they don't like it. But they can squirm as much as
they please, we're out of their reach now. Hark, they're answering!"

They heard a cry from the savage who had besieged them, but it was
followed by a long silence. The three paddled with their utmost
strength, the great muscles on their arms rising and falling with their
exertions, and beads of perspiration standing out on their foreheads.

Hours passed. Mile after mile fell behind them. The darkness began to
thin, and then the air was shot with golden beams from the rising sun.
Willet, heaving an immense sigh of relief, laid his paddle across the
canoe.

"The danger has passed," he said. "Now we'll land, put on our clothes
and become respectable."

CHAPTER V

THE MOHAWK CHIEF

The canoe was passing between low shores, and they landed on the left
bank, lifting out of the water the little vessel that had served them so
well, and carrying it to a point some distance in the bushes. There they
sat down beside it a while and drew long, deep and panting breaths.

"I don't want to repeat that experience soon," said Robert. "I think
every muscle and bone in me is aching."

"So do mine," said Willet, "but they ache in a good cause, and what's of
more importance just now a successful one too. Having left no trail the
Indians won't be able to follow us, and we can rest here a long time,
which compels me to tell you again to put on your clothes and become
respectable."

They were quite dry now, and they dressed. They also saw that their arms
and ammunition were in order, and after Willet had scouted the country a
bit, seeing that no human-being was near, they ate breakfast of the deer
meat and felt thankful.

"The aches are leaving me," said Willet, "and in another half-hour I'll
be the man I was yesterday. Not I'll be a better man. I've been in
danger lots of times and always there's a wonderful feeling of
happiness when I get out of it."

"That is, risk goes before real rest," said Robert.

"That's about the way to put it, and escaping as we've just done from a
siege, this dawn is about the finest I've ever seen. Isn't that a big
and glorious sun over there? I suppose it's the same sun I've been
looking at for years, but it seems to me that it has a new and
uncommonly splendid coat of gilding this morning."

"I think it was put on to celebrate our successful flight," said Robert.
"It's not only a splendid sun, Dave, but it's an uncommonly friendly one
to