t he was without hope.
He had been miserably trapped by his belief that the five had gone. They
were there, always watching, deadlier sharpshooters than ever.

It was noon now, and a Wyandot, the most zealous of the remaining
Indians, lying flat on his stomach, crept almost to the water's edge,
where he lay among the grass and reeds. Yet he never crept back again.
He stirred the grass and weeds too much, and a bullet, fired by
calculation of his movements, and not by any sight of his figure, slew
him where he lay.

Then a great and terrible fear seized upon the Indians as well as
Blackstaffe. Such deadly shooting as this was beyond their
comprehension. The bullets from the rifles of the unseen marksmen were
guided by the hand of Manitou. The Great Spirit had turned his face away
from them, and helping their wounded comrade, they fled southward as
fast as they could. Blackstaffe, his blazed hand burning like fire, went
with them gladly.

In that journey of twenty hours' northward the seven heralds had
traveled far from the Wyandot village and it was equally as far back to
it. Going northward they had zeal and energy to drive them on, and going
southward they had terror and superstition to drive them back. They
returned as fast as they had gone, and all the time they felt that the
same mysterious and deadly enemy was behind them. Once a bullet, cutting
the leaves near them, hastened their footsteps. The renegade wished to
abandon the wounded man, but the Indians, more humane, would not allow
it.

Henry could have reduced the number of the heralds still further, but
his mind rebelled at useless bloodshed and he was satisfied to let
terror and superstition do their work. He followed them until they were
in sight of the village, guessing the surprise and consternation that
their news would cause. Then he turned aside to find his comrades in the
covert and to tell them what he had done. They admired, but they were
not surprised, knowing him so well.

Meanwhile they waited.

CHAPTER V

THE WYANDOT COUNCIL

Henry and his comrades, spying anew from the woods and seeing the
village full of stir, thought Timmendiquas and his warriors would depart
that day, but they soon gathered that some important ceremonial was at
hand, and would be celebrated first. It reminded Henry of the great
gathering of the Iroquois before the advance on Wyoming. He was as eager
now as then to enter the village and see the rites, which