m will ever see, and of the existence of
which, perhaps, they don't know."

"And as I have told you before, Dagaeoga, the mountains and lakes and
rivers and forests for which the English and French kings have their
people fight, belong to neither, but to the great League of the
Hodenosaunee and other red nations."

"That's true, Tayoga. Sometimes I'm apt to forget it, but you know I'm a
friend of the Hodenosaunee. If I had the power I'd see that never an
acre of their country was filched from them by the white men."

"I know it well, Dagaeoga."

The pursuit continued all the morning, and the great trail left by the
French and Indians broadened steadily. Other trails flowed into and
merged with it, and it became apparent that the force pursued was larger
than the force pursuing. Yet Willet, Rogers and Daganoweda did not
flinch, clinging to the trail, which now led straight toward
Andiatarocte.

CHAPTER VIII

ARESKOUI'S FAVOR

In the dusk of the evening the whole force came to the crest of a hill
from which through a cleft they caught a glimpse of the shimmering
waters of the lake, called by the Iroquois Andiatarocte, by the French,
St. Sacrement, and by the English, George. It was not Robert's first
view of it, but he always thrilled at the prospect.

"Both Andiatarocte and Oneadatote must be ours," he said to Tayoga.
"They're too fine and beautiful to pass into possession of the French."

"What about the Hodenosaunee? Do you too forget, Dagaeoga?"

"I don't forget, Tayoga. When I said 'ours' I meant American,
Hodenosaunee and English combined. You've good eyes, and so tell me if
I'm not right when I say I see a moving black dot on the lake."

"You do see it, my friend, and also a second and a third. The segment of
the lake that we can see from here is very narrow. At this distance it
does not appear to be more than a few inches across, but I know as
surely as Tododaho sits on his star watching over us, that those are
canoes, or perhaps long boats, and that they belong to our enemies."

"A force on the water cooeperating with that on land?"

"It seems so, Dagaeoga."

"And they mean to become the rulers of the lakes! With their army
powerfully established at Crown Point, and their boats on both
Andiatarocte and Oneadatote, it looks as if they were getting a great
start in that direction."

"Aye, Dagaeoga. The French move faster than we. They seize what we both
wish, and then it will be for us to