t us see," he said.

Putting his fingers to his lips, he blew between them a note soft and
low but penetrating. A half minute, and a note exactly similar came from
a point in the dense bush about a hundred yards away. Then Tayoga blew a
shorter note, and as before the reply came, precisely like it.

"It is the Ganeagaono," said Tayoga with certainty, "and we will await
them here."

The three remained motionless and silent, but in a few minutes the
bushes before them shook, and four tall figures, rising to their full
height, stood in plain view. They were Mohawk warriors, all young,
powerful and with fierce and lofty features. The youngest and tallest, a
man with the high bearing of a forest chieftain, said:

"We meet at a good time, O Tayoga, of the clan of the Bear, of the
nation Onondaga, of the great League of the Hodenosaunee."

"It is so, O Daganoweda, of the clan of the Turtle, of the nation
Ganeagaono, of the great League of the Hodenosaunee," replied Tayoga.
"I see that my brethren, the Keepers of the Eastern Gate, watch when the
savage tribes come within their territory."

The brows of the young Mohawk contracted into a frown.

"Most of our warriors are on the great trail to the vale of Onondaga,"
he said. "We are but four, and, though we are only four, we intended to
attack. The smoke nearer by is made by Hurons and Caughnawagas."

"You are more than four, you are seven," said Tayoga.

Daganoweda understood, and smiled fiercely and proudly.

"You have spoken well, Tayoga," he said, "but you have spoken as I
expected you to speak. Onundagaono and Ganeagaono be the first nations
of the Hodenosaunee and they never fail each other. We are seven and we
are enough."

He took it for granted that Tayoga spoke as truly for the two white men
as for himself, and Robert and the hunter felt themselves committed.
Moreover their debt to the Onondaga was so great that they could not
abandon him, and they knew he would go with the Mohawks. It would also
be good policy to share their enterprise and their danger.

"We'll support you to the end of it," said Willet quietly.

"The English have always been the friends of the Hodenosaunee," said
Daganoweda, as he led the way through the undergrowth toward the point
from which the smoke come. Neither Robert nor Willet felt any scruple
about attacking the warriors there, as they were clearly invaders with
hostile purpose of Mohawk territory, and it was also more than like