d not
see it. Then he looked again, and the dim fire had disappeared in the
white mist.

"Will it keep their huts and lodges from burning?" he whispered to
the hunter.

Willet shook his head.

"If we get a fire started well," he said, "the snow will seem to feed
it rather than put it out. It's going to help us in more ways than
one, too. I'd expected that we'd have to use flint and steel to touch
off our blaze, but as they're likely to leave their own fire and seek
shelter, maybe we can get a torch there. Now, you two boys keep close
to me and we'll approach that fire, or the place where it was."

They continued a cautious advance, their moccasins making no sound in
the soft snow, all objects invisible at a distance of twelve or
fifteen feet. Yet they saw one Indian warrior on watch, although he
did not see or hear them. He was under the boughs of a small tree and
was crouched against the trunk, protecting himself as well as he could
from the tumbling flakes. He was a Huron, a capable warrior with his
five senses developed well, and in normal times he was ambitious and
eager for distinction in his wilderness world, but just now he did not
dream that any one from the fort could be near. So the three passed
him, unsuspected, and drew close to the fire, which now showed as a
white glow through the dusk, sufficient proof that it was still
burning. Further progress proved that the warriors had abandoned it
for shelter, and they left the next task to Tayoga.

The Onondaga lay down in the snow and crept forward until he reached
the fire, where he paused and waited two or three minutes to see that
his presence was not detected. Then he took three burning sticks and
passed them back swiftly to his comrades. Willet had already discerned
the outline of a bark hut on his right and Robert had made out another
on his left. Just beyond were skin tepees. They must now act quickly,
and each went upon his chosen way.

Robert approached the hut on the left from the rear, and applied the
torch to the wall which was made of dry and seasoned bark. Despite the
snow, it ignited at once and burned with extraordinary speed. The
roar of flames from the right showed that the hunter had done as well,
and a light flash among the skin tepees was proof that Tayoga was not
behind them.

The besieging force was taken completely by surprise. The three had
imitated to perfection the classic example of Scipio's soldiers in the
Carthaginian camp.