out that there were
twenty savages in the thicket ahead, and to be certain that I was not
mistaken.

The tall Oneida looked calmly up at me; his glittering eyes fell upon
my naked breast, and, as he looked, his dark face lighted, and he
stretched out both hands.

"Onehda!" he ejaculated.

I leaned from my saddle, holding his powerful hands in a close clasp.

"Little Otter! Is it you, my younger brother? Is it really you?" I
repeated again and again, while his brilliant eyes seemed to devour my
face, and his sinewy grip tightened spasmodically.

"What happiness, Onehda!" he said, in his softly sonorous Oneida
dialect. "What happiness for the young men--and the sachems--and the
women and children, too, Onehda. It is well that you return to us--to
the few of us who are left. Koue!"

And now the Oneidas were coming out of the willows, crowding up around
my horse, and I heard everywhere my name pronounced, and everywhere
outstretched hands sought mine, and painted faces were lifted to
mine--even the blackened visage of the war-party's executioner relaxing
into the merriest of smiles.

"Onehda," he said, "do you remember that feast when you were raised
up?"

"Does an Oneida and a Wolf forget?" I said, smiling.

An emphatic "No!" broke from the painted throng about me.

Elsin, sitting her saddle at a little distance, watched us wide-eyed.

"Brothers," I said quietly, "a new rose has budded in Tryon County. The
Oneidas will guard it for the honor of their nation, lest the northern
frost come stealing south to blight the blossom."

Two score dark eyes flashed on Elsin. She started; then a smile broke
out on her flushed face as a painted warrior stalked solemnly forward,
bent like a king, and lifted the hem of her foot-mantle to his lips.
One by one the Oneidas followed, performing the proud homage in
silence, then stepping back to stand with folded arms as the head of
the column appeared at the bend of the road.

I called Little Otter to me, questioning him; and he said that as far
as they had gone there were no signs of Mohawk or Cayuga, but that the
bush beyond should be traversed with caution. So I called in the
flanking rangers, replacing them with Oneidas, and, sending the balance
of the band forward on a trot, waited five minutes, then started on
with a solid phalanx of riflemen behind to guard the rear.

As we rode, Elsin and I talking in low tones, mile after mile slipped
away through the dim forest tr