ses, Tayoga, and I've seen some, but it was
always warriors who were doing the fasting. I doubt whether white men
could stand it so long, and 'tis quite sure they would suffer more.
About the third day 'twould be as bad as being tied to the stake in the
middle of the flames."

"Great Bear speaks the truth, as he always does. No white man can
stand it. If he tried it his sufferings would be beyond anything of
which he might dream."

A groan burst suddenly from the wretched Garay. The hunter and the
Onondaga looked at each other and their eyes expressed astonishment.

"Did you hear a sound in the thicket?" asked Willet.

"I think it came from the boughs overhead," said Tayoga.

"I could have sworn 'twas the growl of a bear."

"To me it sounded like the croak of a crow."

"After all, we may have heard nothing. Imagination plays strange
tricks with us."

"It is true, Great Bear. We hear queer sounds when there are no sounds
at all. The air is full of spirits, and now and then they have sport
with us."

A second groan burst from Garay, now more wretched than ever.

"I heard it again!" exclaimed the hunter. "'Tis surely the growl of
a bear in the bush! The sound was like that of an angry wild animal!
But, we'll let it go. The sun tells meet's half past eight o'clock and
I go to ask our guest the usual question."

"Enough!" exclaimed Garay. "I yield! I cannot bear this any longer!"

"Your papers, please!"

"Unbind me and give me food!"

"Your papers first, our fish next."

As he spoke the hunter leaned over, and with his keen hunting knife
severed Garay's bonds. The man sat up, rubbed his wrists and ankles
and breathed deeply.

"Your papers!" repeated Willet.

"Bring me my pistol, the one that the Indian filched from me while I
slept," said Garay.

"Your pistol!" exclaimed the hunter, in surprise. "Now I'd certainly
be foolish to hand you a deadly and loaded weapon!"

But Robert's quick intellect comprehended at once. He snatched the
heavy pistol from the Onondaga's belt, drew forth the bullet and then
drew the charge behind it, not powder at all, but a small, tightly
folded paper of tough tissue, which he held aloft triumphantly.

"Very clever! very clever!" said Willet in admiration. "The pistol was
loaded, but 'twould never be fired, and nobody would have thought of
searching its barrel. Tayoga, give Monsieur Garay the two spare fish
and anything else he wants, but see that he eats sparingly becaus