of
bushes, and in the midst of these there crouched two Indians. One was
middle-aged, the other was entering on the period of early manhood, and
a strongly marked resemblance in feature and form indicated plainly that
they stood to each other in the relation of father and son. Both were
clothed in leather, with the usual ornamentation of beads, scalp-locks,
and feathers. Their faces, however, were not disfigured with
war-paint--a sign that at that time they were at peace with all mankind.

It might have struck an observer, however, that for men of peace they
were in suspiciously warlike attitudes. The elder savage stooped low to
conceal himself behind the foliage, and held a long single-barrelled gun
in readiness for instant action, while the youth, also stooping low,
held an arrow ready fitted to his short bow. The eyes of both glared
with expressions that might have been indicative of joy, hope, hate,
revenge, expectation, or anything else you please--for a glare is
unquestionably an ambiguous expression at the best, needing a context to
expound it.

"Let two die," muttered the elder redskin--of course in his own tongue.
(I had the details from his own lips afterwards, and translate them as
literally as may be.)

"Ho!" replied the son, without moving his glare from the direction from
which the two doomed ones were expected to emerge.

Presently a flock of grey wild-geese came majestically along, close to
the margin of the lake--flying low, as well as slow, and following the
curvings of the shore as if in search of a suitable feeding-place at
which to alight. The green of the natural lawn had evidently attracted
these birds, for they skimmed over the bushes behind which our Indians
crouched almost within pistol-shot.

Like statues the red-men stood until the geese were over them; then an
arrow from the son's bow quivered in the heart